Football - Marshall Cup round three
Thursday, 4 December 2008
Omagh Utd 2. Silverwood Utd 0.
by Chris Caldwell at Athletic Park.
OMAGH United booked their place in the fourth round of the Marshall Cup on Saturday with a less than convincing 2-0 home win over an ill-disciplined Silverwood Untied team who finished the game with nine men, while the Athletic Park outfit also had a man sent off.
A nervous start from the home side allowed Silverwood to call the early shots, but Tony Quinn's opener on 27 minutes signalled the end of the visitors' challenge, as their discipline began to disintegrate and their task was made more difficult, following the dismissal of Damien McStavrick three minutes later after the left-back lashed out at Cathal Taggart.
A dour second half burst into life on 56 minutes, following the dismissal of Omagh's Darren Teague after a seemingly innocuous tackle on Michael Haughian, who was lucky not to follow the home player off the pitch after raising his hands.
Silverwood could again have been reduced to nine men on 65 minutes, when Conor Bell appeared to strike Benny Mitchell and the hosts then received a let-off from whistler, Shane Corrigan, on 70 minutes, when home-keeper, Dermot McKeogh, appeared to handle the ball outside his box after Haughian was in a goalscoring position.
Omagh put the game beyond doubt in the 88th minute through a Kevin Sloan diving header at the near post, while the visitors' ill-discipline struck again on 90 minutes when John Murphy was sent off for a verbal outburst at Corrigan.
While relieved to have made it through to the next round of the competition, Omagh boss, Roy McCreadie, was again left frustrated by his side's play in the final third of the pitch: "We had checked up on Silverwood and knew they would be more difficult to beat than most of the Intermediate League teams we played weekly," he said.
“They're street-wise but losing their discipline at times today (Saturday) probably cost them, although I see where they're coming from with their penalty claim and goalkeeping incident.
Impatient
“We created chances and didn't put them away and, when we got into the last third our final ball was poor and we became impatient. But I thought we were the better team and did what we had to do to get our name in the hat for the next round."
Within 40 seconds of kick-off, Silverwood had the hosts in trouble, when Ryan Lawless's through ball to Haughian ended up with home keeper, McKeogh, fluffing his clearance kick and almost allowing the midfielder through on goal, but Ryan Sharkey covered well to avert the danger.
On five minutes the visitors were on the attack again with Niall Dummigan firing over from 25 yards, while on 10 minutes the hosts had their first shot on goal, Sloan shooting over from 20 yards.
Taggart came to Omagh's rescue on 13 minutes when he made a goal-line block from a Lawless shot, while Omagh forced visiting keeper, Michael Goff into a smart save four minutes later when Sloan's attempt was blocked by the custodian's legs.
A succession of Silverwood corners on 26 minutes almost resulted in a goal for the visitors when Haughian's near post header from Eamon Kelly's centre cracked McKeogh's crossbar, but within a minute it was the hosts who had the lead when McCaffrey latched onto a Quinn pass on the left before teeing up Mitchell.
The tight winger brought a point-blank save out of Goff, but Quinn followed up well to smash the ball into the roof of the net.
McStavrick then saw red for the Lurgan side when he appeared to elbow Taggart in the face, but it was the visitors who finished the half strongly, Damian McCourt forcing a save from McKeogh.
Stuttered into life
The second half stuttered into life with few moments of quality, but following Teague's dismissal for Omagh on 56 minutes it finally burst into life.
Mitchell was the first player to make a bid on an opponents goal with a surging run past Steven Toman, before shooting wide from 20 yards.
McKeogh was then fortunate to remain on the pitch on 70 minutes, following his fumble on the edge of the area that resulted in him handling outside the area to deny Haughian an attempt at goal.
Taggart embarked on an impressive run on 77 minutes from his own half, beating a defender before fizzing a shot over from 20 yards and a minute later Sloan forced Goff into a back post save with a header from a Mitchell cross.
Quinn should have killed Silverwood off on 85 minutes when he was sent through on goal by Taggart but his weak shot was easily gathered by Goff. The missed chances were all but forgotten by Omagh three minutes later though when Sloan's diving header at the near post from Nugent's left wing cross sneaked in.
Omagh Utd: D McKeogh, M Flanagan, D Teague, R Sharkey, S Fanthorpe (cpt), B Glackin (P Nugent 76), B Mitchell (C McCullagh 82), C Taggart, K Sloan, T Quinn, A McCaffrey (J Sweeney 70).
Caution: Sweeney 90.
Dismissal: Teague 56.
Silverwood Utd: M Goff, E McCann, D McStavrick, S Toman (E Rafferty 90+2), J Murphy, R Lawless, M Haughian, E Kelly (cpt), C Bell (G Donnelly 90+2), N Dummigan, D McCourt (S Haughian 84).
Cautions: Toman 39, McCourt 43, Haughian 56, Bell 65, Lawless 89.
Dismissals: McStavrick 30, Murphy 90.
Referee: Shane Corrigan, Omagh.
