Sports Direct FAI Men’s Cup 2nd Round
Waterford FC 2
Gbemi Arubi 21', Ryan Burke 47'
Cockhill Celtic 1
Luke Rudden 13'
Ryan Burke popped up with the crucial winning goal as Waterford FC overcame the challenge of FAI Junior Cup champions Cockhill Celtic in their Sports Direct FAI Men’s 2nd round cup tie played at the RSC on Friday evening. .
After the Blues fell behind to a goal from the Donegal visitors early in the first-half, Keith Long’s side had to fight back with striker Gbemi Arubi levelling the tie on 21 minutes before Burke’s diving header on 47 minutes proved the difference at the call of time.
The visitors caught out the Blues defence to open the scoring when Corey O’Brien played the ball behind the defence that saw Luke Rudden beat Kacper Radkowski in the race for possession, and he held his nerve to beat keeper Matt Connor with a neat right-footed finish.
Waterford drew themselves level in the contest eight minutes later. McMenamy’s delivery from the left fell at the feet of Gbemi Arubi, and he held his nerve to drill a low right-footed shot to the back of the net with the winner arriving two minutes into the second-half.
Darragh Power did superbly well down the right to put the ball on a plate for Ryan Burke at the back post, and his diving header beat keeper Harry Doherty with Blues keeper Matt Connor producing a stunning save from a Peter Doherty header in the closest that they came to causing any shock result.
Waterford FC: Connor; Power, McCourt, Radkowski (Leahy 72), Burke; O’Keeffe, McMenamy (McCormack 72), Flynn; Evans (Parsons 62), Bellis (Amond 62), Arubi.
Cockhill Celtic: H Doherty, L McLaughlin, B McLaughlin, P Doherty, McColgan (Breslin 59), J Doherty, Mullan (Graham 85), Bradley (Logue 85), Rudden, McBride, D Duffy (S Duffy 87).
Referee: Marc Lynch (Galway)
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