Cappry Rovers progressed to the next round of the FAI Junior Cup with a 4-1 victory over Quigley’s Point Swifts in Muff.
QPS 1 Cappry Rovers 4
The visiting side dominated much of the first half but was unable to create any clear-cut chances until they took the lead in the eighteenth minute.
Dean O’Donnell collected a long ball deep into the Swifts half before rounding his marker and finishing well past keeper Aidan Lynch.
They could have doubled their lead two minutes later when O’Donnell’s cross from the left found David Gethins unmarked at the back post, but his shot was well saved by Lynch.
The Swifts struggled to get into the game and Cappry had more chances to add to their lead. Oisin Gallen’s well-struck free kick was palmed away by Lynch, and Gallen then blasted over the bar when well placed to finish.
Three minutes before the break, Patrick McNulty beat the offside trap but was denied by brave goalkeeping from Lynch.
Against the run of play, the home side had a great opportunity to equalise on the stroke of half-time when Shaun Downey drilled a great cross into the penalty area but substitute Bradley Callaghan’s header went just over the bar.
Cappry’s dominance was rewarded with two more goals within seven minutes of the restart. On forty-nine minutes, defender Tristan Harris found himself unmarked from a corner and powered a header into the back of the net.
Three minutes later, Gallen made a great run down the right flank and his low cross found Aaron Kelly who finished well from ten yards to make it three.
Cappry were in the ascendancy and were denied a fourth two minutes later when Lynch made another good save from Kelly. But the Muff side battled back into the game, forcing the visiting side into their own half for a spell.
On sixty-nine minutes the Swifts were handed a lifeline for their hard work. Downey did great work down the right and his cross found John McCloskey, who held off his marker before rifling the ball into the bottom-right corner.
The home side was galvanised and McCloskey was unlucky not to add a second four minutes later when his effort from outside the box crept agonisingly wide.
The Swifts continued to push hard for more goals but four minutes from time, Cappry killed the game off. A long ball found O’Donnell who burst through on goal before rounding an oncoming Lynch and sweeping the ball home to make the final scoreline 4-1.
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