O’Neill grabs winner as Villa hold on for victory
Temple Villa 1 Raheny United 0
By John Dingle
Temple Villa squeezed into the next round of the Leinster FA Junior Cup with a narrow victory over Raheny United at TP Hickey Park last Sunday afternoon.
The hosts seemingly looked on course to have an easy passage past the Dublin team when taking the lead midway through the opening half. A second goal did not arrive, however, and Raheny came close to forcing extra-time following a dominant second half but Villa held out to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
Villa were quickly into their stride when the tie got underway with the first corner kick earned after just three minutes. The bright start was not maintained though with the next chance coming a quarter of an hour later when Nazar Zubkov fired over.
Raheny's first chance after 20 minutes could have seen the deadlock been broken, but Paul Bannon got down at his near post to push Jamie Ward's shot behind. The veteran goalkeeper showed that he had lost little of his agility on his return to action, having seemingly hung up his gloves at the end of last season.
What proved to be the winning goal arrived after 22 minutes as Villa attacked with devastating effect. Neill Macken did well to beat his marker down the right wing and his inviting low cross fell to the incoming Aaron O’Neill, who shot to the net from close range.
It eased home nerves but was not built upon thereafter allowing Raheny to maintain an interest right until the final whistle. Villa did dominate the remainder of the half but could not grab a second score to reward their efforts. After setting up the goal, Macken was next to try his luck but his shot was tipped over by the United keeper.
Three more corners were earned by Eoin Fox’s men before the tie headed into stoppage time where there was late drama. The first additional minute saw Dean O’Neill deliver a low cross from the right with the incoming Aaron O’Neill coming close to grabbing his second goal only for to see his shot come back off the post. Had it gone in, it would have made the second half more comfortable for Villa and Raheny took heart from the miss with a much improved second-half display.
The Dublin team remained on the pitch for the interval and were on top when play resumed up to the hour mark. Alex Evenden had a chance within a minute of the restart and Jamie Jeal had a further opportunity on 58 minutes but saw his shot saved by Bannon.
Villa had been slow to restart but their first chance could have easily seen the lead doubled only for Ryan Kane to tip over a Dean O’Neill right wing cross which threatened to end up in the net. Cian Smyth had the next chance for the visitors but again Bannon was in top form on his return to action.
The home side gradually got back on top as the half progressed as three corners in quick succession kept Raheny on the defensive. The Dublin outfit responded with a corner of their own and were only denied an equaliser by the woodwork on 82 minutes. A freak goal almost materialised when Evan Simpson sent in a cross from the right which caught in the wind but then hit off the post much to the relief of the Villa camp.
After losing Kieran McNally to injury earlier in the half (replaced by Karl Hession Burke), manager Fox gave a run to two more of the underage players before the finish, Louie Shine and Ryan Doyle.
The closing stages should have been more comfortable for Villa when they were presented with a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 with five minutes remaining. Macken's free kick was blocked by the keeper but James Craughwell looked set from close range to bury the rebound in the net only to see his shot put behind.
It kept Raheny in contention and extra-time was always a possibility as Villa looked to hold onto their slender advantage. United earned another corner after 87 minutes and had more time to try and strike for an equaliser in the time added on.
Nearly five additional minutes added to the tension but the home defence, superbly marshalled by Ultan Harney, stood firm as Villa claimed a place in the next round.
Man of the match: Ultan Harney (Temple Villa). Making his home debut, the Clann na nGael GAA star showed he was equally at ease with a different code as he kept Raheny at bay in a tense finish to proceedings.
Talking point: Two players better known for their Gaelic football exploits were key to the Villa success. Former Athlone and Westmeath player Paul Bannon was solid between the
Temple Villa: Paul Bannon, Dean O’Neill, Liam Flynn, Ultan Harney, Nazar Zubkov, Aaron O’Neill, Kieran McNally, Benny Magennis, Neill Macken, Mark Gannon, James Craughwell. Subs: Karl Hession-Burke for McNally (66 mins); Louie Shine for A O’Neill (73); Ryan Doyle for Magennis (89).
Raheny United: Ryan Kane, Alex Coffey, Jamie Jeal, Alex Evenden, Sean Daly, Jamie Ward, Evan Simpson, Alex Crowe, Daniel Fuller, Gary Sutton, Cian Smyth. Subs: George Shelley for Sutton (H-T); Shane Brennan for Evenden (62 mins); Rory Hynes for Daly (73).
Referee: Ross Cole (Longford).