Glenmalure do enough to progress in MMI Cup
A MAN-OF-THE-MATCH display by Glenmalure Rovers goalkeeper John Gibbons was the key to them booking a quarter final place in the MMI Cup, after a hard fought win over Livorno Carpenterstown in St Kevins Boys Astro on Saturday afternoon.
Rovers will now play Tamhleacht, in an all Tallaght affair, after they beat Beech Park also on a 1-0 scoreline, and that is some game to look forward to.
Livorno went home thinking what do they have to do to get the better of Rovers this season after they threw everything but the kitchen sink at them in this game, and two weeks ago when it was the same result in the league.
This was a very entertaining game with two different styles of play on view, where the all important goal in this tie arrived on ten minutes when Rovers were awarded a free kick outside the area and Colin Seery delivered it into the net.
It was just the start they wanted, especially as Eoin Leonard flashed a header just wide minutes earlier.
But the home side gradually began to get into the game and although they threatened in the opening half, it wasn’t until the second half that they really took control.
For some reason the visitors left Leonard as the lone striker, packed the midfield and battened down the hatches to protect their lead.
It’s a dodgy tactic at the best of times but it worked in no small way, as Gibbons’ performance in the second half complemented the defensive wall they had put up.
He pulled off at least three outstanding saves to deny Kevin Long, Jay Harper and Sean Hogan, and when he was finally beaten Aaron Brennan was there to clear off the line.
But he delivered the icing on the cake with a penalty save in added time to deny Lewis Kilkenny, and finally break Livorno hearts for the second time in as many weeks.
LIVORNO CARPENTERSTOWN: A. Kearney, T. Ryan, L. Melia, S. Dowling, R. Horan, L. O’Brien, A. Rice, K. Long, L. Bracken, L, Kilkenny, J. Harper, A. Uzimnow, S. Hogan, A. Hogan, S. Collins, N. Brady, A. O’Neill.
GLENMALURE ROVERS: J. Gibbons, J. Wall, C. Seery, A. Brennan, J. McCormack, N. O’Reilly, J. Quigley, A. O’Rourke, E. Leonard, K. McLoughlin, S. Hanrahan.
REFEREE: T. Shannon
