*Cian O’Dea scored a penalty for Avenue Utd. Photograph: Natasha Barton
Avenue United’s journey in this season’s FAI Junior Cup ended in Wexford on Sunday when they lost out to North End in a penalty shoot out after the sides had ended at 2-2 after extra time.
North End, Wexford 2
Avenue United 2
(after extra time)
North End won 4-2 on penalties
Venue: Holly Grove, Wexford
The home side hit the front after thirteen minutes when Paul Murphy scored. Avenue got on top after this with Eoghan Thynne and Alan Roche causing a lot of problems for their opponents. On the half hour mark, Thynne levelled the tie after good work by Elias Kunz and seven minutes later the Ennis side hit the front when Kunz headed home from a Dylan Casey free and the Clare outfit led 2-1 at the interval.
North End who are already through to the Leinster Cup quarter final, piled on the pressure on the resumption but they experienced difficulty breaking down a well organised Avenue defence in which goalkeeper James Tierney excelled.
Fifteen minutes from time a superb length of the pitch run by Elias Kunz for the visitors ended with his effort going narrowly wide.
With just two minutes of normal time remaining the ball broke free in the Avenue area following a North End set piece and they managed to fire a low shot to the corner of the net to level the tie.
North End were reduced to ten men in the first period of extra time and in tshe final minute of the extra time Alan Roche saw his volley ezfort just go over the bar.
In the penalty shoot out Gary Roche was first up for Avenue and his effort struck the post before North End converted their first to take the lead. Avenue captain Dylan Casey then saw his effort well saved while James Tierney saved the home side’s second.
Conor Mullen and Cian O’Dea were Avenue’s scorers in the shoot out but North End converted four of their penalties to seal their place in the last eight of the competition in which over eight hundred teams started out.
Avenue’s next outing will be on Sunday week when they will entertain Villa FC from Waterford in the Munster Junior Cup.
Avenue United: James Tierney; Cullen McCabe, Jamie Roche, Conor Mullen, Dylan Casey; Alan Roche, Mark Roche, Eoghan Thynne, Tomas Hehir, Elias Kunz, Stephen Jordan;
Subs: Philip Talty for Jordan; Cian O’Dea for M. Roche; Gary Roche for Kunz; Callum Barrett for Thynne; Cian McDonagh for Hehir.
North End: Noel Heffernan; Reece Murphy Craig McCabe, Declan Downes, Gary Delaney, John Lester, Alan Rhodes, Kyle Dempsey, Danny Furlong, Paul Murphy, Adam Beary.
