Clonmullion's Leinster dreams die in Drimnagh
Clonmullion's Cody Mulhall attempts to block Gareth Byrne's ball along the right wing
Clonmullion’s hopes and aspirations in the LFA Junior Cup are over for another year after they were pipped to a quarter-final place by St John Bosco after a tightly contested game in Drimnagh on Friday evening.
It was a game that probably laid out why Kildare teams have found it so difficult to progress in these kind of competitions since the introduction of calendar season football to the Kildare League over 15 years ago.
Clonmullion didn’t lack for fitness and have obviously prepared well for this game but their lack of competitive games showed in their attacking play.
They have played just one competitive game since knocking holders, Evergreen of Kilkenny, out of the competition at the end of November and no amount of friendly games is a substitute for the real thing. Clonmullion were uncharacteristically lacklustre in the attacking third and failed to create a chance of note in the opening 70 minutes and it was only when they threw everything forward in the final stages that they caused their hosts some problems.
In the end, it was Alex Taaffe’s scrappy 21st minute goal that separated the teams. The strike won’t win any prizes for style but it proved priceless for Bosco as it booked their place in the last eight of the competition. Taaffe had already been a constant threat down the right wing and it was his enterprising run that earned a corner. Clonmullion goalkeeper Evan Grattan, under pressure from some of the giants from the Bosco backline, couldn’t get a clean catch on Michael Eustace’s inswinger and Taaffe was on hand to poke home from close range.
The closest that Clonmullion managed in the first half was a 34th minute corner from Nathan Robinson that evaded everybody at the front post and probably would have went directly into the net at the far post only that Conor Bolton was alert to the danger and was able to get back and head off the line.
Taaffe was at the heart of things for Bosco again in the 41st minute when he beat Jake Nicholl on the right and his cross ended at the feet of Karl Malone but his goalbound shot was blocked on the line and then from the rebound, Bolton blazed over from the edge of the box.
If that was a good chance for the home team to double their lead, they created even better a minute before the break when Mark Hughes’ intended pass to Garry Comerford was intercepted and sent into Ian O’Brien who probably should have at least hit the target but fired his shot just wide.
Bosco picked up where they left off in the early part of the second half and Eustace from a long range free that was saved and Joe McGlue with a flicked near post header both went close.
Just before the hour mark, Grattan had to dive full length to keep out another effort from Eustace.
Clonmullion had offered so little going forward up to that but shortly after save, Cody Mulhall was fouled 25 yards from the Bosco goal. Hughes stepped up and sweetly struck his effort just wide of the post.
There was something of a flash point after that and Keelan Lacey and Ian O’Brien both entered the referee’s notebook but in a game of 11 yellow cards, this was the only time that it really felt like it would boil over.
Timmy Doyle and Barry Hughes weren’t afraid to make positional changes in attempt to try find a foothold in the game for their team. Danny Thompson and Lacey swapped wings throughout, while Joe Doran and Mulhall rotated between the lone striker and number 10 position but it was the move that saw Keane Cully drop back into centre half and Garry Comerford move into midfield that had the biggest impact.
As Bosco retreated, Clonmullion for the first time began to get sustained pressure in the Bosco half and finally the chances started to arrive.
The best of the lot fell to the exact player that Clonmullion would have wanted. Mulhall had been kept quiet by the Bosco defence but players of his quality usually just need one chance. Jake Nicholl’s 70 minute diagonal ball dropped over the Bosco centre halves and Mulhall controlled it brilliantly. His shot beat Zumarraga but agonisingly for Clonmullion struck the inside of the post. Doran tucked the rebound away but before the celebrations could get underway that was ruled out by the assistant referee’s flag.
That was as close as Clonmullion, although Zumarraga made a superb block shortly after from Cully’s close range effort after a goalmouth scramble.
Bosco remained a threat on the break in the face of the Clonmullion onslaught and could have wrapped the game up in the 86th minute when they had a two on one situation. Scott Taaffe’s pass found O’Brien and although he beat Grattan with his shot, Nicholl made sure it didn’t reach the goal.
Substitute Noel Kelly went close for Clonmullion in injury time with a looping header from the edge of the box but almost eight minutes added on gave them every chance. The last action of the game saw Mulhall fouled out near the right wing. That gave Clonmullion the chance to load up the box and from the delivery there were strong appeals by the visitors for handball but the referee only awarded one last corner. From that, Bosco were able to clear and they move on in the LFA Junior Cup while Clonmullion are left to wonder what might have been.
Javier Zumarraga; Gareth Byrne, Jamie Cogan, Joseph McGlue, Karl Malone; Alex Taaffe (Scott Taaffe, 61), Adrain Alferez Diaz (Shane Jenkinson, 79), Leon Fahy-Byrne, Conor Bolton (Sean McGuigan, 90), Michael Eustace (Dean Blood, 79); Ian O’Brien (Sean Dowling, 90).
Evan Grattan; Lee Doyle, Mark Hughes, Garry Comerford, Jake Nicholl; Nathan Robinson, Keane Cully, Joe Doran; Keelan Lacey (Noel Kelly, 82), Cody Mulhall, Danny Thompson.
Aidan Moore.
