Soccer
Glenville topple Ballyer in Metro Cup
By Daire Walsh
GLENVILLE FC progressed into the next phase of the Permanent TSB Metropolitan Cup courtesy of a 3-1 first round victory against Ballyfermot United at Palmerstown Community School on Sunday.
Thanks to goals from Sam Newman, Sean McGrane and Dylan Byrne, the hosts had enough in reserve to overcome the challenge posed by Ballyfermot. As a result, Glenville have booked a spot in the last-32, where they will face the Kilternan-based Wayside Celtic on a yet to be confirmed date.
Joining Glenville at this stage of the competition are other local sides such as Kilnamanagh AFC, St Francis FC and Templeogue United. Their opponents in the second round will be Castleknock Celtic, Greystones United and Killester Donnycarney respectively.
More local teams could yet join them in advancing beyond the opening phase with Cherry Orchard and Dublin Bus FC both set for cup duty in the coming days.
Glenville had entered Sunday’s contest on the back of a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Skerries Town in the third round of the FAI Intermediate Cup on the previous weekend. James Harold and Alex Doyle helped ‘Glenners’ to establish a 2-1 lead in this game, before their opponents equalised to bring the game into extra-time and eventually onto spot kicks.
Ballyfermot were certainly fired-up for a mouthwatering derby encounter with Glenville, but it was their Kennelsfort Road counterparts who ultimately held a decisive edge at the interval. During a dominant start to the action from the hosts, Harold was perilously close to rattling the opposition net.
‘Glenners’ (who are now five games unbeaten in all competitions) eventually forced a breakthrough, however, with Newman maintaining his excellent form of recent weeks by finding the target in clinical fashion.
Although Glenville were good value for their slender lead at the midway point in the play, their netminder Brendan Ruddy was forced into a superb stop off a quick Ballyfermot counter-attack.
This kept ‘Glenners’ on their toes for the beginning of the second period, but a smooth McGrane finish moments after the resumption did offer Sean Egan’s charges substantial breathing space. Yet despite the Sunday Senior One outfit having a couple of opportunities to create further daylight on the scoreboard, a persistent Ballyfermot gave themselves a fighting chance of success.
Even though John Moore’s men operate two divisions below Glenville, they displayed great attacking intent throughout and contributed to an entertaining 90 minutes of soccer in Palmerstown. After finding space inside the opposition defence, Jason Henderson shook the net to cut the Ballyfermot deficit in half.
This left the tie delicately poised and Ruddy was once again called upon to ensure the Glenville lead remained intact. There was now a sense that the next goal in the game was going to prove pivotal and while it was difficult to predict exactly how the remaining minutes were about to unfold, it was ‘Glenners’ who ultimately placed the outcome beyond doubt.
The impressive Byrne conjured an all-important third goal to help his side seal their place in the next round of the Metropolitan Cup.