Dominos Pizza Reserve Cup Semi-final Replay 2014

Kerry District League
Tuesday 5th August 2014 .
Ballymac Galaxy 1-1 Mitchels Avenue , (Mitchels Avenue win 5-3 on penalties after extra time )

By Tommy Naughton

Mitchel Avenue reachd their third final in their very first season as a club after the overcame Ballymac Galaxy in a titanic battle that needed a replay, extra time and penalties to separate them.

Mitchels Avenue started the better but still could have found themselves behind just before the half time break when Genie Griffin found himself in a great position to score but for the timely intervention of the Mitchels centre back David Hennessey.

The second half was very much like the first with both sides throwing everything at each other but both defences were coming out on top on each occasion. The deadlock was however broken just after the hour mark when Tom Canty got on the end of a Mikey Leen corner to give Ballymac Galaxy the lead.

Ballymac where only minutes away from securing their place in the final when Chris Hegarty kicked a long free kick into the box which was directed goal words by Chris O’Sullivan but taken off the line by the hand of Larry Kelly. Referee Willie O’Gorman quickly pointed to the penalty spot and produced a red card for Larry Kelly. Even with the pressure of the situation Sean O’Reilly made no mistake with the spot kick send it low to the keepers right.

A minute later the full time whistle went and into extra time the game would go.

Extra time produced no real scoring chances with both sides trying from the early efforts put in and the game would need to be decided by a penalty shoot out.

Mitchels Avenue where to go first with Sean O’Reilly scoring which was cancelled out by Aiden Breen’s well taken spot kick for Ballymac Galaxy. Darren Breen and Chris O’Sullivan both scored Mitchels next two penalties with Cathal De Lacey and Paudie McCarthy both scoring for Ballymac to leave it at 3-3.

Mitchel Avenue keeper Chris Hegarty then stepped up to take a penalty which he scored and then became a bigger hero by saving Ballymac’s fourth penalty. This left Lorcan Seymour with the task of taking Mitchels Avenue fifth penalty which he dispatched to send their supporters into raptures.

A fantastic game of football and a great advertisement for the game in Kerry .