Tommy Healy Memorial Cup Semi Final 2014

Kerry District League
Friday 18th July 2014
Valley Wanderers 0-4 Mitchels Avenue

By Tommy Naughton

Mitchels Avenue booked their place in the Tommy Healy Cup Final after a comprehensive win over fellow Tralee side Valley Wanderers. Although the game had a close score line for much of the match this was only down to the fact the Mitchels didn’t put away their opponents earlier than they did.

Mitchels started the game on the front foot and never allowed Valley Wanderers to get any real footing in the game. After only 80 seconds they had their first real chance which they should have scored from. David Hennessey sent a high ball in to the box which John Fitzgerald decided to punch away but it only landed at the feet of Lorcan Seymour inside the penalty area who drilled the ball across the face of the goal to Chris O Sullivan who somehow managed to side foot the ball over the bar with the goal at his mercy. They didn’t have to wait long though for the first goal which came after five minutes when a Liam o Sullivan throw in was taken down by Darren Breen who turned and beat a defender with one touch before rolling the ball into the far bottom corner for a great solo goal.

John Fitzgerald then had to save a David Hennessey header from a Sean o Reilly free . Mitchels were now all over their opponents and Liam o Sullivan played a one two with Lorcan Seymour before his fierce drive went through John Fitzgerald’s hands but he gathered it at the second attempt. It took Valley Wanderers 21 minutes before they registered an attempt on goal but David Kerins saw his curling attempt miss the target.

A nice passage of possession by the Wanderers nearly saw them grab an equaliser just before the break when Graham o Sullivan found David Kerins on the right wing and when he crossed Chris Hegarty had to be alive to save Joseph Walls side footed volley.

The second half was only a minute old when Jason McCoy tried to catch out Chris Hegarty with a chip from just inside the half but the keeper was alive and caught the ball under his crossbar. John Fitzgerald again was called into action early in the half when first he save a low sot by Lorcan Seymour and then a minute later a header from Darren Breen.

With fifteen minutes left the game as a contest was over . Substitute Jared o Sullivan’s shot was punched out for a corner by Fitzgerald. The resulting corner was taken by Chris o Sullivan , John Fitzgerald came and punched away but it feel to Lorcan Seymour just a few yards outside the penalty area who chested the ball down before fired a high shot to the back of the net. Sean O’Reilly added to Valley’s misery minutes later when he decided to match Lorcan Seymour’s goal when he received the ball to the right of the goal twenty yards out and hit a precise volley the found the near bottom corner.

With four minutes to go Mitchels grabbed their fourth when Sean o Reilly grabbed a his second with a header back across the goal from a Lorcan Seymour corner to end a very one sided semi final.

Valley Wanderers ; John Fitzgerald , Joey Flynn, Conor o Callaghan , Jason McCoy, Dylan Burke, Graham o Sullivan , Ruairi Keane, Joseph Wall, David Kerins, Jamie o Sullivan , Daniel Barrett . Subs , Peter o Carroll for Jason McCoy ( 63 mins) .

Mitchels Avenue ; Chris Hegarty , Peter Murphy, Aaron o Connor, David Hennessey, Liam o Sullivan , Jake Moran , Robert o Sullivan , Sean o Reilly , Chris o Sullivan , Lorcan Seymour, Darren Breen . Subs , Jared o Sullivan for Liam o Sullivan ( 60 mins), Danny o Shea for Chris o Sullivan ( 82 mins), Mark o Sullivan for Darren Breen ( 83 mins) .