Bohemians storm past Cork Munster Senior League side Rockmount in FAI Cup
Rockmount's Danny Aherne shows his frustration. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
ROCKMOUNT'S hopes of reaching the FAI Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2004 ended at Dalymount Park on Friday evening.
The reigning FAI Intermediate Cup champions did what they could on a stormy night against a team that scored three teams in the first half, with a James Clarke bagging a brace and Jonathon Afolabi adding another goal to his tally for the season.
When it’s time to look back and look back at the games that defined Eddie Kenny’s tenure as manager of Rockmount, this is a night that will stand as one of the most difficult 90 minutes in the club’s history. They battled not only a team that dominated possession but also the fury of Storm Betty.
The Mount started by sitting back and forcing the home side out wide. The resulting crosses were dealt with by Alex Hill and goalkeeper David Browne, and this led to a number of shots from outside the area.
The first opportunity of its kind fell to Daniel Grant, and this went out for a goal-kick. Afolabi got into a similar position and the striker had to watch as the wind carried the ball out for a goal-kick.
Bohemian’s first attempt at playing through the middle was stopped by Kenneth Hoey, with the defender lunging in to stop Clarke setting up Afolabi.
The next time they tried something like that, the ball was squared to Clarke by James McManus and he fired in to make it 1-0 in the 18th minute.
Rockmount went long in an attempt to respond and James Talbot came off his line to stop Jake Courtney from getting to the ball.
Just as they got back into their shape, Danny Grant set up Afolabi inside the area and he hit the back of the net.
Nathan Broderick was the first player in a Rockmount jersey to try something, and this was easily blocked by the Bohemians’ defence.
The Gypsies went up the pitch after this and space opened up for Adam McDonnell. He grazed the post, and the next attempt by Bohemians was pushed out for a corner by Browne.
Clarke got his second goal of the game by curling the ball in at the end of the first half from outside the area, and that gave his side a 3-0 lead at the break.
Declan McDaid came on at the restart and his first touch inside the area got Bohemians their fourth goal of the game.
Rockmount did win a free-kick inside the Bohemians’ half and it led to a shot from Danny Aherne deflecting out for a corner, and the set piece was headed away by the home side.
The Gypsies then went up the pitch and a mistake at the back gave space to Kris Twardek to roll the ball over the goal-line and make it 5-0.
McDonnell finished the night for Bohemians by turning in a free-kick in the 87th minute.
James Talbot; Bartlomiej Kukulowicz, Patrick Kirk, Krystian Nowak, Jonathon Afolabi (Declan McDaid 45), Oluwaseun Akintunde, Daniel Grant, Kacper Radkowski, James McManus, James Clarke, Adam McDonnell.
Declan McDaid for Afolabi (45), Ali Coote for Clarke (45), John O’Sullivan for Grant (57), Kris Twardek for Akintunde (57), Louie Holzman for Nowak (57).
David Browne; James O’Connell, Kenneth Hoey, Cian Murphy, Jack O’Sullivan, Alex Hill, Daniel Akinrinbola, Danny Aherne, Jake Courtney, Nathan Broderick, Ian Mylod.
Dean O’Connell for Courtney (59), Bradley Walsh for James O’Connell (60), Patrik Vascak for Hill (74), Daniel Smith for Akinrinbola (84).
David Dunne
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