Courtesy: FAI Official Web Site

UCD (2) 5 Bray Wanderers (2) 5 (UCD win 7-6 on pens)

UCD secured the first final spot in the eircom FAI Under-21 Futsal League with a thrilling penalty shoot-out victory over Bray Wanderers at the National Basketball Arena.

The Students needed spot-kicks to win it after a remarkable 5-5 draw in normal time in the first of the two semi-finals with keeper Declan O’Donnell the hero.

After a tense opening start Bray were awarded a penalty in the ninth minute and Gary McCabe stepped up to slot home from the spot-kick to open the scoring.

UCD equalised five minutes later when Bray keeper Gavin Snograss could only parry and Eoin O’Cinneide reacted well to volley home.

Bray regained the lead after a brilliant move involving James O’Shea and Sean Fitzgerald that ended with David O’Sullivan smashing home from ten yards.

But the Students responded immediately with O’Cinneide tapping home from close range just ten seconds later.

McCabe regained the lead for Wanderers with a stunning free-kick from 15 yards just over two minutes into the second half.

Wanderers then lost Mark Duggan to a second yellow card and their luck further dipped when Darren Forsyth levelled for the Students six minutes into the half.

UCD then went in front with ten minutes left, James O’Sullivan poking past Snodgrass to make it 4-3.

With four minutes left McCabe struck his hat-trick with a ten-metre penalty to level it up at 4-4.

But calamity struck for Bray keeper Snodgrass when he came out his box but misplaced a pass straight into his own goal to hand UCD a bizarre lead.

Snodgrass redeemed himself somewhat with a couple of excellent stops to deny Ger O’Callaghan a decisive sixth goal for the Students.

Those saves proved vital as with just two seconds on the clock under-19 international James O’Shea struck home to send the game into penalties.

UCD: Declan O’Donnell; Damien Kelly, Killian Gallagher, David Last, Shane Flynn, Greg Bolger, Tim Purcell, Ger O’Callaghan, Fran Moran, Eoin O’Cinneide, Darren Forsyth, James O’Sullivan.
Goals: O’Cinneide 2, Forsyth, Snodgrass og.

Bray Wanderers: Gavin Snodgrass: Sean Fitzgerald, Niall Merriman, John Meagher, Jack Douglas, Mark Duggan, Gary McCabe, Paul Dunphy, David O’Sullivan, James O’Shea, Robbie Manley, John Broderick.
Goals: McCabe 3 (1 pen), O’Sullivan, O'Shea.

Penalties – (UCD go first). Kelly saved 0-0; McCabe scored 0-1; Purcell scored 1-1; Manley scored 1-2; Bolger scored 2-2; O’Sullivan saved 2-2; O’Cinneide scored 3-2; Broderick saved 3-2; Gallagher saved 3-2; O’Shea scored 3-3; J O’Sullivan scored 4-3; Douglas scored 4-4; Forsyth scored 5-4; Fitzgerald scored 5-5; Flynn scored 6-5; Dunphy scored 6-6; Last scored 7-6; Meagher missed 7-6. UCD win.



Bohemians (1) 3 Shamrock Rovers (3) 7

SHAMROCK ROVERS produced a brilliant display of finishing to secure their place in the first eircom FAI Under-21 Futsal League final.

A derby win at any level is sweet but with Mark Langtry bagging a hat-trick, the Hoops won a precious final spot against UCD.

Bohs took the lead after just 30 seconds when Brian Kelly squeezed the ball under Hoops keeper John Perkins from a tight angle.

Ciaran Kilduff was unlucky with a poked effort to hit the base of the Bohs post five minutes in as once again the two teams worked their way into the tie.

Rovers did draw level in the ninth minute when Darren Murphy produced a great break and set up Dane Massey to fire home after some great footwork.

It was similarly skilful dribbling skills by Mark Langtry that saw the Hoops take the lead with six minutes left in the opening half after he capped off a quick break with a great strike.

Langtry then showed great perseverance to battle through and grab number three for the Hoops with 25 seconds remaining in the half.

It was Langtry again who extended the Rovers lead five minutes into the second half but Alan Lynch gave Bohs hope when he slotted home 30 seconds later to make it 4-2.

A quick counterattack saw Massey set up Ciaran Kilduff to put Rovers 5-2 up and Cillian O’Grady responded soon after to take it back to 5-3.

Hoops keeper John Perkins then produced a string of important saves to maintain his side’s advantage.

Bohs then suffered the nightmare scenario of having two players dismissed in a matter of minutes. James Lee going for a last man tackle and keeper Keith Gallagher for a second booking.

Rovers amazingly failed to score during the period that Bohs were down to three players, although Brendan Dawson hit a post at one point.

David Vickery then produced a cracking strike to finally find the Gypsies net and increase the Rovers lead to 6-3.

Dawson then capped off a fine individual break with a neat finish under sub keeper Paul Hunt to make it 7-3.

Bohemians: Keith Gallagher; Cillian O’Grady, James Lee, Brian Kelly, Ciaran Foy, Denis Moran, Ian Byrne, Michael Mooney, Philip McDonagh, Alan Lynch, Sean Trout, Paul Hunt.
Goals: Kelly, Lynch. O’Grady.

Shamrock Rovers: John Perkins; Graham Caffrey, Mark Langtry, Darren Murphy, David Vickery, Brendan Dawson, Dane Massey, Stephen Donegan, Ciaran Kilduff.
Goals: Langtry 3, Kilduff, Massey, Vickery, Dawson.



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com