Dunne and dusted: Sheriff claim second FAI Junior Cup

This match report was used on the Junior Soccer Portal website; this version can be viewed here.


Kilbarrack United   0     Sheriff YC   0 (AET)
(Sheriff win 5-4 on penalties)

Football can be as cruel as it is rewarding, and perhaps there is no better personification of this than the respective weeks endured by both Sheriff YC and Kilbarrack United. For one team, it is a case of celebrating a provincial and national cup double; for the other, it is a case of ruing chances not taken.

And as if it couldn't get any crueller, where a captain's penalty in last week's Leinster Junior Cup final almost offered his side a reprieve, it was a pair of John Meleady misses today - one in the 70th minute and the first of the ensuing penalty shootout - that denied Kilbarrack their first ever FAI Junior Cup at the Aviva Stadium.

Kilbarrack will feel hard done by as they were arguably the better side for the majority of the game and, barring two five minute spells at the end of each half of normal time, looked the more likely to open the scoring.

And when David Browne was sent off in the 52nd minute for a last man foul on forward Mark Townley - who was a constant thorn in the side of the Sheriff defence - Paul Breen's men must have surely thought they would avenge last year's 3-1 final defeat in Tolka Park.

The game's first chance came on seven minutes when United's Keith Kirwan was fouled on the edge of the penalty area. It was in a decent central position but Kilbarrack skipper Meleady's cute attempt to strike it under the wall lacked any venom and the ball was comfortably gathered by Lee Murphy in the Sheriff goal.

Kilbarrack did rattle the net five minutes later when Dean Gibbons latched onto a weak David Browne clearance and hit a sweet volley first time - however despite its pace it came down too late and hit the top of the net.

Sheriff were snapping into tackles as they sought to get a grip on the manic early stages, but again it was Kilbarrack who threatened when Eamonn Mulligan displayed great composure to control a cross in the heart of the Sheriff penalty area.

Feigning to shoot, he created a yard of space for himself, but his finish lacked conviction and he was left holding his head in his hands as Murphy easily saved.

Alan Reilly would have been unimpressed by his side's initial inability to create a decent chance in open play, but they finally registered their first attempt of the day when they won a free-kick on the left wing. Joe O'Neill's delivery was met by John Rock, but he directed his header straight at Mark Hatton, who tipped it over the bar.

Sheriff then had a penalty shout waved away and almost conceded within sixty seconds. Sean Murphy performed some stepovers before going over under a challenge from Mark Mooney in the box. While the referee was waving away the appeals, Kilbarrack broke with the ball finding its way to David Jackson on the right flank.

His cross was palmed away by a flailing Murphy, but it fell to Mulligan whose drive from the edge of the penalty area seemed destined for the goal until Murphy miraculously sprung up to deflect the ball away.

However it was only a matter of time before Sheriff found some momentum and they created a host of chances before the end of the first half - and United would be indebted to their goalkeeper for keeping the game scoreless.

First, the two goalscorers from last week's LFA Cup final success combined, with O'Neill finding the run of Keith Dunne down the right channel with the outside of his left foot, but the Sheriff front man's effort was saved by Hatton at his near post.

From the resulting corner, Hatton was forced to tip over a Rock drive from the edge of the penalty area, and from the second corner, Stephen Murphy was denied by a double-save from the Kilbarrack 'keeper. And when O'Neill did find a way past Hatton, left-back Gavin Caughran was on hand to clear and keep the game scoreless at the break.

The opening stages of the second half were scrappy as both sides struggled for dominance in midfield.

Kilbarrack were playing a 4-4-1-1 formation with Mark Townley acting as an auxiliary midfielder when his side didn't have possession, whereas Sheriff operated with a more orthodox 4-4-2. Townley's pace and workrate were key to the success of Kilbarrack's game plan, and it was the combination of both attributes that led to Browne's sending off.

O'Neill attempted a dummy on the edge of the Kilbarrack box which cost his side possession. The ball was launched upfield by Alan McHugh, pitting Browne in a race he was never going to win. The Sheriff full-back took Townley down and was duly sent off. The resulting free-kick by Gibbons was tipped over by Murphy.

Then, on 70 minutes, substitute Mark 'Mousetrap' Geraghty won a penalty when he was taken down by Anthony Kavanagh in the box. Up stepped Meleady in search of back-to-back cup final goals from the spot against Sheriff - but agonisingly for the hordes of supporters in blue, he pulled his effort wide of the post. Kilbarrack failed to press home their numerical advantage after that.

Sheriff dug in, demonstrating impressive resolve and a willingness to attack despite being a man down. Reilly's charges nearly won it in normal time when Hatton hesitated in coming for a long ball on the right side of his penalty area and allowed it to slip under his body. Dunne was alive to the opportunity and only brave last ditch defending by both Mooney and McHugh ensured that normal time ended goalless.

In extra-time, it was the Kilbarrack players who seemed out on their feet, not ten man Sheriff, who were constantly urged on by their captain Paul Murphy. With neither side managing to break the deadlock, the game went to penalties, just as Ray Houghton had predicted before the game.

John Meleady missed the only penalty of the shootout, with a carbon copy of his effort in normal time, presenting Sheriff's fifth penalty taker Keith Dunne with the opportunity to be the hero. He coolly converted to guarantee Sheriff their second successive FAI Junior Cup and break Kilbarrack hearts for the second week running.

TEAMS:

Kilbarrack United: Mark Hatton; Daniel Byrne, Mark Mooney, Alan McHugh, Gavin Caughran; David Jackson (Sean Beresford, 73 minutes), John Meleady (capt), Dean Gibbons (Aaron Humphries, 87 mins), Eamonn Mulligan (Mark Geraghty, 62 mins); Mark Townley, Keith Kirwan. Subs not used: Nicholas Kantounias, Mark Nolan, Mark Dunne, Niall Cullen, Karl O'Reilly, Robert Coombes, Stephan Sheehan, Daniel Kane, Stephen Martin.

Booked/sent off: Dean Gibbons (68 mins)/none

Sheriff YC: Lee Murphy; Paul Murphy (capt), Anthony Kavanagh, Darren O'Brien, David Browne; Sean Murphy, Stephen Murphy (Darren Dunne, 65 mins), Anthony Kane (Kevin Lynch, 80 mins), Joe O'Neill; John Rock (Alan McCabe, 73 mins), Keith Dunne. Subs not used: Ian Dumbrell, Gavin McDermott, Anto Murphy.

Booked/sent off: Anthony Kavanagh (70 mins), Sean Murphy (98 mins)/David Browne (52 mins)

Ref: David Jameson

LFWCD Man of the match: Mark Townley.

It is not often a player from the losing side is named man of the match in a cup final, and Sheriff had their contenders - skipper Paul Murphy and Keith Dunne, in particular - but Townley stood out for his footballing intelligence as well as his endeavour. He was never afraid to try something different and despite being on the receiving end of some tough tackling, he always wanted the ball. Unlucky to be on the losing side.

MATCH STATS (Kilbarrack United/Sheriff YC):

Shots: 10/12
Corners: 6/6
Fouls: 12/13
Offsides: 6/3

PENALTIES:

	Kilbarrack United		Sheriff YC
1.	John Meleady [missed, wide]	2.	Darren Dunne [scored]
3.	Alan McHugh [scored]	4.	Anthony Kavanagh [scored]
5.	Mark Mooney [scored]	6.	Alan McCabe [scored]
7.	Sean Beresford [scored]	8.	Lee Murphy [scored]
9.	Aaron Humphries [scored]	10.	Keith Dunne [scored, winning pen]