*Photograph: Joe Buckley
BRIDGE UTD have been beaten in the quarter-finals of the McCarthy Insurance Munster Junior Cup.
Coachford AFC 1
Bridge Utd 0
(after extra time)
Venue: Lees Rd, Ennis
For the second round of the Munster Junior Cup in succession, Coachford have travelled to Ennis and left Clare by dumping one of the county’s sides out of the provincial competition.
Luke Casey’s goal five minutes into the first half of extra time was the difference in the end as Coachford claimed their place in the semi-finals and in the process ended Bridge Utd’s dreams of reaching the last four for the first time.
Over the course of the ninety minutes of normal time, Bridge Utd failed to create chances of note and lacked an avenue up front to really threaten and worry their Cork opponents. Liam Buckley’s last-minute winner saw them overcome Dungarvan in the last sixteen and this Bridge side have not been renown for bagging a bundle of goals in each outing.
Captain John Mulready once again proved his worth to the Sixmilebridge club and he made two tremendous saves in the opening half when the visitors were beginning to put the pressure on. He even out the field in extra time in an attempt to try create an opportunity for his side to bag an equaliser, but to no avail.
As they reflect on the loss, they may rue the decision to opt to play the game in Lees Rd as opposed to their home pitch on the Shannon Rd in Sixmilebridge. They are familiar with astro following successes in the TUS campus but the buzz of a Munster quarter-final in their home village could have been a big asset especially in the final stretch of extra time.
Kilrush’s Jamie Griffin was lining out with the Cork side where he played on the left wing. He has now experienced wins over two Clare clubs en route to the penultimate stage of the competition.
Focus for Mark Culbert’s Bridge side will now revert to domestic matters. They sit in fourth position of the Premier Division with three games in hand, a win in each of these matches will see them move to the top of the table, as they well know, that is easier said than done.
Elsewhere in the Munster Junior Cup, Peake Villa left Limerick with a 2-0 win over Janesboro, Villa FC had a 3-0 victory against Ringmahon Rangers while Shannon’s Eoin Duff scored a penalty as Pike Rovers overcame Portlaw United 2-0.
Coachford AFC: Stephen Murray; Daniel Merrick, Matthew Bradley, Mark Murphy, Keith Linzell, Adam Murphy, Evan O’Sullivan, Mark O’Connell, Luke Casey, Cialan O’Sullivan, Jamie Griffin.
Subs: Cathal O’Neill for Griffin (90), Declan Keating for O’Sullivan (90)
Bridge Utd: John Mulready, Luc Fitzpatrick, Lee Mulready, Alan Mulready, Liam Flynn; Eric Carr, Jack O’Halloran, Scott Kirkland, Ger Myles, Witness Odirile, Filip Mostowy.
Subs: Adam Moloney for Odirile (58), Liam Buckley for Flynn (63), Derek Fahy for Myles (72), Leon Kelly for Carr (81), Colin Scanlan for L Mulready (91)
