Georgina Donnelly Premier Cup (Preliminary round)
Newbridge United FC 3 Ballycane Celtic FC 1
Newbridge United took on Ballycane in the preliminary round of the Georgina Donnelly Premier Cup today in Chapel Lane on Sunday morning. Ballycane started much the better side and created a good goal scoring chance when Lee Conway played a through ball for Ian Cox to run on to only to see his effort just go wide of the upright, Ballycane early pressure soon paid off when Xavi Zorrilla picked up the ball wide on the left and ran at the Newbridge utd defence going passed with ease only to be taken down by the home keeper Shane Farrell for a penalty…Xavi Zorrilla stepped up to put the away side 1-0 ahead with only 7 minutes.
This early shock stung United into action and with the voice of club captain Brian Murphy ringing in their ears United upped it a gear and after twelve minutes were awarded a penalty of their own when Niall Costigan skipped by three players only to be brought down as he was about to pull the trigger. Peno converted by Ryan Kearney 1-1. Both sides now were going head to head for creating goal scoring chances, Ballycane nearly took the lead on three separate occasions with Keelan Noone trying his luck from outside the box that just went wide, Ian Cox had a great effort catching a ball on the half volley which was well held by the home keeper and Ryan Ribeiro hitting the rossbar. However United steadied the ship and got back on top with Michael Fitzgerald and Dane Hegarty calling the shots across the backline, the platform was set to attack on all fronts and it seemed like it was only a matter of time before they would score again. Niall Costigan twice found himself within inches of scoring, only for Ballycane defenders to get a toe in on both occasions. Lee Kavanagh, who worked some fabulous passing with Kearney and Costigan down the left, saw his long-range effort canon back off the crossbar in the thirty fifth minute. Ballycane started to push to try and retake the lead by half time but the United backline stood strong and, on the forty third minute, they turned defence into attack with great effect when Fitzgerald played a ball to Costigan, who rounded two players and cut it back for Kearney to get his second from close range, leaving the home side 2-1 up going into the break.
Ballycane came out flying in the second half and really started to build pressure on United's defence. So with Murphy helping out that bit deeper, it was up to Ben Loakman to run the middle of the pitch and he did it with ease, breaking up play and putting his team on the front foot. On the sixty fifth minute, Loakman linked up with Kearney just outside the Ballycane box, and, just as Kearney was about to shoot, he was taken out. Not to be denied his hattrick, Kearney stepped up and dispatched the free in the bottom corner. 3-1. After this, Ballycane Celtic made a couple of changes and one being Aaron McCarfferty who replaced Ian Cox in the number nine position and he had a great chance to make the game 3-2 only for his chip over the oncoming goal keeper to just go over the crossbar, Ballycane Celtic had a few chances late in the game from Podge Coady and Simon Yafet but Newbridge held firm to hold out for the victory. Best for the winners were Ben Loakman, Michael Fitzgerald, and MOTM Ryan Kearney while best for Ballycane were Nathen Fitzharris, Daire Kellenghan, Lee Conway, Ian Cox and Keelan Noone.
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