Youth Soccer: Cork's bid for three in a row ends against Waterford in Munster final
The Cork Youth soccer team that lost to Waterford in the Munster final.
THE Cork Youth team suffered heartbreak when they lost to Waterford District Youths in the Munster Inter-League Cup final at Cahir Park in Tipperary on Saturday afternoon.
Waterford will now go on to represent Munster in the FAI Inter-League Cup in the coming weeks, a competition that Cork won for the last two years.
The game was scoreless at the halftime break, however, Cork broke the deadlock six minutes from the restart with a firm header from Geoff Zeph. They switched off a minute later and got punished when Callum Barry was upended in their box and Waterford were awarded a penalty. Jack Caulfield’s spot kick came back off the butt of the post and Barry was the first to react to level the game.
Cork created some wonderful opportunities to regain the lead, however, they were dealt a sucker punch six minutes from time, when ex-Waterford United player Scott Collins showed a bit of magic from outside the box to fire his effort into the roof of the net to make sure the trophy went to Waterford.
Both sides took time to settle into the game and found the very tight pitch a real disadvantage, as they took time to adjust and were finding it difficult to find space to play their usual attacking football.
However, it was Cork who had the first real chance to score in the 11th minute, Oisin Twohig raced down the left wing and when he wiped in a dangerous cross it was only inches away from the incoming Noah Ryan. At the other end of the pitch, Waterford came very close when Luke English’s 30-yard free came crashing off the crossbar.
The Cork side then began to settle into the game and Geoff Zeph showed some great feet to dance into the Waterford box in the 19th minute, however, his powerful effort just went the wrong side of the post. Rob Barry in the Cork goal had to be alert on the half hour mark when he had to dash off his line to cut a dangerous cross from Callum Barry. Both sides did have half chances for the remainder of the half, however, keepers Barry from Cork and Shane Foley stood firm for their respective sides.
Cork started the second half on the front foot and Keith McCarthy came agonising close three minutes from the restart, he controlled a ball on his chest from the end of the box, however, he effort drifted wide.
They did take the lead three minutes later, Robert Dooling put in a superb cross and Zeph was at the back post to head home. However, the game was level a minute later, when Waterford were awarded a penalty. English took the resulting spot kick, but his low effort came back of the post and Barry was on hand to fire home the rebound.
Cork continued to probe the Waterford back line with Zeph and Adam O’Callaghan forcing good saves from Foley, however, as the game was heading for extra time Waterford’s Scott Collins scored a wonderful goal. He picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box, opened his body to fire his effort into the roof of the net that brought the title to Waterford.
Rob Barry, Robert Dooling, Oisin Twohig, Jack Brady, Kyle Leahy, James O’Connor, Nico Crowley, Jayden O’Leary, Noah Ryan, Keith McCarthy, Geoff Zeph.
Adam O’Callaghan for McCarthy (62), Aaron Gui for Crowley (72), Sean Murphy for Zeph (85).
Shane Foley, Sean Fitzgerald, Ben Hennessy, Ben Boland, Cian Burke, Jack Ahern, Scott Keappock, Rhedeem Eddy, Jack Caulfield, Luke English, Callum Barry.
Scott Collins for Eddy (64), Azeez Alabi for English, Enis Ibrahimi for Fitzgerald (72), Evan O’Mahony for Caulfield (87).
Micheal Corrigan (South Tipperary).
John Lyons, Micheal Chapain (South Tipperary).
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