FAI Schools Dr. Tony O’Neill Senior National Cup Semi Final
Friday, March 8, 2019
Midleton CBS SS 1-1 Wexford CBS (AET) Midleton won 5-4 on pens
Charlie Whalley (73) Todd Hynes (34)
JOE STACK ensured a one hundred percent record in the dreaded penalty shoot-out yesterday afternoon in the RSC, Waterford to seal Midleton’s place in this season’s Dr. Tony O’Neill Senior National Cup Final.
The Cork side came from a goal down to ensure extra time in a pulsating tie as a Todd Hynes spectacular for Wexford CBS on 34 minutes was cancelled out by Charlie Whalley’s equaliser on 73 minutes.
Captain and netminder Arthur Nganou was in splendid form and he had to be at his best to deny the lively Hynes on the quarter hour mark.
Both teams enjoyed plenty of possession but Whitty’s squad were more dominate in the opening 45 and were deservedly in front at the break through an unbelievable finish from Hynes to break the deadlock ten minutes from the interval.
Hynes was again unlucky not to put his side two up as again the Midleton Captain pulled off a marvellous stop five minutes later.
It was a game of two halves as Midleton got right back into the contest and equally as special as the opening goal was, the Whalley equaliser was just as gifted. The young student demonstrated tremendous ball control to steer the ball past Crean to make it all square, one apiece.
Loic Nguefang popped up to test the solid James Crean between the posts as the Wexford number one palmed the ball to safety on 76 minutes.
Both teams tried in vain for a match winner in additional time but the goalkeepers were in heroic form to keep the deadlock.
Wexford CBS were first up in the penalty shoot-out which saw Captain Cian Foley, Todd Hynes, Josh Murphy and Evan Farrell all converting. Their second taker, Reece Murphy was unlucky to see his effort saved brilliantly by Nganou to give them a slight advantage early on. Loic Nguefang, Jamie Collins, Jamie O’Hanlon, Fionn Duggan and the hardworking Joe Stack all scoring superbly for Midleton to ensure five from five to take the slender victory.
Christopher Melnyk’s outfit will now face defending Champions Carndonagh Community School in this year’s Cup decider which will take place on Wednesday, March 20 at Home Farm FC, Whitehall (KO 1pm).
MIDLETON CBS SS | Arthur Nganou (Captain), Sam O’Reilly, Dylan O’Halloran, Shane O’Riordan, Jamie Collins, Joe Stack, Neil Cunningham, Jack Fitzgerald, Loic Nguefang, Matthew O’Reilly, Charlie Whalley
SUBS | Robbie Kinane (for Matthew O’Reilly, 109), Mark Daly, Fionn Duggan (for Jack Fitzgerald, 54), Jamie O’Hanlon (for Sam O’Reilly, 101), Diarmuid Byrne
TEACHER | Christopher Melnyk
WEXFORD CBS | James Crean, Kallum Broaders, Gary Hall Roche, Reece Murphy. Kyle Scallan, Liam Godkin, Cian Foley (Captain), Ciaran Carthy, Jamie Dawson, Todd Hynes, Shane Bergin
SUBS | Cian Whelan (for Shane Bergin, 80), Jason Gordan, Josh Murphy (for Jamie Dawson, 63), Evan Farrell (for Liam Godkin, 91), Aaron Roche
TEACHER | Pádraig Whitty
REFEREE | John Falconer (Waterford)
