Tullamore Town U-13s power through to last 16 of SFAI National Cup

Tullamore Town’s talented U13 side made the long journey to Forth Celtic FC outside Wexford Town on Saturday for the round of 32 encounter with Wexford’s top side, Forth Celtic, having advanced through four rounds of the South Leinster section of the SFAI National Cup. And this impressive young side showed all their determination, power and skill to come away with a resounding 6-0 win.

SFAI National Cup

Forth Celtic 0
Tullamore Town 6

Having won the toss, Forth Celtic elected to play with a very strong wind in the first half, as a gale blew from one goals to the other. 

Tullamore started strongly in spite of the conditions, making inroads down both flanks as Mark Monaghan on the right and Dara Waldron on the left took every opportunity to take on their man. With Adam Martin playing as a big front man and Scott Halloran in behind, Tullamore looked to link up play where they could and run at Forth Celtic. Clear cut chances were at a premium for Tullamore though Monaghan and Waldron had the beating of their men out wide, while Halloran flashed one shot wide of the post when put through on the right.

Such was the effect of the wind on the game, that the first half for Tullamore was all about keeping Forth Celtic scoreless and the back four combined brilliantly to repel the home side attacks. With Ronan Guinan (captain) and Adam Malone in the centre, dealing with balls over the top and balls through the middle, while strong tackling full backs Steven Murrihy and Thomas Carroll dealt with the threats on the wings.

Build up play from the back was made extremely difficult against the wind, but Murrihy and Carroll managed to supply plenty of ball through to midfield pairing of Calan Kinnarney and Jamie Harvey and out wide to the runners. After a difficult opening 20 minutes in the middle of the park, where Forth Celtic had power, Harvey and Kinnarney gradually got a foothold and started to impose themselves on the game and get the ball forward to the very mobile Halloran and Martin.

In goals for Tullamore, Ben Boland used all his experience in positioning and getting his body behind the ball to make two comfortable saves, his overall handling through the game was very secure. Forth Celtic threatened to break the deadlock as a long range effort smacked off the cross bar and was cleared, while Guinan twice got his head to dangerous crosses into the box to avert danger.

At the other end Calan Kinnarney popped up in the box to test their keeper, who saved comfortably. As the whistle blew for half time, the Tullamore management team of Patrick Murrihy and Jason Halloran, would have been the happier of the two camps and there was a sense that Tullamore would push on with the wind at their backs.

And so it was that Tullamore Town would get the early goal to set the tone for a dominant second half display. Within minutes of the restart, Adam Martin gobbled up an opportunity to drive low into the Forth Celtic net to make it 1-0. Minutes later, Tullamore Town were awarded a free kick about 35 metres from goal. As Tullamore packed the box, Mark Monaghan drove the ball goal wards and with the help of the wind it sailed over the home keeper’s head and into the top corner of the net.

Tullamore Town were now flying and began to move the ball about the pitch with ease, passing through Forth Celtic and showing intelligent movement up front. Before long Adam Martin bagged his second goal and at 3-0, the win was looking secure. The introduction off the bench of Odhran Kilmartin, Adam Keegan and Fionn Kane brought another dimension to the play as this young side continued to push on. Dara Waldron, a constant threat down the left got on the scoresheet, before Jamie Harvey got the goal his dominant display in midfield deserved. Scott Halloran rounded off a superb display with a wonderfully taken goal to leave the scoreline 6-0.

Speaking after the game Tullamore Town’s coaches Patrick Murrihy and Jason Halloran both agreed that the work done in defence in the first half was hugely important as the wind was such a factor in the game, and the dominant second half display showed what this side was capable of. They extended their thanks to Forth Celtic and their coach Greg Mullen for the hospitality shown and their gratitude to Sean Hoey, Hoey’s Taxi & Minibus Service, and to all who travelled to the South East to support the team. 

Tullamore Town now await the draw to see who they will meet in the last 16 of the SFAI National Cup. The teams that remain include big guns from Dublin, Shamrock Rovers and Crumlin United, though on this showing, Tullamore will fear no-one.