FAI Cup Report: Crumlin United 1-2 St Mochta's

Dave Donnelly reports from Armagh Road

First-half strikes from Mick Daly and Gareth McCaffrey saw St Mochta’s progress to the second round proper of the FAI Senior Cup at the expense of longtime rivals Crumlin United.

The FAI Intermediate Cup holders were two goals to the good by the midway point in the second half and were comfortable throughout, despite sub Glenn Fullam netting to set up a nervy finish.

Both sides played the second half with ten men as Darren Clarke and Liam Brady were both red-carded amid unsavoury scenes in first-half injury time.

Former Shamrock Rovers winger Clarke was dismissed for a horrendous two-footed lunge, while Brady got his marching orders after clashing with Crumlin’s Jamie Henderson in the aftermath.

Going down to ten men seemed to upset the Saints more than the hosts, who rallied in the second half but didn’t create enough to force an extra 30 minutes.

Indeed, the home side were probably blessed to take only a two-goal deficit into the break, while Brady’s dismissal owed more to Henderson’s theatrical dive than any real offence.

Mochta’s led from an early as the fifth minute after a sustained spell of early pressure eventually led to the breakthrough for former Drogheda United captain Daly.

The Clonsilla side went close within the first minute as Gareth ‘Redser’ Brady, who made the move from Crumlin to Mochta’s along with brother Liam in the summer, saw his shot deflected over.

The Bradys, like their Ireland international sibling Robbie, are superb strikers of a deal ball, and it was Gareth’s right-footed inswinging corner that almost led to the first goal.

Redser pulled out his full box of tricks during the game, crossing right-footed from the left and with his stronger left foot on the opposite side, and his corner was headed just over by Gavin Kearney.

And it was the versatile midfielder’s pinpoint delivery that would lead to the opening goal moments later after Alex O’Hanlon’s shot was deflected behind.

Daly made his name in the League of Ireland as a teak-tough centre-half but he’s reinvented himself as a goalscoring midfielder in the Leinster Senior League.

And he wriggled free from the resulting corner to meet Brady’s delivery with a cushioned volley that left Crumlin keeper Mikey Quinn helpless.

The keeper was caught in possession by Liam Brady moments later, and was relieved to see the winger’s shot veer wide, while at the other end Jake Walker volleyed narrowly wide.

A mistake under the high ball from Crumlin defender Niall Cooney presented McCaffrey with a chance to make it 2-0 midway through the half, and he made no mistake.

The former Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda goal-getter was first to the loose ball and he raced through on goal before wrong-footing Quinn in the Crumlin goal.

Gareth Brady saw an audacious lob run inches past the post, and another excellent delivery for Kearney again saw the defender’s header just miss the target.

In between, Quinn was fortunate not to concede an indirect free kick as he picked up a Dylan Nolan backpass on his own line, when a third Mochta’s goal would surely have sealed the tie.

Crumlin were blessed once more to emerge from the injury-time melee with an equal number of players as reckless challenges from Henderson and Clarke set off heated scenes.

Henderson went over the ball on Liam Brady before Clarke left the ground after the whistle, and Glen Shannon was fortunate he didn’t make much contact with his ankle.

Clarke had already been dismissed by the time Brady squared up to Henderson, and the Crumlin number 10’s embarrassing dive was convincing enough to con Declan Troy into issuing a second red.

After being hopelessly outmatched in the first 45 minutes, Crumlin boss James Lee introduced Sean Dixon and Martins Olakanye for the second half, and they enjoyed their best spell of the game.

Walker, the physically imposing former St Patrick’s Athletic striker, sent a shot over the bar for Crumlin, while Gareth Brady rattled the post directly from the corner at the other end.

Brady curled another shot inches wide from a tight angle, while Walker was desperately unlucky to see a wicked curling effort brush the top of the crossbar.

The tie looked to have petered out as injury time approached but sub Thomas Hannon saw his shot deflected behind for a corner.

From the resulting delivery, substitute Glenn Fullam steered the ball into the bottom corner to set up a grandstand finish, but Mochta’s managed to hold on for a deserved victory.

Crumlin United: Mikey Quinn; Calvin Rogers, Niall Cooney (Sean Dixon 46), David Fagan (Jamie Geoghegan 67), Dylan Nolan; Alex O’Brien, Jamie Whelan, Jamie Henderson (Thomas Hannon 67); Darren Clarke, Shane Hyland (Martins Olakanye 46), Jake Walker (Glenn Fullam 80).

Subs not used: Karl Delaney, Jack Colgan.

Booked: Alex O’Brien (33), David Fagan (65), Thomas Hannon (88).

Sent off: Darren Clarke (45+2).

St Mochta’s: Craig Hyland; Glen Shannon, Alan Byrne, Gavin Kearney, Sean Byrne (Michael Scott 58); Mick Daly, Gareth Brady (Evan Murphy 78), Karl Somers; Liam Brady, Alex O’Hanlon, Gareth McCaffrey.

Subs not used: Declan Brennan, Jason Marks, Kyle Hogan, Jason Grouse.

Booked: None.

Sent off: Liam Brady (45+2).

Referee: Declan Troy.

Attendance: 200 (estimate)

Extratime.com Player of the Match: Gareth Brady (St Mochta’s).

In Pictures: Crumlin United 1 - 2 St. Mochta's https://t.co/xpKifY8gm0pic.twitter.com/AO1Bx9uZgE

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) July 26, 2021