Munster Express Online

Munster Junior Cup Round 3
Hibernians 3 Carrick United ‘B’ 0

Hibernians and the Carrick United 1A team clashed in Carrignore on Sunday in Round 3 of the Munster Cup and it was the Premier League champions who came out on top.
The win keeps Hibs on track in both the provincial competition and the FAI Junior Cup. They play Pearce Celtic at home in the next stage of the Munster Cup and on Sunday next they face Janesborough from Limerick and the FAI Cup in Carriganore.

This was never going to be an easy game for David Breen’s men because Carrick have been unbeaten all season and this was in fact their first defeat for over a year following their promotion from Division 1B.
Star man on the day was Mark O’Keeffe who bagged a hat-trick for the victors.
Carrick keeper Jamie Houlihan was called into action to make a smart save on six minutes when match winner O’Keeffe took up possession of the ball out on the right side before drilling the ball across the penalty area and the net minder was alert as defender Alan Rockett cleared his lines.
Hibernians broke the deadlock on 32 minutes when Mark O’Keeffe found the roof of the net with a free kick from the left side of the penalty area.
The Carrick goalkeeper Jamie Houlihan was put under pressure by Paul Quilty and as a result the ball nestled in the back of the net.
The Carrick players appealed the decision to allow the goal to stand but the referee was not prepared to overrule the goal.
Jamie Houlihan showed his class with a brilliant save four minutes into the second half when Gary Keane picked up possession of the ball 25-yards but his stinging right-footed shot was tipped over the crossbar at the expense of a fruitless corner kick.
David Cooley went close to doubling the Hibernians lead on 53 minutes when he took a pass from Philip Drohan on the edge of the penalty area however his well struck left-footed strike was tipped onto the crossbar by an impressive Jamie Houlihan save
Hibernians put the game to bed with two goals in the final ten minutes with the second goal coming on 80 minutes.
Philip Drohan did really well down the left side before crossing for Mark O’Keeffe and he fired a left-footed shot past a helpless Houlihan from deep inside the penalty area.
With Carrick giving it their all throughout the course of the ninety minutes, they just came up short against the Premier League side as O’Keeffe notched his two minutes from full when he finished off a cross from the right from Jason Keane.

HIBERNIANS: Craig Kelly, Craig Keane, Patrick Kennedy, Brian Mallon, Joey Whelan, Ross Douglas (David Cooley `46), David McGrath (Jason Keane `64), Gary Keane, Paul Quilty, Mark O’Keeffe, Philip Drohan (David Kennedy `85)

CARRICK UNITED ‘B’: Jamie Houlihan, Seanie Boland, Alan Redmond, Keith Walsh, Alan Rockett, Jack Walsh (Jamie Torpey `81), Lee Wall, James Walsh, Danny O’Hanlon, Jamie Waters (Dean Power `46), Barry Walsh

REFEREE: Noel Purcell