Blast from the Past. October 11th 2003
FAI UNDER 17 CUP
Big John's early score sees Maymount advance at Everton Park.
Everton 0 Maymount Celtic 1
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| Everton exit FAI Cup at home. |
On Everton's high airport-side pitch, as planes flew noisily overhead, visitors Maymount Celtic, a leading team at this level, advanced in the FAI Under 17 Cup with a 1 - 0 win over their long-established opponents. An early first-half goal by defender big John O’Sullivan secured the visitors' place in the third round of the prime national competition for the age group.
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| Maymount into 3rd round. |
It was a game dominated by defences and no surprise that a defender, Maymount full-back Simon Hedderman, snagged the Man of the Match Award. Colleagues Anthony Fenton and keeper Jamie Clerkin hardly put a foot wrong all day.
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| Everton defence under pressure as Maymount free drops in the box. |
Much the same could be said about the Everton rearguard, the back four was well led by central defender Gregory Barry and right full Alan Kelly, and keeper Shane Sherlock was also in commanding form.
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| Outstanding Everton defender Gregory Barry heads clear. |
Indeed Sherlock was very much in contention for the Man of the Match award. His highlight was a brilliant tip-over save after Gary Kerrigan had got on the end of a Maymount corner.
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| Maymount's Cullinane highest |
Everton, who had defeated Cobh Ramblers in the opening round, were under pressure early on and conceded the goal in the 9th minute. Hedderman floated over an inviting corner from the right and O'Sullivan outjumped the defence to head home.
Maymount’s Howard Coakley could have extended his impressive scoring run in the 14th minute. He did well to take down and control a cross but his shot on the turn was too high. The home side kept pressing forward in search of the equaliser but were nearly undone by a quick counter-attack in the half-hour. Action man Daniel Duggan broke away up the right and fired a terrific shot but Sherlock made another of his impressive stops.
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| Everton's Colin Lyons heads the ball past Maymount's Alan King (left) as referee Mark O'Flynn looks on. |
Everton were finding it hard enough to make chances at the other end but did threaten in the 40th minute. Then sub Graham Hickey sent a cross speeding towards the near post and that rare moment of anxiety in the Maymount box ended when scorer O'Sullivan stepped in to head clear.
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| Everton's Colin Lyons on the ball, followed by Darren O'Regan. |
Duggan was a regular threat to the Everton defence and, in the 43rd minute, he raced away up the right, chasing a pass by Ian Cullinane. But keeper Sherlock judged his advance to perfection and once again made the save.
There was more to do for Sherlock in the opening minute of the second half. He just managed to tip an O'Sullivan header, from a corner, onto his bar. It fell back into the six-yard box but Coakley’s follow-up header landed on top of the net.
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| Errea Sports Man of the Match Simon Hedderman. |
Everton though went on to enjoy the better of the third quarter and should have equalised on the hour. Then sub Hickey laid the ball back to Kelly and his cross found Corcoran unmarked and close to goal. But the striker was deceived by the incoming ball and failed to make contact. Everton would not get as promising a chance again.
They kept the pressure on for much of the second half but Maymount continued to be dangerous on the break. The visitors quickly cleared an Everton corner in the 68th minute and got Coakley in but that man Sherlock again came to the rescue with a well-timed intervention.
Everton ran out of ideas and steam in the closing minutes and Maymount had chances of adding to their tally. In the 77th minute, Duggan got in only to be denied by you know who!
An Alan King corner was then flicked just over the top by Kelvin O'Leary before Sherlock again denied Duggan with a great save in the 84th minute. Maymount played cagily enough after that and Everton had no further openings and will now have to concentrate on the local competitions.
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| Everton's Alan McCarthy (right) gets away from Daniel Duggan's tackle |
Everton: Shane Sherlock, Alan Kelly, Joe Ryan, Ken O'Mahony, Gregory Barry, Colin Lyons, Derek Newman, Gavin Kidney, Stephen Corcoran, Alan McCarthy and Keith Houlihan. Subs: Jonathan Quinlan, Gordon Higgins, Graham Hickey and Darren O’Neill.
Maymount Celtic: Jamie Clerkin, Darren O'Regan, Simon Hedderman, John O'Sullivan, Anthony Fenton, Kelvin O'Leary, Alan King, Ian Cullinane, Gary Kerrigan, Howard Coakley, and Daniel Duggan. Subs: Jamie Meehan, Richard Gettings, and Lloyd Crowley.
Referee: Mark O’Flynn.
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