News
Latest
25-Jun-2008
County advance in FAI Cup
Ford FAI Senior Cup Round 3
Kildare County 3 Fanad Utd 0
County’s passage to the last sixteen of the Ford FAI cup was convincing enough but their fans had to endure a few scary moments as the Donegal men missed a couple of great chances when the score stood at 1-0 to the home side midway through the second half.
Kildare’s first chance fell to John Broderick after thirteen minutes when his pace saw him outstrip the Fanad defence but his shot was inches off target.
County broke the deadlock on seventeen minutes with a superb goal. Michael Roche played the ball out of defence. With the aid of the wind the ball carried to Broderick on the right hand side of the box. Broderick played a neat reverse flick into the path of Ciaran Kilduff who met the ball on the volley and blasted to the top left corner of the Fanad net .
Willie Tyrell had the ball in the Fanad net again in the 48th following a Barry Slattery corner but what seemed like a perfectly good goal was ruled by an inconsistent referee for a “push” by Tyrell.
County took up where they left off in the second half and ten minutes in Kilduff almost had a second when he cut in from the left wing and tried his luck from an acute angle when perhaps it would have been more productive to play the ball back across the box. His effort ended in the side netting.
Fanad then had a period of superiority and they were unlucky not to equalise in the fifty-sixth minute when PJ Hagan’s cross was headed just wide of Austin O’Neill’s post by John Doherty. The Donegal side really should have levelled three minutes later when Paddy McGrennaghan sent an excellent through ball into the path on the onrushing PJ Hagan, whose shot beat O’Neill but whizzed just wide of the right upright.
The Thoroughbreds weathered the mini-storm and should have doubled their advantage just after the hour when Eoin Kavanagh’s drive hit Colin Fortune on the back and the ball fell to Ger Robinson twelve yards out. The striker however could not direct his shot on goal, slicing wide of the right post.
Kildare desperately needed a second goal to give them some breathing space and it eventually arrived with fifteen minutes remaining. A Colin Fortune corner was cleared to the edge of the box but fell to Barry Slattery, whose shot was blocked out but only as far a Fortune on the right wing. Ciaran Kilduff outjumped McGinley in the Fanad goals to nod home Fortune’s excellent cross, for his second of the game.
To United’s credit they never gave up and with twelve minutes remaining a 30 yard shot from Paul Nash was deflected past the post for a corner by Eoin Kavanagh and Seamus Friel should have done better when he got on the end of a Shane Sweeney free kick but failed to hit the target with six minutes left.
The Thoroughbreds wrapped it up in the eighty-fifth minute when man of the match Ciaran Kilduff completed a rare Station Road hat trick when he raced onto a well measured through ball from midfielder Fortune and tucked the ball away past the advancing McGinley.
The win will be a confidence booster for County and the performance of Ciaran Kilduff who lifted the Ford man of the match trophy (presented by Pat Duffy of the FAI), who has now netted four times in his last two games was exceptional. Baba Issaka made his first appearance for the club, replacing Barry Slattery with ten minutes remaining and showed some silky skills. Kildare now look forward with interest to the draw for round five (last sixteen), which will take place on the MNS show on Monday night.
Kildare County: O’Neill; Clarke, Tyrell, Roche, Clancy; Brady, Kavanagh (Morgan 87), Fortune, Slattery (Isaaka 80); Kilduff, Broderick (Robinson 55). Subs not used: Donnelly, Harte, Brophy, Treacy.
Fanad Utd: McGinley; S Friel, Doherty, Lynch (McElwain 85), Sweeney; P Patton (Sheridan 66), McGrenaghan, Nash, D Patton (McLaughlin 80); McNulty, Hagan. Subs not used: McGory, Mooney, S Friel.
Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford).
Click on heading below for highlights...
email:
Choose Year - Search News - Latest News