Having won 7 of their 8 league games and carrying what looks like an unassailable 9 point lead in the Mayo U18s Division A championship race, Westport United’s U18 side came to the Valley this evening as clear early favorites for this years Quigley Cup competition. Rovers on the other hand have had a difficult season away from home in Division B, but have turned the Valley into their fortress with 4 wins out of 4 on home turf. An epic cup tie of David and Goliath proportions was presented up by this fixture. We were not dissapointed as thankfully it played out according to the tried and tested script.
Westport started brightly and with most of the early possession began probing for ways round the Rovers defence. An early shot ricocheted off the top of the crossbar which signaled Westport’s intentions to clean up this tie early on. With a slight first half wind in their favour, Rovers slowly but surely clawed their way into the game, getting over their initial fear of United. They started to believe in themselves, fighting for 50/50 balls and breaking up Westport’s early dominance. Good possession in central midfield was wasted by Rovers on too many occasions and the Westport keeper was rarely called upon to make a save.
The first half became a war of attrition with hard crunching tackles all over the pitch. It was never dirty but it was certainly not for the faint hearted. Halfway through the first period, Sean Scott Cafferkey was caught by studs which nearly turned his foot into a colander. There was a long delay while he was attended to on the pitch. He eventually limped to the dugout so that play could continue and to enable further treatment to a badly studded right foot.
The Rovers management team looked seriously at whether he could continue with his injury. Sean was playing a mercurial role at centre back cleaning up all aerial threats. With several first teamers missing with the start of the College term, to lose Sean would have been another major blow. The decision to make a substitution was delayed and Rovers played on with 10 men for what seemed like an eternity before Sean declared himself fit to continue. This typified the Rovers on the night. Sean was clearly not 100% and was from then on not comfortable kicking the ball with his right foot. However he gritted his teeth and played through the pain barrier giving his all and continued to marshall the air defences. During his absence from the pitch, 10 man Rovers got on with the job… putting in 110% in keeping Westport at bay.
With half time approaching Rovers finally started to build some attacking play which was causing bother in the Westport defence. A scrambled clearance to the right hand edge of the box sat up perfectly for Michael English to half volley. Most watching expected the classic volley…. one which would dip somewhere beneath the bar. Instead the ball was driven low, the keeper managing to let slip beneath his body, and Rovers took a 1-0 lead.
The celebration was short lived as Rovers fell into that old cliché of being most vulnerable after scoring. Almost immediately Westport attacked and equalised. The half finshed 1-1.
The second half was much the same without the goals. Rovers doggedly held on with gritty displays all round and a man-of the match performance between the sticks from keeper Stephen Cafferkey. On more than one occasion he got down low to either stop a rifled shot or to bravely snatch the ball from the feet of an opposition forward.
Most teams this season have buckled under United’s attack however Rovers were not for giving in and it seemed like Westport knew that this would not be their night. Luckily for Rovers, the referee was not deceived by a couple of dubious penalty claims which if given, would have been a travesty in the face of such a determined defensive performance.
With the second half finishing all square and twenty minutes of extra time still not able to separate the teams, the tie was taken into penalties with the evening light fading behind Slievemore. The shootout was another nail biting affair with one miss from each side’s first five penalty takers. When sudden death came into play, it was always going to be one of the keepers who would be hero. Luckily for Rovers with the score at 7-6 Stephen Cafferkey plucked one out of the air to see Rovers through to the next round.
Westport’s defeat this evening will no doubt delight all the other clubs in Mayo that have safely navigated the first round of the Quigley Cup. The early exit of the favourites will be seen as throwing open this competition to all. Most however might be wary of seeing their name following Achill Rovers out of the hat in the next round.
Had United read 1 Samuel 17:49 they might have realised that events long ago in the Valley of Elah, have an uncanny tendancy to repeat themselves on a football pitch. They would not be the first Goliath to meet their end at the Valley of Achill Island and definately not the last.
RESULT - Achill Rovers 1-1 Westport Utd ( After Extra Time ) Achill Rovers win 7-6 on penalties.
