Crumlin United 0 – 0 Waterford United

Leinster Senior League chmpions Crumlin United proved a match for their more illustrious counterparts at Richmond Park last night, as they deservedly held Waterford United to a scoreless draw in their FAI Ford Cup 4th round tie. An interesting and entertaining game finished with with the right scoreline over the course of the 90, but both sides spurned great chances to win the game in the second half.

The first half was the more tense and tight of the two, both sides sounding each other out, but Crumlin would have went into the break the happier of the two. The Blues had the first clear chance on seven minutes, when a fine Kevin Waters cross from the left saw David Grincell flying in at the near post, only to send his header over the top. 13 minutes later, the same player sent another header wastefully wide of the other post from Willie John Kiely’s right wing centre. Grincell almost set up strike partner Graham Cummins on 23 minutes, but the shot from six yards out was well over the top. Crumlin had their first real sight of goal three minutes later, when Daniel Loughran raced clear onto a pass through the middle, checked back onto his right foot, and curled a shot around the far post from 12 yards out. On 34 minutes Grincell chased down a ball over the top into the left channel, staying on his feet despite a rash challenge from the keeper, and recovered to shoot from a tight angle, only for Derek Griffin to block behind. And two minutes later, at the other end, Patrick Lee did well to take down a high ball to the left side of the area, but he blazed his shot wildly over the top.

Things opened up after the break, and almost directly from the kick-off Loughran found himself in the clear, bearing down on Michael Devine’s goal, but he placed his shot low and just wide of the right post from 15 yards. Cummins and Patrick Lee then both saw half-chances go a-begging, before the Blues began to up the ante after the hour mark. On 62 minutes Kevin Murray headed straight at Gareth Sutton in the Crumlin goal after an Alan Carey corner caused panic the the home box. And a minute later Willie John Kiely was left cursing his rotten luck as, free at the back post from another Carey corner kick, he could only power his downward header into the ground and back up over the crossbar. On 65 minutes a wonderful Murray run from the half way line ended with a well struck 20 yard effort deflected behind, and three minutes later again Stephen Grant tried his luck, but could only head straight at Sutton from a good position at the end of a four-man move.

Sutton was called on again on 73 minutes, diving acrobatically to his right to get a hand to Waters’ low driven free kick from all of 35 yards. Kiely then twice fired fairly tamely straight at the Crumlin keeper from the edge of the area, but on 84 minutes the Dublin side spurned a second wonderful chance to nick the win, as Stephen Larkin broke clear onto a quick through ball, but dragged his shot wide of the left post, more under pressure from the next day’s headlines than the chasing Blues defence. Almost immediately at the opposite end John Kearney headed wide at the the back post from Kiely’s cross, and, despite Derek Griffin being sent to the line on 87 minutes - picking up a 2nd yellow card for a bad tackle that forced Grincell off the field – that was the last chance of note for the Blues, who will now be looking to make home advantage count as they strive to stay in the hat for the quarter finals. The replay will be at the RSC this Tuesday, August 18th, at 7.45pm.

Crumlin United: Gareth Sutton; Gavin Kavanagh (Damien Cuffe 83), Derek Griffin, Paul McCabe, Ciaran Kenna, Martin Cramer, Stephen Larkin (Carl Redmond 90+4), James Lee, Daniel Loughran (Chris McCreevy 89), Patrick Lee, Jonathan Clarke – subs: Anthony Kavanagh, Colm Corcoran, John Barrett

Booked: Kavanagh, Clarke, J Lee, Griffin

Sent off: Griffin 87

Waterford United: Michael Devine; Alan Carey, Kenny Browne, Kevin Murray, John Kearney; Willie John Kiely, Seamus Long (Kieran Fitzgerald 67), Stephen Grant, Kevin Waters; David Grincell (Gary Dunphy 89), Graham Cummins – subs: Kevin Murray, Declan Woodgate, Joe Mulcahy, Paul Carey

Booked: A Carey, Cummins

Referee: Neil Doyle