Salthill Devon advanced to the next round of the EA Sports Cup with a 2-0 win against Fanad United in Drom on Monday night.
The home side dominated large parts of the opening half, but only had Trevor Collins' excellent strike to show for their efforts at half time.
The opening goal came on 17 minutes.. Shane Browne put Collins away on the right and he cracked a scorching shot low past Paul Given in the Fanad goal, for a well deserved lead.
Seven minutes earlier Salthill spurned a great chance to take the lead when Cian McBrien tamely hit his penalty straight at the keeper, after Daniel Rupa was deemed to have been fouled by Shaun McElwaine. The home side were worth their half time lead.
The second half was largely uneventful for 30 minutes, with all the action being crammed into the last fifteen. Fanad United will feel very unlucky as they pressed hard in the final ten minutes culminating a great strike by Davitt Walsh, which produce a brilliant save form Bernard Power in the home goal.
Daniel Rupa hammered home the final nail in the Fanad coffin, with virtually the last kick as he latched on to O'Leidhin's neat pass and calmly knocked the ball into the net from 40 yards with Given trying in vain to get back to his goal having gone forward for a 'last ditch' corner.
Salthill Devon now face Derry City at home in the next round. If they can recapture their opening half performance then they will provide stiff opposition. Cyprian Straut looked like a class act in the opening half but was strangely quiet in the second period, while Cian McBrien worked hard all night. For Fanad Davitt Walsh was always a threat while the diminutive Alan Gethins made Eugene Greaney work overtime all night.
