Athletic bow out in quarter-final of cup

Mullingar Athletic 1Willow Park 2On a very pleasant, if nippy (as always in Gainstown) Wednesday night last week (April 15), Mullingar Athletic made their exit from this season's prestigious Paddy Cotter Cup when fellow-Westmeath side, Willow Park emerged as 2-1 winners in a high standard and very entertaining match.The Athlone side were the better side in the first half, always looking more threatening in attack than Gerry 'Hanger' Hynes' team, and they were in a commanding position when leading by 2-0 at the interval. However, a goal within a minute of the restart gave Athletic renewed hope and, in the final analysis, they could easily have brought the tie to extra-time, but it is the lads in all-blue who have advanced to the penultimate round.The Mullingar lads missed a glorious opportunity to take the lead after only 90 seconds, but lively left winger Darragh Kiernan misdirected his close-range header from Stephen Fadian's pinpoint cross. Willow Park began to take control of the game, but midfielder Enda Matthews was regularly to the fore, producing a few outstanding defensive headers. However, Athletic's rearguard was opened up in the tenth minute, a fine move ending with a deft lay-off by Benny McGuinness setting in the inrushing Colly Hyland to finish with aplomb from a tight angle some ten metres from goal. Claudio Nardone could have equalised within a minute, but his shot from a good position flew over the visitors' crossbar.Kevin 'Hagi' Keegan also came close with a snap shot in the 14th minute. However, a more clinical Willow Park side soon went two goals ahead, Ronan Frawley powering home a header from Colly Hyland's corner kick. Kevin Keegan tried unsuccessfully to blast a long-range free kick, but the Athlone lads continued to look the more likely to add to their total when they got in and around the Mullingar penalty area. Michael Fadian came agonisingly close to getting a goalscoring touch to Kevin Keegan's cross in the 20th minute and the latter player soon went close with a backward header. Ronan Frawley hit the side netting with a near-replica of his earlier goal. Darragh Kiernan came close to opening Athletic's account and two good corners from Claudio Nardone just needed a touch goalward to find the net. The winners seemed very unlucky to be denied a third goal in the 36th minute, Ronan Frawley superbly volleying the ball to the net from Colin Fortune's astute free kick, but the referee (who could have done with the aid of assistant referees in such a fast-paced game) disallowed the 'goal', assumedly for offside. Willow Park went in for their half-time 'cuppa' 2-0 up and firmly in control.Fadian gives hopeAthletic could not have hoped for a better start to the second moiety, even if there was more than an element of good fortune to their first-minute goal. Stephen Fadian's cross was met by a weak header from half-time sub Kevin Dunleavy. Darragh Kiernan appeared to be shooting for goal from the knock-down, but Michael Fadian stretched to steer in the ball as it was heading wide of the target. Colin Fortune was just wide with a classy effort, but the same player followed up with a poor free-kick from the edge of the box.On the half-hour mark, two rapid-fire corner kicks for a dominant Willow Park yielded no tangible reward, even if Athletic replacement Ollie McNamee was forced to scramble the ball off his own goalline after the second such corner. His opposite number, Willow Park's Mark Nicholson almost extended his team's lead within a minute of his introduction, but his 20-metre lob failed to find the target, with the home defence was in a muddle.The Fadian brothers came close to conjuring up Mullingar's second goal, with Michael unlucky not to direct Stephen's cross past Ian Bolger. Ollie McNamee was booked in the 38th minute, but moments later he escaped further censure when deliberately handling the ball, mistakenly thinking it had crossed the sideline. A weak effort from Benny McGuinness was easily held by Joe Martyn. Late attacks from the losers came to nothing, substitute Shamsiden Hassan Bugare running the ball over the Athlone endline and Kevin Keegan's injury-time lob ending up well over the crossbar, leaving Willow Park as deserving 2-1 winners of an enthralling contest, which was a credit to both sides.Mullingar Athletic: Joe Martyn, Dalibor Pesic, Jimmy McEntee, David Masterson, Mark Syron, Enda Matthews, Claudio Nardone, Kevin Keegan, Michael Fadian, Stephen Fadian, Darragh Kiernan. Subs: Kevin Dunleavy (for Nardone, half-time), Ollie McNamee (for Pesic, 62 mins), Shamsiden Hassan Bugare (for McEntee, 87 mins).Willow Park: Ian Bolger, Robbie Shine, Peter Sherlock, Ronan Frawley, Earl Gaylard, Colin Fortune, Colly Hyland, Mark McConnell, Brian Frawley, Benny McGuinness, Gary McHugh. Subs: Mark Nicholson (for B.Frawley, 77 mins), Robbie Egan (for McConnell, 90 mins).Referee: Joe Cassidy.