Noah O'Callaghan and Jack Hayes in lethal form as Wilton United U17s knock out Ringmahon Rangers
Youth Soccer: Wilton United beat Ringmahon Rangers in the FAI U17 Cup at Pat Bowdren Park.
Wilton United advanced in the FAI U17 National Cup at Pat Bowdren Park on Saturday morning.
The scoreline probably flattered Wilton as Ringmahon matched them for long spells. However, Wilton were a lot more clinical with Gary McCarthy Trophies Man of the Match Noah O’Callaghan and Jack Hayes in lethal form, sharing five goals between them.
Both sides started the game brightly, but it was the home side who had the first sight of goal in the ninth minute when Jack Hayes danced his way into the Ringers box but dragged his effort wide. Ringmahon then had a half-chance two minutes later. Robert Allen found space on the edge of the box and his powerful effort stung the hands of Wilton keeper Lee Pardy.
The deadlock was broken in the 18th minute when Noah O’Callaghan’s unstoppable 25-yard effort flew into the Ringmahon net. They went two up four minutes later and it was O’Callaghan again. Kyle Murphy played a delightful pass to him on the edge of the box and his cheeky chip found its way into the roof of the net.
To be fair, it wasn’t that Ringmahon were playing poorly, as they were playing some lovely one-touch football. Yet when they put in a number of dangerous crosses, they had nobody in front of goal to finish.
Pardy then was called into action again for Wilton on the half-hour mark, but this time he pushed Allen’s effort around the post. Wilton came close to a third goal five minutes later. Jack Hayes squared the ball for the incoming Murphy, but Joey Byrne was on hand to make a vital block for Ringmahon.
Wilton led 3-0 two minutes before the halftime break, O’Callaghan released Hayes and he sprinted from the halfway line to calmly slot home.
It was Wilton who made the better start to the second half and when Max O’Shea’s powerful effort was heading for the top corner of the net in the 48th minute, Callum Twohig in the Ringer’s goal spectacularly tipped his effort over the bar.
However, the home side were 4-0 up a minute later when O’Callaghan found a pocket of space to drive his 25-yard effort home. Things got worse for Ringmahon on the hour mark and it was Hayes who was the first to react in the Ringmahon box to poke home.
Both side emptied their benches for the final 25 minutes and Ringmahon reduced the deficit 5-1 when substitute Ryan McHale turned home an Allen cross in the 71st minute. Jake O’Reagan then scored a wonderful goal for Ringmahon four minutes later with a beautiful strike from the edge of the box.
In fairness to Ringmahon, they threw the kitchen sink at Wilton in the final minutes of the game, but they got caught on the break when Hayes again broke down the left wing and he found substitute Muhammad Munir with the perfect cross for him to head home at the end of a pulsating game.
Lee Pardy, Michael Ryan-Maher, Louis Connolly, Conor Enright, Mantas Kovalenko, David Hayes, Kyle Murphy, Max O’Shea, Jack Hayes, Noah O’Callaghan, Joshua Oji.
Joshua Mulroy for David Hayes (40), Jack Gleason for Ryan-Maher (59), Evan Noel for Murphy (64), Muhammad Munir for Oji (64), Shane O’Brien for O’Callaghan (66).
Callum Twohig, Zac Lynch, Dylan Barry, Jack Callis, Joey Byrne, Jake O’Reagan, Jayden Ellard, Callum Fox, Luke Dowling, Robert Allen, Callum Smith.
Divine Majada for Lynch (25), Kian Porter for Fox (60), Jakub Slazak for Dowling (64), Ryan McHale for Smith (66).
Dave Finnegan
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