Straffan AFC 2 Rathangan AFC 3 (AET)
On a perfect day for football in Straffan it was the home side who got off to the better start and went 1-0 up in the third minute. Rathangan's keeper Craig Shannon pulled off a great save in the tenth minute when they could of went two up. Five minutes later Rathangan’s Nathan Cullen took the ball off his line to make sure Straffan weren't going to go two up this time. Rathangan then got to grips of the game, a minute later with some good team play Nathan Cullen sent the ball in to Lee Moore to find the target to header the ball to top left hand corner.
In the twentieth minutes Rathangan should have made it 2-1 when Arun Doyle had a great chance but unfortunately the shot was too powerful to be blasted wide. Four minutes later when Rathangan were on top, some great team play with some smart swift passing between Iain Doyle and Sam O'Loughlin for Sam hit a bullet of a strike and hit the back of the net. It was 2-1 at half time and everything to play for in the second half. The second half wasn't as exciting compared to the first but just two minutes reminding the referee deemed for Rathangan to have fouled and pointed to the penalty spot. Straffan made no mistake to send keeper Craig Shannon the wrong way to send the game into extra time. Rathangan seemed to have the legs and just before the break of extra time. Skipper Tommy Power won the ball in the middle and had the vision to spot Iain Doyle on the right wing who cut inside and drove the ball into the roof of the net. That was game over lights out as Rathangan marched on to the next round. Best for the winners were Craig Shannon, Nathan Cullen, Lee Moore and Sam O'Loughlin
Ballycane Celtic FC 2 Suncroft AFC 3
Suncroft made their third trip of the season to Ballycane, this time for round two of the Lumsden League Cup. In a high scoring game it was the home side who struck first with only six mins played, with 'Cane striker Ross Hazard finding the top corner from just inside the area with 'Croft 'keeper Colin Farrell getting his fingertips to the ball but unable to stop it hitting the net. Farrell came to his side's rescue moments later with a fine save from close range to keep Ballycane from taking a 2-0 lead within ten minutes. Suncroft slowly began to gain a foothold in the game and had the equaliser in the eighteenth minute, Cathal Mahon's driving run down the right resulted in a whipped in cross that the Ballycane defender turned into his own net attempting to stop. The 'Croft side took the lead in the twenty fifth minute, some neat play between Dylan Connolly and Kieron Sheedy resulted in the latter sliding a through ball into the path of Eoin Doyle who fired home. Suncroft were looking the more dominant as the half wore on but Ballycane always looked dangerous on the counter attack and 'Croft defender Ryan Farrell was forced into a number of last ditch tackles and blocks to keep the lead intact. Suncroft added a third with thirty six minutes played, Sheedy finding himself through on goal and forcing a save by Keggy in the Ballycane goal, Sheedy reacted the quickest to the resulting rebound and his clever cut back found Doyle in the six yard box who made no mistake in adding his second goal of the game.
Suncroft added a fourth goal early in the second half, Ballycane failed to clear a Cathal Mahon corner and some nice footwork from Connolly created the space to fire the ball back into the box where Ryan Farrell was waiting to rifle home his first goal of the season. The away side threatened further but found Ballycane 'keeper Keggy in excellent form, making fine saves from Connolly, Sheedy and Doyle. The home side scored a second goal in the sixty fifth minute to give themselves a shot at a comeback, Suncroft failed to clear their lines properly from a free-kick with the ball falling kindly to the Ballycane attacker just inside the area and his shot flew into the net through a crowded defence. In the ten minutes that followed Ballycane's second goal they pushed hard for a third but found a stubborn Suncroft defence. The away side scored their fifth to all but wrap up the tie in the seventy fourth minute, Eoin Doyle completed his hat-trick with a powerful back post header from a pinpoint right wing cross from Kieron Morris. The away side completed the scoring in the eighty fifth minute when Ben Kinsella was on hand at the back post to steer home Connolly's low cross.
Despite not being at their best on the day Suncroft secured their passage into the next round of the Lumsden aided by a man of the match performance from hat-trick hero Eoin Doyle who was run close for that award by Ryan Farrell who excelled in the 'Croft backline. Other strong performers were found in Sheedy, Mahon and second half substitutes Paddy Flood and Niall Flynn
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