Clonmullion knock out holders to progress to last 16 in Leinster
Cody Mulhall cooly slots past Evergreen goalkeeper Cian Rowe to open the scoring Photos: Aisling Hyland
Clonmullion advanced in the LFA Junior Cup on Sunday after a cagey, tense affair against Kilkenny’s Evergreen, the reigning holders of the competition after a win over Carlow’s New Oak in last season’s final. A Cody Mulhall goal in the first half was followed by another by Daniel Thompson in the second, but a late goal by Ify Nzewi of the side from the Marble City left the home side facing a nervy finish. They managed to see it out though to claim a deserved victory and a place in the next round.
Both sides started in cautious fashion. There was little football of any real quality on show until the 23rd minute when Mulhall put the home side in the lead. Evergreen attempted to play out from the back and were caught out by a Clonmullion high press led by Gary Comerford.
Mulhall found himself with the ball at his feet in a great position just inside the box and rifled the ball into the far corner with a clinical finish that was as cool as the air in Athy on this early winter’s afternoon.
It was Clonmullion’s first real chance and Evergreen will have been kicking themselves over how they gave it up.
The goal didn’t give the game the lift it needed. It was only in the final five minutes of the half that further clear cut chances were created. After a cross was knocked down to Clonmullion’s Keelan Lacey in the 41st minute, he had an opportunity from ten yards but slashed his effort wide. Four minutes later a counter attack left him with another good chance as he cut in from the left but the winger sidefooted just wide.
The start to the second half was defined by a combination of cageyness and feistiness, with players not afraid to get stuck into tackles and little goal mouth action. The first chance of note came in the 62nd minute when Evergreen managed their first shot on target. A long ball into the Clonmullion box was headed down by Lee Doyle into the direction of Ify Nzewi who made good contact from just outside the box, forcing Grattan into a save that he would have expected to make.
Six minutes later the Kildare side were 2-0 to the good. Nathan Robinson picked out a great pass to substitute left-winger Thompson who scampered away on the counter attack and inside his full-back before sticking the ball past Rowe emphatically.
Evergreen didn’t give up and created a good chance within three minutes. Striker David Grincell dropped deep and picked out a fantastic volleyed diagonal pass to winger Ethan Phelan, who got in behind Doyle and cut in from the left before firing wide. The home side were untroubled for the guts of ten minutes after that before Nzewi halved the deficit. The away side’s captain Michael Drennan - who boasts an impressive list of former clubs including Aston Villa and Shamrock Rovers - aimed an inswinging corner into the Clonmullion penalty area, causing chaos before Nzewi’s block on an attempted clearance flew into the back of the net. ‘Game on’ said the crowd from Kilkenny and nerves jangled on the opposite sideline.
Clonmullion managed the final nine minutes plus injury times very professionally despite the palpable tension. The most dangerous moment was an excellent Drennan delivery that Chris Chanders rose highest to head the ball away. Evergreen couldn’t create any clear-cut chances to equalise and referee Patrick Roche’s whistle was greeted with vociferous approval by the home side.
The men from Athy came up against a solid if unspectacular outfit from the banks of the River Nore, who struggled to create but kept plugging away and had some good players in their side such as Drennan and Nzewi. On the home side, talisman Mulhall didn’t have his best game but still notched a fine goal. Hughes was impressive with his ball-playing from the back, whilst Nicholl was dependable at left-full. Robinson lead by example in midfield and was accompanied by two solid performers in Chanders and Garry Comerford. The dominant side in Kildare are keen to make an impact in provincial competition and will look to the next round with anticipation after this hard-fought victory.
The KDFL’s other remaining representative in the competition also progressed with Rathangan beating Drogheda Boys in a thrilling penalty shoot out win.
Evan Grattan; Lee Doyle, Mark Hughes, Keane Cully, Jake Nicholl; Garry Comerford, Nathan Robinson; Ceilum Coughlan Maher, Chris Chanders, Keelan Lacey (Daniel Thompson 60); Cody Mulhall (Noel Kelly 77).
Cian Rowe; Ben Hickey (Thomas Treacy 45+2 - subbed off for R Downey 89), Jamie O’Keefe, Sam Johnston, Sam Hickey; Craig Wall (Eoin Smith 74), Ify Nzewi; Ethan Phelan, Michael Drennan, Mikey Clifford (James Kearney 63); David Grincell.
Patrick Roche
