| Rover negotiate first hurdle |
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| Sunday, 28 May 2006 | |
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A COMPREHENSIVE four-nil defeat of Munster Senior League side Carrigaline United gave Sligo Rovers safe passage through to the last sixteen of the Carlsberg F.A.I. Cup at Turners Cross on Saturday night last.
Report by Michael Moran, Courtesy the Sligo Champion Rovers mission was accomplished clinically at the finish-but not before Carrigaline-playing in their first ever senior cup tie-offered some spirited resistance. It took Sean Connor’s team forty-one minutes to make an almost inevitable breakthrough against a five man defensive unit and even then they had to survive a scare when the Cork outfit had a ‘goal’ disallowed in the last minute of the first-half. However, three further strikes after the break gave Rovers a thoroughly merited victory and a place in the third round. In front of what was a rather poor crowd given the significance of the occasion, Rovers dominated possession over the ninety minutes, but a lack of quality in the final ball prevented them from going ahead much earlier than they did. Formation With Connor serving a one match suspension and midfielder, Conor O’Grady, also absent for the same reason, Rovers opted for a 4-4-2 formation at the outset, but later changed to play three up front. They stretched the F.A.I. Junior Cup semi-finalists on the flanks and might easily have added to their tally were it not for some wasteful finishing in front of goal. Rovers began with ‘keeper John O’Hara behind a back four of Gavin Peers, Michael McNamara, Liam Burns and Keith Foy. They had Fahrudin Kuduzovic, Adam Hughes, Chris Turner and Darren Mansaram across the middle of the park initially, with Mansaram pushing forward to join Matthew Judge and Paul McTiernan in attack at the 15 minute mark. O’Hara was a virtual spectator throughout, making one save of note to deny Carrigaline’s Ken Dennehy what would have been a mere consolation in the 78th minute when Rovers were four in front. Excellent The back four remained relatively untroubled, any concern arising from moments of their own indiscipline and sloppiness, rather than invention on the part of their non-league opponents. At mid-field, Chris Turner had an excellent opening half, breaking forward to join the attack at every opportunity and generally bossing the central area. After the break, it seemed that his recent appearances for the Northern Ireland under-19 side began to take a toll as his contribution faded significantly. Elsewhere, Fahrudin Kuduzovic was at the heart of much that mattered for Rovers and while Hughes might not have been as prominent as in previous fixtures, he nevertheless worked with typical industry to ensure last year’s quarter-finalists remained in the ascendancy. Up front, Matthew Judge should have built on his lead goal as a lack of conviction scuppered that prospect on more than one occasion. Darren Mansaram did well on his return from injury. The former Grimsby striker was replaced by Jason McCartney in the 64th minute, Mansaram’s attacking partner, Paul McTiernan, voted the ‘man of the match’, though Fahrudin Kuduzovic must have pushed him very close for the accolade. McCartney produced some telling deliveries from the left flank and set up McTiernan for Rovers third less than a minute after his introduction. Meanwhile, Emlyn Mulligan also made an appearance, coming on for Judge ten minutes from the end. Good move Rovers played against a light wind from the off and had their first opportunity on eight minute, Carrigaline goalkeeper, Peter O’Riordan saving from both Chris Turner and Liam Burns following a Kuduzovic free-kick. Six minutes later, Kuduzovic crossed from the right at the end of a good passing move from deep, Turner failing to connect properly and heading wide. In the 18th minute, Mansaram’s persistence saw him win possession and find McTiernan on the edge of the area. McTiernan’s shot was on target, but took a deflection off a Carrigaline defender and was gathered safely by O’Riordan. The pressure continued on the Munster Senior League side in the 24th minute, Judge breaking forward to slide the ball across to Turner from the left. Turner’s low drive was spilled by the Carrigaline ‘keeper with McTiernan putting the follow-up behind for a kick-out. A minute later, Kuduzovic’s corner was cleared only to Mansaram at the back post, his stinging shot taking a deflection and going narrowly over for another corner. Ten minutes from half-time, Tony Houlihan curled an effort wide from the right, Rovers reply coming via a shot on the turn from Mansaram which was held by O’Riordan. Rovers finally opened the scoring in the 41st minute, Judge collecting a throw-in from the left from Mansaram to flick the ball on in the penalty area and place his shot well to the net. Complacency Complacency almost cost the Premier Division side three minutes later when Turner needlessly lost possession to Danny Kelly and as he went forward, Carrigaline were awarded a dangerous free-kick to the right of the Rovers area. John Gaffney’s attempt was cleared, yet Rovers were guilty of another unforced error on the stroke of half-time, Mansaram this time taking a chance rather than getting the ball away and then conceding another free-kick. Gaffney again took the kick and it was flicked on for Danny Kelly to find the net, United’s celebrations cut short by an offside flag from referee’s assistant, Eddie Foley. Rovers went close to a second in the 47th minute, Mansaram heading on for McTiernan to shoot narrowly wide. A minute later, Turner fired over as Rovers went on to force three successive corners. From the last of these, a careless Kuduzovic gave the ball away and Carrigaline pushed forward downfield in a three on two situation. Again, an offside decision against Rory O’Halloran frustrated Rovers hosts and prevented any chance of an attempt on goal. Adam Hughes glanced a header wide from a 57th minute corner from Kuduzovic, Rovers second arriving four minutes later, the Bosnian midfielder applying a good finish after a swift interchange of passes between Kuduzovic and Turner. Threat That goal ended the tie as a contest and when McCartney was drafted from the bench to take the place of Mansaram, he immediately posed a threat on the left. Within a minute, McCartney had made the third for McTiernan, jinking past a defender to cross for the striker to direct a looping header over O’Riordan and into the top corner of the net. Rovers fourth came from the penalty spot in the 75th minute when referee Aidan O’Regan ruled that central defender, Cathal O’Shea, had fouled McTiernan in the box and Keith Foy dispatched the spot-kick confidently. Three minutes later, O’Hara thwarted Dennehy’s attempted consolation effort with an excellent save. Kuduzovic squandered a great opportunity to make it five in the 86th minute, failing to keep the ball down at the near post after another good cross from McCartney. Carrigaline United: O’Riordan, McGovern, Delaney, O’Shea, O’Halloran, Harrington, McGovern, Gaffney, Houlihan, Dennehy, Kelly. Subs-Connors for McGovern (57 mins), Murray for Dennehy (67 mins), Rogers for Harrington (83 mins). Sligo Rovers: O’Hara, Peers, McNamara, Burns, Foy, Kuduzovic, Hughes, Turner, Mansaram, McTiernan, Judge. Subs-McKenzie for Burns (h.t.), McCartney for Mansaram (64 mins), Mulligan for Judge (80 mins). Referee: Aidan O’Regan (Cork). |
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