Happiness is . . . Crystal players celebrate Dean Power
Waterford Crystal 2; Bohemians 1
The nursery club, Bohemians will not feature in this season’s Under-13 ‘A’ Cup final following this result which would have to be regarded as a shock. To date Bohs have 16 points on the board from seven league games. Crystal on the other hand have a total of 10 points from 11 outings. Crystal have lost seven games while Bohs suffered defeat only once.
So on all known form the away side here were fancied to advance to this month’s decider but Waterford Crystal had other ideas. Two quick first-half goals proved too much of a handicap for the team from Ben Wadding Park and although they battled manfully to get back into the game Crystal were grittily determined to have their day in the sun.
They remained solid at the back all through and goalkeeper Declan Doyle played a major role in his side’s exciting victory.
Kavanagh free
Bohemians began smartly enough and they went close after 12 minutes. Ross Battye drilled the ball into the path of Eoin Cleary, but he ran out of space and hit the left side netting.
Crystal got into their stride and they took the lead on 16 minutes. Jack Hale was forced to foul Sam Quigley just outside the penalty area. Corey Kavanagh came forward from his midfield role to take the free kick and he found the roof of the net with a sweet effort, giving goalkeeper James Crogan no chance whatsoever.
Bohs were given a mountain to climb when Crystal scored again two minutes later. Glenn Sweeney sent in a right-wing corner kick which was flicked on by Nathan Phelan to Danny Ryan and he placed the ball into the net from 12 yards with his left foot.
Four minutes later Bohs did get back into the game when Adam Sutton scored with a free kick following a tussle between Crystal defender Cieran Walsh and Bohs’ striker Eoin Cleary.
Good chance
The home side held out without much difficulty until the interval and they could have regained their two-goal advantage early in the second half. Nathan Phelan advanced 30 yards with the ball, getting past two Bohs players, but his shot on the run from the left went just over the crossbar.
Bohemians tried in vain to get an equaliser and shortly after Phelan’s earlier effort he was inches wide with a good shot from 14 yards. Nathan Phelan was having a fine game for Crystal and he was back in the thick of the action once again on 40 minutes but his shot from inside the penalty area came back off Grogan’s crossbar.
Declan Doyle came to the rescue of Crystal on 49 minutes. Patrick Fitzgerald picked out Adam Sutton who headed powerfully at goal but Declan Doyle was equal to the task and he produced a super save.
The Red & Blacks had a great chance to take the game into extra-time shortly before the full-time whistle. Patrick Fitzgerald was once again the provider, this time setting up Geoff Tebay but he lost his composure and shot high over the crossbar.
Bohs did send two high balls into the Crystal six-yard box in injury time, but Declan Doyle caught both without any great deal of difficulty.
Waterford Crystal (panel): Declan Doyle, Thomas Lane, Jason English, Cieran Walsh, Danny Ryan, Dean Power, Nathan Phelan, Corey Kavanagh, Glenn Sweeney, Sam Quigley, Shane Elliott, Criag Walsh, Ger O’Halloran.
Bohemians (panel): James Grogan, Ross Fitzpatrick, Ross Battye, Sean Kervick, Jack Hale, Patrick Fitzgerald, Geoff Tebay, Adam Sutton, Adam Caulfield, Eoin Cleary, Dessie Hutchinson, Stephen Dalton, Andrew Phelan, Caomhain Maguire.
Referee: Mark Lucas.
