Seapatrick Reserves 0-5 UUJ FC II

Irish Junior Cup Round 1 Saturday 17th September 2011

UUJ Line Up 

1. Eamonn Browne
2. Chris McKeown
3. Fergal Brannigan
4. Colin O'Neill
5. Paul Darby
6. Chris O'Kane
7. Cris Marsella GoalSub Off
8. Dee Magennis Goal
9. Peter Campbell Sub Off
10. Chris Strong GoalGoalSub Off
11. Ciaran Murray
14. Anto Hughes Sub On Goal
15. Aaron Canning Sub On
16. Brendy Mooney Sub On

UUJ II continued their impressive start to the 2011/12 campaign with a comfortable 5-0 over Seapatrick Reserves in the Junior Cup. There were half a dozen changes from the opening league game but this did not affect the team and shows the strength and depth that the managers now have at their disposal.

UUJ started comfortably with some neat passing and moving, frustrating their opponents and tested the keeper early with a few shots from outside the box on the wet pitch. The pitch wasn't the only dampener with the ref being picky and booking a few UUJ players early on with dissent. UUJ got their reward however when an excellently taken free kick swung in from southpaw Darby met the head of Strong to power home from 12 yards. Ten minutes later and link up play from Magennis and Campbell saw the latter put a pin point cross to the far post onto the waiting Strong who headed in his second of the day.

UUJ grew in confidence and at one point in the first half must have strung about 20 passes together all around the pitch, only for the move to break down by a bad cross.

At the back, although rarely troubled, the pace of Brannigan meant that any long ball over the top was dealt with by some fantastic slide tackles, while O'Neill marshalled those around him. The full backs of Darby and McKeown, both comfortable on the ball, meant GK Browne could start attacks on the deck.

In the final 15 mins of the first half Strong could have doubled his tally, heading a Magennis cross wide when it looked easier to score and rattling the crossbar from 12 yards after a goal mouth scramble.

Half Time 2-0

UUJ continued how they left off with wave after wave of attack. Central midfielders Murray and O'Kane (weej) showed their range of passing by spraying ball after ball out to the wings, stretching the home side.

Marsella, who had tortured the opposing left back all afternoon with his pace, played a lovely one two with Campbell on the edge of the box and slotted the ball home confidently at the keepers near post. Campbell again almost turned provider when an excellent cross was met by Strong who again rattled the woodwork with a volley. By now every player wanted a piece of the action, demanding the ball and looking to get forward at every opportunity.

Around 70 mins in, O'Kane (weej) picked the ball up about 15 yards inside his own half and spotted Magennis who had set off from the left wing. A laser precision pass put him through one on one with the keeper who left himself stranded 18 yards from goal and could do nothing about the lob into an empty net.

At 4-0 you could have forgiven UUJ for taking their foot off the gas. Substitutions were made and the front line was changed; Canning coming on for Campbell and Hughes coming on for Strong. Both subs were eager to make their mark and the onslaught continued. A UUJ corner was headed clear to Murray out wide right. A whipped cross was put onto the head of full back McKeown who saw his 12 yard header fantastically saved at the post by the Seapatrick 'keeper. A few minutes later and another corner was headed clear, this time falling to Magennis who seen his left foot volley rattle the upright. Seapatrick didn't have time to breath when another UUJ attack seen Canning skilfully weave his way into the box only to see him drag his left footed effort wide.

The game was finally put to bed late on when a deep cross was headed back across goal by Canning to the waiting Hughes to tap it into an empty net.

Brendy Mooney made a token appearance late on for Marsella, but the least said about that the better.

DM