Good weekend for Galway sides in Connacht Junior Cup

Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty

Hibernians 1

Colemanstown United 1

(AET – Hibs won 4-3 on pens)

Despite missing a penalty and being a man down, a Jason McPhilbin goal looked like being enough to see Hibernians through to the last 16 of the Connacht Junior Cup, only for Sean Hardiman to volley home a stunning equaliser from outside the box and level matters deep in additional time.

It was the type of body-blow that could have killed off any team, but despite extra time providing little in the way of excitement, the city side were spot on with all four efforts in the penalty shoot-out, as the visitors missed twice to end their prospects of advancing.

The league positioning of both sides should have given a fair indication of how this contest would materialise, but midtable Hibernians never looked like outclassing the bottom of the table visitors. The city side were comfortable 4-2 winners when they last met in the league, but Saturday’s contest seldom indicated that it would be riddled with goals.

Chances were certainly hard to find, although an opening half penalty awarded to the home side when McPhilbin was fouled in the box, wasn’t taken advantage of when the same player’s effort was saved by visiting custodian Alan Finn.

Stephen Walsh’s side wasn’t helped when Jason McDonagh was red-carded before the break, but in fairness to Hibernians, such was the workrate from the rest of the team, it was difficult to know they were a man down. Colemanstown’s only chance of note in the opening half came when Gareth Lally had a header well saved by PJ Ward.

The home side made the perfect start to the second half, when McPhilbin seized possession after a ball broke off goalkeeper Finn in the 52nd minute and made it 1-0 with a close-range tap-in. They threatened to add a second on a few occasions, as Hulgraine headed over following an Alex Murphy corner, with the substitute winger providing a few good deliveries into the box that were not seized upon.

Colemanstown pressed on somewhat more in the closing quarter, but Conor Devlin, Caimin Rooney, Dean Cullinane, and Nathan Ward gave little away at the back for the home outfit. Gareth Lally and Damien Wynne threatened a breakthrough for the visitors as Richie Lally and Kerill Hardiman tried to get them back into the game.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.