Saturday 05th Decemb
er 2015-FAI U17 Cup 3rd Round(Last 32)-Fenit Samphires 2-2 Kill Celtic (Kildare)-Fenit Samphires won 4-2 on penalties AET – Howling wind and rain as Storm Desmond battered the country. We had to switch the game from Fenit to the all weather pitch in Mounthawk Park in Tralee which we were slow to do but the wind at our pitch in Fenit was just too strong. Our opponents are top of their league in Kildare so it was never going to be easy. The wind and rain blew across the pitch but we had the benefit of any weather advantage in the first half. Still the Kildare lads had it over us for the first 25 minutes as we struggled to deal with their passing game. The first chance of the game fell to us though after 15 minutes when Christopher Murphy finally latched on to a through ball from Sean Donnellan but shot narrowly wide. Then Kill had a shot which ended up in the side netting after 20 minutes but were building a head of steam which culminated in an excellent cross from the right being prodded home by an onrushing forward. This seemed to focus us and we pressed them more aggressively and all of a sudden we started to get some possession. Sean Collins and Sean Donnellan in the middle got it down and started to combine with front men Conor Lowe and Christopher Murphy. Cormac O Brien and Ed Moynihan on the wings now started to come into it a bit more too, having been confined to defending for the most part up to then. We had a few chances to equalise with Chris, Conor and Cormac all coming close. Kill were very dangerous on the break and Brian O’Regan in goals pushed the ball onto the bar after a thunderous effort on 35 minutes but importantly for us it stayed out. In our next attack we had a clear shout for a handball in their box but unfortunately for us it was on the wrong side for the ref to see it and he couldn’t award it. 2nd Half – We were now against the elements, but it was a fantastic contest between 2 evenly matched teams who made little of the conditions. The game ebbed and flowed with both teams trying to do it right and both teams harassing their opponents.For 25 minutes both teams cancelled each other out. Then with 20 minutes left on the clock it seemed our goose was cooked when we conceded a second and the wind stiffening it’s resolve to keep us away from their goals. But our team would not give up and pushed on to try to rescue a most difficult situation. With 15 minutes to go and after a sustained period of pressure we forced a number of corners on the left. Cormac floated over a beauty and Ciaran Carmody got up at the far post to head it back across the goals where Sean Collins forced it home and it was game on. We had to do without Ciaran Murray for the game because of a leg injury but our defence of Brian O’Regan, David Lenihan, Ossie Clifford, Ciaran Carmody and Alan McElligott had very good games and kept us in it after a shaky start and it is teastament to their efforts that Brian in goals had no real saves of note to make and his handling of crosses and long shots was tops. We introduced Jack Lynch and Padraig Donnellan in the second half too and we were delighted that their introduction added to the pressure we were able to exert. We pushed and pushed for the all important equaliser and Dean Meehan in particular was getting joy down the left for us. Eventually he rounded the right back and hit a fierce drive across the keeper which he failed to hold and there was Conor Lowe to smash in the rebound. Kill were now hanging on as we searched for the winner but it eluded us and so on to extra time. Extra time was even with both teams out on their feet. Both were more intent on not conceding a third and tried to play on the counter. We had a couple of half chances but nothing came of them so on to the dreaded penalty shoot out. Cormac was first up but even though he sent the keeper the wrong way, he still got a foot to it to keep it out. Thankfully Kill missed their second and fourth penalties and Conor, Sean and Jack converted for us. It all came down to Dean at the end and he made no mistake to leave us victorious. So a massive well done to our lads and hard luck to a gallant Kill Celtic team who were very magnanimous in defeat. As always we are indebted to the lads behind the scenes who organised refreshments for both teams after the game. It was nice too to see lads from the town clubs who came to watch the match, lend us their support. Finally a word of thanks to Mounthawk Park for the use of their facilities and to the ref who had a tough job to do in the most inhospitable of conditions. Indeed one man was heard to say ‘you wouldn’t have put a dog out in it!’.