Cup Run ends…
Senior Team sponsored by Sam’s Bar
Umbro FAI Intermediate Cup 3rd Round
The Farm, Sunday 20th December 12.00 p.m.
Ballincollig 2 – 4 Fanad United
Ballincollig’s run in the Intermediate Cup came to an end on a chilly Sunday afternoon where failure to turn possession into goals and mistakes at the back saw the Northerners progress.
Ballincollig dominated the opening 15 minutes and had two clear chances both from corners. The first fell to Alan O’Donovan who volleyed his shot over the bar and Ian Hayes will felt he should have done better with his header. Fanad’s first real opportunity resulted in a goal. A through ball split the Ballincollig defence and the tackle got all of the man and none of the ball. The penalty was coolly slotted away and very much against the run of the play the visitors had the lead.
The next quarter of an hour saw little in the way of clear cut chances as both sides enjoyed possession and time in the opponent’s half but on 32 minutes Fanad showed the ‘Collig how to take advantage of slack marking. A corner from the right was met with a powerful header on the edge of the box. It was to get worse for the home team five minutes later when a rocket of a free-kick went through the wall to put the Donegal side three goals to the good and that was the way it stayed until the half-time whistle.
The feeling on the sideline during the break was that the next goal would prove crucial and to the disappointment of the watching crowd it was the visitors who got it. A free kick near the half way line with two minutes gone was quickly taken catching the Ballincollig defence off guard. A run down the left and a ball across the box finished into the corner led to fears that there could be a rout but Ballincollig weren’t about to lie down.
Changing their formation Ballincollig pushed to get back into the game. This they managed on 53 minutes when James Murphy found the net with a volley following a scramble from a corner. The bench was emptied and resulted in some real opportunities. Jason Murphy will rue the chance he had. Having dispossessed the defender and taking it past the keeper he was off-balance as he hit the shot at a tight angle and the centre-half was grateful for the lack of power it contained as he cleared it off the line. Ballincollig put some respectability on the score-line when a ball switched to the left wing found sub Gavin O’Callaghan and he made no mistake with a low drive smashed into the corner giving the keeper no chance.
Fanad now have Douglas Hall at home in the 4th round while Ballincollig must look to the league and the very tough challenge that lies ahead for them in the battle to stay in the Munster Senior League Premier Division.
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