Eoin Murphy fires Rockmount to Intermediate Cup win in Dublin

Inchicore Athletic 1 Rockmount 2 

IT was a mixed weekend for Munster Senior League teams in the FAI Intermediate Cup as Rockmount made it through to the quarter-finals after their 2-1 win away to Inchicore Athletic while Everton went out on penalties away to Bonagee United following a 2-2 draw in Letterkenny.

Carrigaline United's game away to cup favourites Malahide United was postponed, leaving them still in that hat for the last eight draw.

Rockmount, second favorites to land their fourth Intermediate Cup title ahead of their trip to Dublin, were well worth their win. However, they had to withstand some late Inchicore pressure who played most of the game with 10 men. The hosts actually finished with nine men after goalkeeper Craig O'Brien saw red in injury-time.

Rockmount started the game on the front foot, pressing their opponents from the off and they went close two minutes in when Luke Casey whipped in a low cross from the left which just evaded the in-rushing Cian Leonard before going wide at the far post.

Five minutes later, at the other end, Inchicore danger man Craig Walsh volleyed wide after a corner from the right broke for him just outside the penalty area.

Rockmount continued to impress early on and Eoin Murphy forced O'Brien into a terrific save from a shot outside the penalty area.

From Casey's corner, Niall Hanley headed narrowly over, but the move was a signal of what was to come as three minutes later Rockmount broke the deadlock.

Defender Jason Sexton played a measured long ball out and Leonard did well to bring it under control, teeing up Murphy who hit a cracking drive from outside penalty area beyond O'Brien's reach.

Rockmount were well in control at that point; Casey and Murphy were causing problems on the flanks for the hosts while Leonard was a handful throughout the game. At the back, Sexton and Adam Crowley were excellent, allowing their hosts only glimpses of Brendan O'Connell's goal, though Walsh did go close with a half-chance after the quarter-hour mark when he hit a dropping ball narrowly wide.

However, it was Rockmount who found the net again when another searching delivery from Sexton in Leonard's direction saw defender James Washbourne head the ball into his own net under pressure from the Rockmount striker.

An uphill battle became more difficult for the Dublin side two minutes before half-time when Stephen Best was red-carded for a heavy tackle on Murphy.

Inchicore had it all to do in the second half and Rocknount came close to wrapping up the game 10 seconds after the restart when Casey ghosted past his man on the left, hit a low drive to the near post where Leonard got a touch, though not catching the ball cleanly, it still went just inches wide of the post.

Just before the hour mark Leonard went close again; this time getting on to a Hanley header, but O'Brien was quickly off his line to block the striker's effort.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Inchicore came more into the game for the last half hour. Thomas Hyland and Evan Smither started to dictate around the middle of the park and Stephen Kinch was busy up front.

Indeed, Kinch blasted a good chance wide after a Smither corner was batted into the striker's path by O'Connell.

At the other end, a Casey corner was met by Leonard whose shot was blocked in the box, and when the ball fell for Murphy his attempt from a difficult angle was stopped on the line and cleared.

Inchicore then went close when a Smither free-kick from inside the centre circle, high into the box, struck the post before O'Connell got the ball clear.

Inchicore were on top at this point in the game and Kinch had a header while back-pedalling saved before they reduced the deficit with 10 minutes remaining.

Smither was allowed to run unchecked from inside his own half and when his shot was blocked, the ball broke nicely for Kinch who scored from 10 yards.

The same player almost levelled the tie when he was set up by a cushioned pass from Luke Rossiter, but Sexton got in a fine block and O'Connell was able to gather safely.

Inchicore pressed hard for the equaliser in the final few minutes and the visitors were under pressure but, in injury-time, when O'Brien rushed from his box and fouled Nathan Broderick with a two-footed tackle he was shown a straight red, halting Inchicore's momentum and they couldn't muster a goal in the six minutes of added time.

INCHICORE ATHLETIC: Craig O'Brien, Noel Clarke, Stephen Best, James Washbourne, Tony Keeler, Thomas Hyland, Evan Smither, Conor Bolton, Sean Quinn, Craig Walsh, Stephen Kinch.

Subs: Luke Rossiter and Adam Maher for Quinn and Clarke (both 59).

ROCKMOUNT: Brendan O'Connell, Cian Murphy, Eoin Hoey, Adam Crowley, Jason Sexton, Christopher McCarthy, Eoin Murphy, Danny Aherne, Cian Leonard, Niall Hanley, Luke Casey.

Subs: Hughie O'Donovan for McCarthy (65), James O'Connell for Murphy (69), Nathan Broderick for Hanley (81), Jack Waters for Leonard (87), Cal Sheehy for Casey (90).

Referee: Terry Murphy, David Simmons, Declan Troy.