Tullamore through to quarter finals with big win over Dublin rivals

An outstanding team performance by Tullamore Town U14s saw them outplay another highly fancied Dublin side, Mount Merrion with a 4-1 win that moves them into the last eight of the SFAI National Cup. Like Shelbourne, who Tullamore had defeated in the previous round, the UCD Academy side travelled to Tullamore as favourites, but the midlanders had too much about them for Mount Merrion to handle.

SFAI U14 National Cup, Round of 16

Tullamore Town 4  Mount Merrion 1

The game was played at a relentless pace with Tullamore making the early running in attack. Mount Merrion are clearly a highly accomplished side with exceptionally talented players.

Their intricate one touch passing was really good to watch, but the Tullamore boys were extremely well organised and Mount Merrion found it difficult to penetrate in the final third. Tullamore made the crucial breakthrough after 10 minutes of play. Mark Monaghan robbed possession, beat his man on the right wing and bombed towards the touchline, he skipped past another challenge as he cut inside the box and delivered an inch perfect cross for Dara Waldron to rifle home, 1-0.

On 20 minutes Tullamore were in dreamland. A corner was whipped in by Mark Monaghan and in a scramble in the box Jamie Harvey was quickest to react to the loose ball, driving past the goalkeeper. A 2-0 advantage in the first half - could they bring this to half time? The goal seemed to spark Mount Merrion into life as they started to gain more possession and threaten the Tullamore defence. 

With half time approaching Mount Merrion broke into the 18 yard box, full back Thomas Carroll put in a tackle but caught his man and the ref pointed to the spot. Michael McAndrew guessed correctly, diving to his right, but the ball flew past agonisingly beyond his fingertips. McAndrew thumped the ground knowing how close he had come to stopping it but as the ref blew for half time at 2-1 it was game on. 

Mount Merrion started the second half very strongly, stroking the ball about with Tullamore putting in an immense effort to contain them and limit opportunities. Ben Boland replaced McAndrew in goals for the second half. These two have worked hand in hand all season, sharing goalkeeping duties and again the transition worked seamlessly. Ronan Guinan was in commanding form at the back, with a series of perfectly timed tackles, his reading of the game was excellent. The whole defensive unit were very impressive once again from Steven Murrihy at right full, dealing with a very dangerous number 9, Thomas Carroll at left back, breaking from defence to attack and Adam Malone an imposing presence, partnering Guinan in the centre of defense. They had one of their busiest afternoons in quite a while and were impeccable throughout.

In midfield Jamie Harvey, Calan Kinnarney and Scott Halloran got through an immense amount of work, breaking up Mount Merrion play and driving Tullamore forward when in possession. Each of the three, with Harvey and Kinnarney playing centrally and Halloran in the 10 role always manage to find themselves in threatening shooting positions on the edge of the box. Out wide, the twin threat of Mark Monaghan and Dara Waldron again proved exceptionally difficult for the opposition to contain. Many teams have one winger with pace and skill to beat the defender but Tullamore are blessed left and right. With Tullamore’s ability to mix up the play between short, accurate passing in possession, they are not afraid to use the long ball into space behind the defence to give Monaghan or Waldron the chance to use their pace.

The third goal came about as a result of a long ball from Adam Malone which Mark Monaghan raced onto out wide, he tore into the 18 yard box and crossed to Felix Kryzevicius in the centre. Kryzevicius took the ball down, swivelled and struck past the Mount Merrion goalkeeper. It felt like Tullamore had weathered a storm and seized the initiative once again. It was just reward for Felix Kryzevicius, who had never stopped running all day, his hold up play was crucial as the lone striker and his pressing was unrelentling. 

Mount Merrion did win a series of free kicks in dangerous positions but could not find a way past a resolute Tullamore who defended as a team. Ben Boland in goals was again assuredly in control of anything that got past the back four, his handling of a number of well struck drives was very impressive.

At this stage you could see the toll the game was taking on the Tullamore players. Odhran Gilmartin and Adam Keegan were introduced as Patrick Murrihy and Jason Halloran on the line started a sequence of rotate and rest for many who had little left in the tank. Keegan took up a position wide on the left, sitting a little deeper than Dara Waldron had been, while Gilmartin filled a number of roles centrally. This is a very well balanced side that works extremely hard for one another. The replacements that come in know their role to a tee and the transitions are seamless. Each of the forward players managed to get a little time off the pitch to recharge and return, Mark Monaghan showed he had one more burst of speed left in the closing minutes when he won a challenge with the Mount Merrion centre back and found himself driving towards goal with only the keeper to beat. The keeper might have expected the Tullamore winger to try go around him but Monaghan’s decisive drive found the bottom corner of the net and the entire team raced to the corner to celebrate. 

There was little time for Mount Merrion to react, they knew the game was up. Tullamore’s game management at the end ensured there were no late chances coughed up. As the ref blew for full-time both the elation and exhaustion was evident in the Tullamore team who had spared nothing in a gripping encounter. Mount Merrion were deflated, their coach gracious in defeat and warm in his praise of this exciting Tullamore side.

Tullamore Town now find themselves in the last eight of this prestigious national schoolboys competition. They await the outcome of the quarter final draw but will surely now be looked upon as real contenders for the title having successfully negotiated two very tough draws in the last 32 and last 16. These are proving to be magical days and nights for the side and everyone around them. They continue to find new levels of performance and have matured into one of the finest schoolboy sides in the country. How far you can go in a knock-out competition is often down to the luck of the draw.

Tullamore might have thought luck had deserted them when they were pitted against such strong Dublin opposition in the last two rounds, but they proved more than equal to the task and have undoubtedly made clubs across the country sit up and take notice. It is going to take an exceptional side to stop these boys. For now, the dream lives on.