Match of the Week: Tamhlacht knocked out of Challenge Cup

A CRACKING game in Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght, saw Rialto FC continue their impressive start to the season when they knocked out Tamhlacht FC on a 4- 2 scoreline in the first round of the UCFL Challenge Cup.

Rialto knew they had a tough assignment in hand when they saw the draw and, to be honest, Tamhlacht didn’t disappoint.

In fact in the opening half they had the better chances but, on the three occasions they did get shots on target, they couldn’t beat Jamie Coin in the visitors goal.

That’s not to say they dominated the opening half as it was an even-enough affair, however, minutes into the second half this game exploded into life.

Hat-trick hero, and man-of-the-match, Glen Carroll smashed a free kick off the crossbar two minutes after the restart, and just minutes later the visitors rectified that by opening their account.

Dero Kelly, who did the spade work on the left hand side, played a peach of a ball into the path of Fran Cambell to smash home number one.

Tamhlacht FC’s John Quigley rises high to head clear despite the attentions of Rialto FC’s Glen Carroll
Photos by John Mooney

The home side responded positively and five minutes later Gary Sutton got in behind the defence and shot inches wide.

But that miss was punished soon after as Kelly brilliantly controlled the ball on his chest, before slipping it back to Carroll to crash home number two.

Now, as usual, when a team scores concentration dips for a second, and this time the home team took full advantage as Conor Murphy guided the ball home to reduce the deficit.

But, really, Rialto had their tails in the air, despite that setback, and on 70 minutes Carroll bagged his second of the day, when his shot from the edge of the area slipped through keeper John Gibbons hands and ended up in the net.

He then nodded home from close range, after Kelly’s corner from the left came off defender John Quigley’s head to make it 4-1.

Tamhlacht FC”lost out to Rialto FC in a cracking cup game in Sean Walsh Park

They could afford to relax a bit after that and in the dying minutes Murphy got the home side’s second, when he helped Sean McMahon’s header home.

TAMHLACHT FC: J. Gibbons, L. McCarthy, G. Warner, J. Walsh, J. Quigley, J. Carpenter, G. McBevin, C. Clarke, G. Sutton, D. Harte, C. Murphy, S. McMahon, S. Daly, P. Walsh, B. Kinsella, G. Parkes, S. Hanrahan.

RIALTO FC: J. Coin, D. Doyle, T. Cooke, D. Kelly, J. Carney, F. Cambell, L. Hudson, R. Carring, G. Carroll, R. Lyne.

REFEREE: P. Lang.

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