Wednesday September 26 2012
A VERY unfamiliar Rock team, missing a big chunk of regular players for the long trip to Carlow, managed to advance to the next round of the Leinster Junior Cup after a shootout where they were on the brink of exiting the competition having missed their first two kicks.
Three precious saves by goalkeeper John Rogers in the final analysis enabled them to come out on top, a victory they probably deserved, for they played for all but the opening 25 minutes with 10 players, a number of whom were involved in games the previous day and Friday night for the club’s reserve teams.
Captain David McGeough was pressed into making his first start of the season, having been out injured, and he rather harshly picked up two yellow cards while playing in a rather strange midfield.
However, with David Ward turning in his best performance of the season with an outstanding game just when his side most needed it, Rock were the better side.
They were the more likely to break the deadlock, creating the only real scoring openings, but it was still stalemate at the end of two periods of extra time.
The pendulum certainly seemed to have swung the home side’s way when Rock missed their first two spot kicks, one from manager Shane Reddish who had come on late in the tie.
But after seven kicks, Paddy Reilly, David Ward, David Hoey and Sean Waters hit the net to give Rock their ticket to the next round.
ROCK CELTIC PLAYERS
John Rogers, Ross Quigley, Paddy Reilly, Sean Waters, Ronan Farrelly, Ed Maguire, David McGeough, David Hoey, David Ward, Gavin McClelland, Jamie McCaul. SUB: Shane Reddish.
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