Lakewood bow out of National Cup on penalties
Lakewood Athletic's Eoghan Hogan takes on Ballyjamesduff's Lee Glennon during the SFAI Subway U15 National Cup. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
BALLYJAMESDUFF made the 600+ km round trip to face Lakewood in the SFAI Subway U15 National Trophy on Saturday and were on the right side of a seven-goal thriller.
They left after edging out their opponents in the depths of extra time to advance to the latter stages of the competition.
It was the home side who got off to the better start, dominating the early exchanges and creating several chances. The away goalkeeper Jack McGreen kept his side in the game when it mattered and without him they may not have had the chance to stage a dramatic comeback.
Lakewood found the breakthrough after just over ten minutes. Darragh Sheehan won a free kick with some great footwork and took the set piece himself, firing a brilliant strike into the top right corner from 25 yards to put his side deservedly in front.
Lakewood continued to press on after going in front and had their second inside twenty minutes. Cathal Murphy played a measured ball through to John O’Sullivan who slotted it home calmly into the bottom right corner.
Ballyjamesduff started to get more of a foothold in the game and scored with their first real chance; Cillian Costelloe breaking down the right and playing a brilliant ball across the six-yard box for Mark Reilly to turn in at the back stick.
Despite clawing one back, the visitors still found themselves a couple of goals behind at the break. A late free kick for the home side was swung in from the left, one of the away defenders turning the ball into his own net to reinstate the hosts’ two-goal cushion.
The away side started the second half quickly and reduced the deficit after just five minutes.
The second ball from a long free kick fell to Costelloe in the right of the area and he fired a brilliant effort into the far corner, adding to his earlier assist and keeping his side in the game.
Bolstered by what looked to be a brilliant comeback, the visitors hit the front; the hugely impressive Mark Reilly linking well with Costelloe up front and Nathan Quigley in the middle of the park.
It was this combination that brought about the equaliser just 10 minutes from time. An arrow of a ball from Quigley landed with Mark Reilly on the left who controlled brilliantly and found Costelloe in the box who got his second of the afternoon to send the tie to extra time.
It seemed both sides were preparing for penalties when up stepped hat-trick hero Cillian Costelloe.
At the end of the second period of extra time, Costelloe was played through down the right and, mirroring his first goal, fired the ball across into the far corner. Jubilant scenes erupted on the away half of the touchline, matched by the dismay of the home side who gave everything in a real cup classic and came up just short.
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