Heartbreak for Mervue Utd in U-14 Soccer Cup final

There was to be no Irish Cup joy for Mervue United’s U-14 side in the SFAI Goodson Cup final on Sunday afternoon as a lack of a clinical touch eventually allowed holders St Francis to come from a goal down to take a second national title in succession at Jackson Park in Dublin.

Mervue Utd will rue a host of missed first-half chances and a blatant penalty claim after just three minutes which could have changed the complexion of the game as they dominated the opening half.

Having deservedly taken the lead just after the half hour mark through a Ronan Manning free-kick, the Galway side failed to convert their dominance onto the scoreboard and the Dublin side struck a sucker blow in first-half injury time to send the sides in level at the interval.

Despite that blow, Mervue had another excellent chance to hit the front just after the break but failed to take that before the holders showed they did possess a clinical side as they scored twice in five minute period to effectively seal the issue.

Mervue started very brightly and after just three minutes Aaron Connolly – who was a constant threat throughout the first-half – worked his way into the box and just as he was about to pull the trigger was upended, but Dublin referee Tom Shannon awarded St Francis a goalkick.

This setback didn’t seem to affect the young Mervue side as they poured forward in search of an opening goal. Just after the quarter hour mark Manning fed winger Adam Kelleher on the right and he picked out Connolly in the box. The striker took one touch before shooting, but he saw his effort brilliantly pushed away by the Francis keeper Sean Prenter.

Two minutes later and Connolly turned provider as he played a defence-splitting pass to release Kelleher through on the right and the winger advanced into the box but struck his effort just over Prenter’s crossbar. Manning then floated a free-kick into the danger area which Adam Rooney headed back across goal to Connolly who produced a wonderful overhead kick which flew just over Prenter’s crossbar.

Mervue took the lead on 31 minutes after Connolly had been foul about 35 yards away from goal and his strike partner Manning struck an effort past Prenter which did take a slight deflection on the way to the net.

The lead was no more than Mervue deserved and they continued to push forward with Connolly’s strength and power a constant cause for concern for the Dublin side, who were struggling to cope with the big number nine.

But they suffered a blow two minutes into first-half injury-time when St Francis left-back Jack Connor strode forward and unleashed a stunning strike which flew in over the head of Mervue goalkeeper Cian Mulryan to leave the game all square at the break.

Mervue could have hit the front two minutes after the restart as Connolly once again forced his way past two defenders before picking out Colin Kelly in the box and he side stepped the covering defender but saw his low effort well saved by Irish international ’keeper Prenter.

St Francis right back Conor Fitzharris almost headed past his own keeper just after as Prenter scrambled across his goal to bundled the ball away for a corner following a Kelleher ball into the box.

After showing very little in the opening half the Dublin side looked a different proposition in the second period and struck twice in that five minute spell between the 50th and 55th minutes through James Jennings.

Charlie Barry split the Mervue defence with a lovely ball which Jennings ran onto and slotted past Mulryan with the aid of the far post; and then struck a second within minutes as he finished at the back post following a throw into the box which wasn’t dealt with by the Mervue defence.

Mervue continued to battle and push hard to get back into the game as Eoin Broderick headed over and Connolly went close to reducing the deficit back to the minimum but they were caught out for a fourth goal with a minute to go as they pushed forward in numbers.

A long ball forward from impressive midfielder Jack Connolly saw Thomas Caffery chase the ball with covering defender Daniel Brennan as Mulryan advanced to clear but the ball fell to the winger and he cheekily back heeled the ball into the corner.

Huge disappointment for Mervue in the end but it could have been so different if that early penalty decision had gone their way and if they had made their opening half dominance count but they can hold their heads up high as they had already captured a treble this season winning both local league and cup and the provincial Connacht Cup title.