Youths Team FAI Umbro Youths Cup 3rd Round Passage, Saturday 19th December 2009, 3.00 p.m.
Passage 1 – 1 Ballincollig
Passage won 10 – 9 on penalties
Ballincollig went out of the National cup after a tough match with Passage. Ballincollig had a lot of possession but lacked the cuttting edge up front. Passage went ahead through a free kick but Ballincollig equalised with a powerful header from Donal Murphy. Ballincollig had several chances to win the game but could not find the net. Extra time was followed by penalty kicks with both sides scoring excellent penalties. In the end it was Passage who progressed to the next round
Youths Team FAI Umbro Youths Cup 2nd Round Lakewood Park, Saturday 17th October 2009, 3.00 p.m.
Lakewood Athletic 0 – 1 Ballincollig
Ballincollig had played the same opposition the previous week in the league and been on the wrong end of a three – one score line. With a full squad to choose from the ‘Collig secured a deserved victory in a hotly contested Cup tie.
The home team took the game to their local rivals from the start and dominated the opening ten minutes; their right midfielder having the best of the chances with a volley that went the wrong side of the post. After the initial flurry Ballincollig began to settle into the game with Damien McEvoy causing the Lakewood back four all sorts of problems. His link-up play was excellent and more than once he picked out a telling pass. Another stand out player for Ballincollig was Mark Walsh whose work rate and fitness made a massive difference. A tackle at the halfway line when the ball was already going out of play to win Ballincollig a throw typified his performance. Lakewood had two great chances before half time but Gavin Hennigan was equal to their efforts and fully deserved his clean sheet over the course of the game. Their shots were constantly blocked by the keeper who is a leaper – doubtless, he can also make things rhyme better than this writer can.
Arron Cooney shepherding the ball
While it would be fair to say that Ballincollig overall had come off second best in the first half it was a completely different story after the restart. The green and white constantly threatened and broke through the home defence but couldn’t seem to find the net. Arron Cooney and Mark Walsh both had great chances before the goal came on the hour mark. Damien McEvoy collected the ball on the half-way line. He found the space to turn and release a pass for Mark Walsh to run onto. The chasing defenders couldn’t catch him and he drilled it low past the keeper to give his side the lead. Conor Leonard had two chances in the space of two minutes but neither could find the net. Damien McEvoy and Arron Cooney also feeling they should have gotten on the score sheet.
There was a fear that Ballincollig would rue all the missed chances as Lakewood pushed hard to find the equalizer and take the game to extra time. The best they could manage were long range shots that went over the bar. Ballincollig kept possession well in the closing minutes and could have had another goal but in the end it was the solitary score that separated the two teams.
