Academy
- Thursday September 28th, 2006 @ 9:41
14S SENSATIONAL FAI CUP WIN
IT'S THE FIRST ROUND OF THE CUP. You are playing away from home. There are people out looking for lost children the grass is that high. You are 3-0 down at halftime and they are the plus points. You have lost your centre-half through injury but not only that you have lost his replacement also through injury, as a manager, a coach, a player what do you do?
Ask the ref to blow it up?
That was the scene facing our Under 14s in their SFAI Cup 1st round game away to Kilnamanagh. As the second half kicked off the lads went out with the words still ringing in their ears, “the next goal is the important one, “whoever scores it will win the game,” up stepped the Saint's Stephen Johnson and he made it 3-1.
The passing game of the Saints came to the fore as they slowly took hold of the game. Kenneth O'Connor nicked another goal, 3-2. Kilnamanagh were then further rocked when Keith O'Brien netted the equaliser, 3-3 who could have believed it?
The Saints then pushed forward for the winner but were caught on the break. Now they were 4-3 down with 6 minutes left. Most teams would have given up at that stage but not these red and whites. Following an attack down the right Stephen Johnson was pushed in the box and a penalty awarded, Dean Murphy kept his cool and slotted home.
Extra-time loomed but with one last effort the Inchicore lads won a corner. The ball was floated across and after a scramble cleared to the edge of the box where Graham Reilly fired the ball back towards the goal and into the back of the net to score a sensational winner to complete a sensational come back.
We hope centre-halves Robbie Keogh and Karl Dempsey make a quick and full recovery from their injuries.
