Five-star Ronanstown

RONANSTOWN FC turned in a five-star performance to advance in this season’s UCFL Challenge Cup, when they travelled to Bancroft Park to face St Maelruans and ran out 5-0 winners, reports John Mooney.

The visitors were full value for the win and it could have been more, but that would have been harsh on the Saints who, despite the mounting score, put in a decent shift.

In fairness the home side just about made up the numbers, 12 players in fact, after a number of player no-shows, and, really, the writing was on the cards for them from the kick-off.

After a few near misses the visitors opened their account on 20 minutes, as Roy Thomas won the ball in  the middle of the park, set off on a run down the left, and squared for Karl McCormack to slot home.

Thomas was involved in number two, five minutes later, when his ball into the area was half cleared by Craig Burke and Jake Purcell pounced to score.

The saints had a chance to get back in the game minutes later as Burke floated in a free kick that Brian Murphy headed goal wards, but keeper Jamie McCarthy saved his effort with his feet.

St Maelruan’s were beaten by Ronanstown who tuned in a five-star performance Photos by John Mooney

That was as good as it got for the home side as just 10 minutes after the restart Purcell smashed home his second of the game after Blake Devitt set him up, and he almost completed his hat-trick when he headed a Devitt corner against a post.

The score always looked like rising and at the midway point of the half we had the goal of the game, when Josh McDonagh cracked home a beauty from outside the area.

Then with the clock ticking down the visitors rounded off the scoring with their fifth which was scored by David Scully, but only after the Saints keeper Silviu Nadasan denied him first when saving his penalty, but Scully slotted home the rebound.

ST MAELRUANS: S. Nadasan, P. Tracz, M. Dooley, C. Burke, L. Jones, J. Butler, B. Murphy, C. Fitzpatrick, C. Farrell, V. Pidhainyi, R. Reddington, F. Bilardi.

RONANSTOWN FC: J. McCarthy, D. Grendon, B. Devitt, K. Geoghegan, D. Kelly, C. McGovern, K. McCornack, K. Rafferty, J. Purcell, T. Curran, R. Thomas, C. Knowles, K. Kavanagh, K. Quinn, J. McDonagh, A. DEvitt, C. McGovern, C. Finnegan-O’Flaherty, D. Scully