10-man Mervue go out

Date Published: 09-Feb-2010

THE tone was set early in this Umbro FAI Junior Cup tie in Fahy’s Field on Sunday afternoon as 15 seconds had just elapsed when Tommy Walsh won the ball in a crunching challenge and the opening minute had not long gone when Paul Tobin was equally competitive as he too thundered into a challenge for the visitors.

All were fair and so was a much softer one on Stephen Cunningham by goalkeeper Derek Breen on just 5 minutes, but unfortunately this challenge resulted in the young Mervue striker having to depart the fray in an ambulance as a serious leg injury was the outcome from this clash just inside the box.

After a break of more than 40 minutes, matters got worse for the home side for within a minute of the resumption they were down to 10 players as a pumped-up Shane Kelly was maybe harshly issued with a straight red card for certainly a wild, but not intentional, challenge on John Connery.

The general consensus was that a yellow card would have been sufficient for the misdemeanour. To be fair to the home side they never threw in the towel, but the reality was that they were outplayed for the duration as Michael’s played the ball about and certainly had more flair and ability than the home side. Allowing for the fact that this is not the best team in the club, it was a little alarming at the difference in ability between the two sides.

From the back the Tipperary side – who included three Irish Junior international players – were able and willing to go through the channels and throughout the park they had game breakers, while in contrast Mervue just didn’t have the cohesion and ability to match them in any department.

However playing with a man less for 83minutes does leave one at a distinct disadvantage and no doubt this, and the early injury, didn’t help their cause.

As a result Mervue’s attacking forays were pretty limited in the opening half, as a long range effort by Dermot Ward was well off target, as was a header by Miko Nolan following a Tommy Walsh delivery. The home defence, which included Liam McKenna in for the injured Robert Connolly, was pretty solid throughout, while the midfielders’ job for the day was just one of hard labour as they spent the majority of time back peddling and covering the mobile runners of the visitors.

For all their possession, the visitors were not exactly overproductive in the finishing stakes and their first effort on goal by David Ryan was easily gathered by David Curran at his near post on 18 minutes.

However there was little he could do as the Tipperary side took the lead just nine minutes later. Paul Tobin provided the

cross from the left and while Eamonn Feeney did well in getting back goal side of his opposite number Tommy Heffernan, he could not avoid being hit with the delivery and there was heartbreak as the ball rolled into the net for an own goal.

The visitors continued to be wasteful as Quinn, Ryan and Connery all failed to finish when further opportunities were presented before the break.

Mervue started the second half with renewed energy and Ward just got to a Feeney cross before ‘keeper Breen, but his flick with the outside of the boot went just outside a post. On the hour mark Breen was extended for the only time when Walsh ran on to a Colie Kelly lay off on the edge of the box, but his cracker was well pushed away by the custodian.

However the reality was that St Michael’s were always the more threatening side and after a few misses they made it 2-0 on 75 minutes when Pat Quinn got on the end of a Jimmy Carr cross and he eventually forced the ball past Curran at the second attempt.

However all the fight had not gone out of the home side and when Rynal Browne latched on to a Kelly knockdown, the substitute’s lob was exquisite from close range and it was competitive again at 2-1.

Any thoughts of a happy ending were dismissed five minutes later, however, when Quinn got on the end of a Ryan pass to notch his second of the game and seal a place in the last 32 against Clonmel Celtic.