Leinster Football Association Junior Cup (Round 2)
Maynooth Town AFC Masters 3 Newbridge FC 0
Maynooth Town Over 35s hosted Newbridge FC from the Premier Division in the second round of the LFA Junior Cup. Both teams began strong with some good attacking at both ends. Maynooth’s back four remained solid with Marvin Kelly and Niall Smyth instigating some good attacking play. The visitors thought they had broken the deadlock after twenty minutes through Shane Smith following a good cross by Anthony Clifford, however the effort was rules offside. Maynooth took the lead five minutes later. A free kick taken by Niall Smyth deep in his own half found Domhnall O Riordain who controlled the ball, found space and put a through ball to Damien Terry. The Maynooth Striker composed himself and seeing the Newbridge Goalkeeper off his line struck a shot from distance lobbing the Keeper and finding the top corner. Newbridge pressed high towards the end of the first half through Walsh, Molloy and Doyle, however, they were kept out by Maynooth’s rigorous defending.
Maynooth began the second half strong. Maynooth’s midfielder Tom Halton was relentless in his breaking down of the play, his stamina and intensity unrivalled on the pitch. Alongside Halton was Gerry Bowen whose trickery and smart play led to numerous attacking plays and was a thorn in the side of the Newbridge players. Maynooth made a number of substitutions in the second half which enabled them to push on and keep the pressure on Newbridge. Newbridge had more good attacking play which again was halted by the safe hands of Maynooth’s Erich Butler and brave defending by Maynooth’s Centre Half Gary MacMahon amongst others. Paul O Kearney took control of the play in the Newbridge half. His presence and strength on the ball was unmatched and the pressure Maynooth applied paid off with ten minutes left in normal time. Paul O Kearney pounced on a loose pass by the Newbridge defence and he slotted the ball passed the Newbridge Keeper.
Towards the end of normal time Maynooth’s pressure paid off once more. Paul O Kearney running at Newbridge’s Defence pulled the ball back out to Tom Halton who was waiting outside the edge of the box and he found the bottom corner with a super strike. It was a stellar performance by the whole Maynooth squad to overcome a strong Newbridge side. Best of the visitors were Shane Smith, Anthony Clifford, Barry Molloy and Cian Scanlon.
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