Comprehensive FAI Junior Cup win for Tipperary Town Saints away in Dublin city

FAI Junior Cup, 5th Round

HARDWICKE FC (Dublin) 1 ST MICHAEL'S 3

Tipperary Town side, St Michael’s FC, booked their place in the last 16 of the FAI Junior Cup with a comprehensive win at Dublin Port Stadium against Hardwicke FC, where a strong last quarter paved the way for the victory.
The Dublin side started well and were ahead in the seventh minute when Adam Hanney found space at the edge of the area and his left foot shot nestled in the corner of the net. But they were only ahead for six minutes as the TSDL side came roaring back and levelled matters when Russell Quirke freed Jimmy Carr who was deemed to have been fouled by a defender, before coolly slotting the resulting penalty past Ivory in the goal to make it 1-1.

On 24 minutes, the home side were reduced to ten men when Mc Ailey was sent off as the last defender for a professional foul on Jimmy Carr, who was in fine form terrorising the Dublin defence. The resultant free kick saw Colin Bargary hit narrowly wide.

Rhys O’Regan went close five minutes before the break from an Ed O’Dwyer lay-off, but just on the cusp of half time the Saints got a warning that the win wasn’t assured when Robbie King brought a save from Adrian Walsh.
As the second period wore on, the fitness of the away side, coupled with having the extra man saw them slowly take control of the tie. They already had a number of chances to take the lead before they finally did so in the 73rd minute when Joey Mulcahy curled a free kick in at the near post.

The game was now quite open and free flowing and Saints put the tie to bed 11 minutes from time when Rhys O’Regan was found in space on the right and his left foot shot found the corner of the net.

Hardwicke FC battled away and Saints coughed up soft possession and a few silly frees and at one stage it looked like it was going to boil over with a flurry of yellow cards. But it was the home side that were further reduced when a defender had a red card brandished for a foul on Ashley Kelliher.

Referee Robert Bradley’s final whistle sent the large Saints contingent into raptures as they await next week’s draw for the next round