Greencastle bowed out of the FAI Junior Cup after an agonising penalty shoot-out loss to Tipperary outfit Peake Villa today at Chapel Lane.
Greencastle FC 1 Peake Villa (Tipperary) 1
The home side started well and James Henry fired wide before Matthew Henry went past two men but was denied by a superb Alan Leahy tackle.
Villa replied with Stephen Carroll firing a free over the bar before Aiden McCormick headed wide from a corner.
Greencastle broke the deadlock on 25 minutes when Shaun Doherty’s corner to the edge of the area was volleyed low to the bottom corner by Matthew Henry.
James Henry and Jamie McCormick both had efforts blocked then before Eamon Donnelly fired just wide.
In first half injury time Villa equalised after Michael Wade played a one two with Frank McKevitt before hammering to the top corner from twelve yards.
Greencastle started the second period well also with a dangerous Doherty free eluding all before Matthew Henry and Doherty were narrowly off target.
On 63 minutes Nigel McMonagle was denied by an excellent save from William Tiernan in the Villa goal.
Sean Butler replied for the visitors with a good effort from distance before Shaun Doherty’s free went just past the angle.
On the stroke of full time Carroll’s free was brilliantly saved by Dylan Doherty to force the extra time.
In the first period both Ciaran Moore and substitute Christy Hegarty had efforts blocked. In the second period Carroll broke into the area but fired into the side netting.
In the shootout Tiernan emerged the hero saving two of Greencastle’s spot kicks to send the Tipperary side into the last 16.