www.communityvoice.ie

Heroic Corduff bow out of FAI Junior Cup at Semi-Final Stage
Corduff 0 Killester 2

A brave Corduff team bowed out of the FAI Junior Cup at the semi-final stage recently when they lost after extra time to Killester. It seems that recently this exciting Corduff team has been playing in a litany of highly important matches owing to their trail-blazing efforts in the biggest amateur football competition in Ireland. This run is now at an end but great credit must go to the club and the team for such a great performance.

The challenge for Corduff brought to mind the famous line of the recently retired wrestler, Ric Flair, - “To be the man, you gotta to beat the man.” This is very much the task that faced this exciting Corduff team who, for all their attractive football and heroics in reaching further in this competition than any Dublin 15 side before them, would have to beat an all-dominating Killester side to advance in the cup.

Killester had been favourites for this tournament - which features over six hundred teams since the first round and are its current holders and also top of the Premier A Athletics Union League, while Corduff are sitting pretty on top of the Premier B League. In the national media, Corduff, the surprise package of this season’s tournament, were being told they had a taller order than even Mr. Mayweather did.

Corduff have paid little heed to their doubters throughout this competition and certainly didn’t break that habit in this game. Despite a nationally regarded reputation and being an entire division ahead of Corduff, Killester were at times made look ordinary and insipid.

Corduff played at a high tempo match for most of the match, getting to tackles quicker and being very direct in their pursuit of a goal. Paul Featherstone received the ball from his centre-half, Stephen Ryan, before sending a lofted shot just wide in the first real effort of the match within the first few minutes of the start. Soon after this the ever dangerous Robbie Burke shot wide after a quick incisive counter attack, the kind that had Killester flummoxed many times that afternoon.

Killester began getting back into the game, bypassing the Corduff midfield which was marshalled by Power, Dowling and later Richard Coates who was brought on in the first half. This reflected Corduff’s midfield’s ability to prevent the much more experienced Killester side from passing it through them. A typical long ball from Killester saw their forward taken down, only for their first goal-scoring opportunity from the ensuing free-kick on the edge of the box to be hammered straight into the wall by Alan Conner.

As Killester persisted with their long ball tactic, they found centre back Stephen Ryan in magnificent form making numerous tough and critical challenges with the ball seemingly attracted to his head like a magnet. One dangerous moment that came before half time was when one of Killester’s trademark long throws was sent into the near post, and Corduff keeper David Byrne made a save from the following shot before getting up to repeat the feat from the scorching rebound that followed.

In the second-half, Corduff grabbed the initiative and took the game to Killester. Any perceived attacking naiveté on Corduff’s part was soon dispelled as Burke – with his back to goal - played a brilliant flick onto Featherstone who raced clear. However the ball couldn’t come down quick enough for Featherstone to have a shot with his foot, and his deft improvised header went just wide past the post

As the half was played out Killester were reduced to shots from distance. Robbie Burke up the other end of the pitch was looking to create a clear goal opportunity and at one stage found himself one-on-one with a defender with options either side but he tried a shot rather than taking perhaps the wiser option of the pass. Aside from not scoring, Burke did everything right though. Drifting out wide, dropping back, his general mobility created space for other players and his powered shot in the final minutes went just wide.

It was all-square at the end of ninety minutes and the came extra-time and more drama for the hundreds in attendance at the neutral venue of the AUL complex in Clonshaugh. The first half of extra-time was largely uneventful as both sides looked nervy and unwilling to make mistakes, although it was noticeable that the adrenaline-filled football that Corduff had been playing, was now being played by tired legs.

Killester showed their experience by taking advantage of a tiring opponent. In the second half of extra-time Killester sent in one of their patented long throws into the box. Corduff had defended these all day, but on this occasion Killester’s Alan Conner got his head to ball to score. Moments later Corduff who had gone in search of an equaliser were caught on the counter as David Lacey broke their offside trap to slot home and ensure Killester’s progression to the cup final.

It was a cruel way to end the odyssey, but this Corduff side had beaten all odds as an AUL Premier B team to reach this stage. No-one present at the game could attest to Killester being a division above this Corduff side, as they couldn’t beat the Dublin 15 outfit in normal time. Corduff should go on to achieve promotion and make amends against this Killester side next season.

Corduff: 1. David Byrne 2. David Brennan 3. Philip Markey 4. Stephen Ryan 5. Martin Donegan 6. Paul Power 7. John Dowling 8. John Paul Brennan 9. Robert Burke 10. Paul Featherstone 11. Kevin Murphy Subs: 13. Richard Coates 13. Daniel Duffy 14. Derek Winters 15. Johnny Kinsella 16. John Croty 17. David Power.
Manager: Paddy Stapleton.

Killester: 1. Lee Murphy 2. Shane Dunne 3. Alan Conner 4. Roos Carraig 5. Stephen Murphy 6. Ian Graham 7. Kenneth Curely 8. Alan Murphy 9. David Lacey 10. David Corbelly 11. Sean Tracey Subs: 12. Jason Doherty 13. Darren Murphy 14. Wesley Doyle 15. Mark Fennell 16. Matthew Bright.

Manager: Joey Graydon

Referee: T.J. Hanlon.

Community Voice, Media House, Church Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
Phone +353 1 822 1432 - Fax +353 1 640 4444
info@communityvoice.ie