MSL soccer: Everton battle back twice before beating Carrigaline United in cup cracker

Carrigaline United 4

Everton 4

Everton won 6-5 on penalties

Everton sealed their place in the last 16 of the Beamish Stout Junior League Cup after a remarkable penalty shootout victory over fellow premier side Carrigaline United following a 4-4 draw at Ballea Park.

Everton trailed their hosts 3-0following a first-half hat-trick from Cian Spillane and were three down again at 4-1 with 25 minutes remaining and Carrigaline seemingly into the third round.

But a spirited comeback saw Everton score three times, equaliser coming at the death to force a penalty shootout which the visitors won 6-5 following 13 kicks, sparking wild celebrations.

It was a far cry from half-time when Everton were 3-0 down following a poor first half by the Togher side.

They had started well enough, though with no real chances of note for either side, but three Carrigaline goals in a 10 minutes spell before half-time had rocked the visitors.

The first arrived after 28 minutes when impressive full-back Corey Cronin got in behind his marker on the left wing and crossed low into the box where Spillane tapped home from close range.

Everton had a chance to level matters seven minutes later when Evan Harte got a shot off in the penalty area on the left, but his effort was saved by Christian Crowley for a corner.

From the flag kick Senan Walsh hooked the ball towards goal, but James McSweeney headed the ball off the line.

A minute later though, Carrigaline doubled their lead when Crowley played a ball in behind Everton’s defence on the left and Spillane raced clear unchallenged before firing lost past keeper Cian Hammond at his near post.

Two minutes late it looked like it was game over when Abdoul Oumorou crossed low from the right and Spillane was on hand again, unmarked, to fire home.

It was an uphill battle for Everton in the second half, and Carrigaline continued to press with Carrigaline continuing to press. Spillane broke clear from halfway on the left before feeding Oumorou inside, but he shot narrowly wide.

Five minutes later a Crowley corner was headed wide by McSweeney; that was quickly followed the left-full combining with right-back Jason Ring who had drifted in field into the box, and his effort went narrowly wide.

Everton were struggling to get a grip on the game, but the introduction of Billy Kadima and Kian Pender, and later Ronan Scully, led to a change in fortunes.

They pulled a goal back just after the hour mark when Ian Towler’s cross from the left broke for Stephen Hooley and he scored from close range.

Everton’s joy was short-lived however, after Crowley broke from defence on he left and fired a cracking shot into the top corner of the net.

It appeared that the Everton comeback was halted, but as Hooley stood over the ball for the restart, he spotted Carrigaline keeper Christian Crowley off his line and fired over his net from the centre-spot.

The goal, and the manner it was taken, lifted Everton’s spirits and seven minutes later they made it a one-goal game when Scully headed home following a Towler corner.

Everton had their tails up now and they comeback was completed in the final minute when, from a Towler free on halfway, the ball broke for Sean Sweeney who crashed it home to force the game to penalties which Everton won 6-5, with keeper Hammond scoring and also saving Carrigaline’s final kick.

CARRIGALINE UNITED: Christian Crowley, Jason Ring, Corey Cronin, Jack Turner, James McSweeney, Gavin Murphy, Caleb O’Connell, Andrew Kingston, Abdoul Oumorou, Dean Kelly, Cian Spillane.

Subs: Conor McDonnell for O’Connell (25 inj), Dion Davison for Spillane (63), Timmy Alade for Oumoru (78), Connor O’Leary for Kingston (84).

EVERTON: Cian Hammond, Calem O’Halloran, Ian Towler, Oisin Flood, Shaun Sweeney, Evan Morgan, Senan Walsh, David Hooley, Oisin Soderland, Evan Hart, Jamie Buckley.

Subs: Billy Kadima and Kian Pender for Walsh and Hart (both 57), Ronan Scully for Morgan (67).

Referee: Tom McCarthy.