FAI Junior Cup: O'Dwyer double downs Dubs as Tipperary's Saints march on

FAI Junior Cup 5th Round

St Michael's 2-0 Aungier Celtic (Dublin)

St Michael’s produced a strong second half performance and all their reserves of experience to overcome a good Aungier Celtic side from Dublin on Sunday last and reach the final 16 stage of this year’s FAI Junior Cup.
They began the game well and forced a series of corners that immediately put their opponents under pressure, but never really threatened the visiting keeper.
At the other end of the pitch, Kane Lennox went close in the 10th minute, and Jake Donnelly forced Saints keeper Aido Walsh into a fingertip save over the crossbar a few minutes later.
The game settled down into a dour midfield battle after that with both sides unable to fashion any real clear-cut chances until Kenny Cunningham had the best chance of the half three minutes from the break, when the ball broke kindly to him but he pulled his left shot into the side netting when in on goal.
There was some controversy in the final minute of the half when Kane Lennox made space on the left wing and came in along the end line before squaring the ball for Michael Plunkett who found the net, but the goal was ruled out as it was deemed the ball had already run wide before the cross, which saw the half end with protests from Aungier Celtic management and players.
Shane Ryan came in for Rhys Byron at half-time and had a positive impact on the hosts play, and they almost opened the scoring when he combined with David Slattery who found Ed O’Dwyer in the area, but his shot was too close to Adam Wilders who pulled off the save.
The Dublin side eventually began to tire, and on 63 minutes the deadlock was broken when Jimmy Carr’s cross with pace saw Ed O’Dwyer's header nestle inside Wilder's left post to put the home side a goal to the good.
The next real turning point came minutes later when David Byrne was sent off for a second yellow card and Saints piled on the pressure seeking to get the insurance goal. It finally came 15 minutes from the end when O’Dwyer was again to hand to convert a Jimmy Carr cross to make it 2-0 to Saints.
Credit to the visitors as they kept plugging away but the vastly experienced home side were able to control the pattern of play to the end. Aungier were reduced to nine men late on when Kyle Dunphy was dismissed.

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