Sport

Cherry get another bite

Michael Horan was the Cherry Orchard hero as his goal earned the Leinster Senior League side a replay after they recovered from…

By PAUL BUTTNER
Sat Feb 03 2001 - 00:00

Michael Horan was the Cherry Orchard hero as his goal earned the Leinster Senior League side a replay after they recovered from the shock of conceding a goal inside 90 seconds.

Any pretensions Cherry Orchard had of causing an upset received a knock-back as Kilkenny scored with their first attack. But Paul O'Brien's side rode their luck a little to battle back bravely and deserve a second chance at Buckley Park next Tuesday night.

Kilkenny's goal came as a result of their own free-kick 20 yards from the Premier Division strugglers' goal going badly wrong. Carlos Rocha broke forward, effectively playing a longrange one-two with Warren Parkes. The winger got forward to cross; Mick O'Byrne left the ball which came off a defender to present Rocha with a simple finish from yards out.

Having had a goal disallowed for an obvious foul on Kilkenny goalkeeper Matt Neslon on nine minutes, Cherry Orchard were lucky not to find themselves further behind two minutes later when O'Byrne shot narrowly wide.

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The minnows survived another scare on 22 minutes when O'Byrne shot off a post, again after good work by Rocha.

But it was all smiles for Cherry Orchard three minutes later when they stunned the Premier Division's bottom side with an equaliser. Dreadful marking from a corner proved costly for Kilkenny as Anthony Tougher's ball picked out Michael Horan arriving unmarked at the back post who headed home.

Cherry Orchard took the game to Kilkenny for much of the second-half, seriously threatening Matt Nelson's goal.

The Intermediate side restricted Kilkenny to one clear chance in the second 45 minutes. Inevitably, it was created by Rocha, but his cross was bravely taken off the toe of Derek McGrath by goalscorer Horan. James Smith shaved the Kilkenny crossbar on 76 minutes as Joe McGrath's side faded badly late on.

CHERRY ORCHARD: Kennedy; McNeill, Curley, Byrne, Barry; Tougher, Smith, Horan, Cassin; Reid, Kenny. Subs: Harrington for Byrne (69 mins), O'Brien for Cassin (76 mins), Christie for Reid (77 mins).

KILKENNY CITY: Nelson; Brennan, Wilkinson, Mulcahy, Brunton; Parkes, O'Hanlon, McGrath, McAreavey; Rocha, O'Byrne. Subs: O'Neill for Parkes (69 mins), Murphy for McAreavey (78 mins).

Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).