Andrew Power (Crystal) and Craig Cowman (Dungarvan) pursue a ball seemingly bound for a photographer’s lens!
Waterford Crystal 2; Dungarvan United 1
This game may have been called off a near half dozen times but the quality of football produced on Sunday afternoon last meant it was well worth the wait.
Crystal’s Andrew Power produced a fine save from the visiting goalkeeper Alan Landers after only three minutes to set the tone for the match.
Ten minutes later Martin Tynan got a little bit of space on the edge of the Dungarvan penalty area but his hard low strike was deflected to safety by defender Aidan Landers.
The deadlock was broken on 44 minutes by Dungarvan’s Gavin Crotty, who cracked the ball home from close range after Crystal failed to deal with Tommy Butler’s free. A cup winning double for Dungarvan over ‘The Glass’ this season now looked well and truly on.
The visitors ought to have been two up in the 50th minute but Tony Fitzgerald turned Tommy Butler’s in-swinging free kick over the crossbar with Derek Hearne flat-footed.
Butler was in the thick of the action once again on 62 minutes when he picked out Shane Kelly only to drag his effort across the goal.
Crystal fought back and Robbie Butler was unlucky to see a header headed off the line by Dungarvan left-back Craig Cowming.
Eight minutes later, Butler made no mistake with a glancing header following a beautifully flighted cross from Barry Costine, much to the home support’s delight.
Extra time looked inevitable until Paul Quilty intervened, drilling the ball under Alan Landers from 15 yards after a mistake by substitute Christy Power allowed Keith Sheridan’s ball across the 18-yard-box.
Matters got worse for the visitors when Tony Fitzgerald was sent off in stoppage time for a foul on Liam Coady.
Waterford Crystal: Derek Hearne, Johnny Gleeson, Shaun Corcoran, Barry Costine, Jason Ryan, Liam Coady, Martin Tynan, Keith Sheridan, Andrew Power, Paul Quilty, Robbie Butler.
Sub: Conor Fell for Gleeson (58 mins)
Dungarvan United: Alan Landers, David Condon, Craig Cowming, Aidan Landers, Tony Fitzgerald, Gavin Crotty, Mark Ferncombe, Clive Crotty, Trevor Crotty, Shane Kelly, Tommy Butler.
Subs: Christy Power for Cowming (81 mins) Mark Crotty for Kelly (81 mins)
Referee: Paul O’Keeffe.
