Newtown need penalties to put Carnew to the sword in Wicklow Cup battle

Newtown United A 2

Carnew FC A 2

Newtown won 4-2 on penalties

Newtown United came out on top in this Wicklow Cup clash when they found a way past a resilient Carnew side who dragged them all the way to penalties at the Matt Kelly Grounds on Saturday last.

The Magpies will now travel to take on Arklow Town in the quarter-finals while Carnew will return to league action while also preparing for a Charlie Bishop Cup meeting with Avonmore at the Back Alley in the near future.

It wasn’t the most entertaining first half at the Newtown venue with neither side imposing themselves on the game and it looked like the deadlock would never be broken. Missed opportunities from both sides made it a dull affair throughout the opening 45 at the Matt Kelly Grounds but the second half was a complete turnaround.

The away side broke the deadlock 10 minutes after the restart. A free-kick on the halfway line from defender Jonathan Smith was met by the head of John Kavanagh who nodded the ball up and over Dean Odlum in the Newtown goal.

Newtown struck back five minutes later when Dillon Carthy grabbed one back for the home side with a tidy finish from inside the box after being set up by winger Dylan Fitzsimons.

The home side grew in confidence and quickly found themselves in front in the 71st minute.

A run down the left side by Daniel Testa and a ball across the box to Fitzsimons was enough to gain the lead as Fitzsimons slotted the ball through the legs of Eoin Kavanagh in the Carnew goal.

The cup tie took an ugly turn on the 80th minute mark as referee Mick Kennedy gave Carnew’s Jonathan Smith a straight red for violent conduct. Minutes later a scuffle erupted in the centre of the pitch and Newtown’s Jack Elliot and Carnew’s Ben Gilligan were given their marching orders.

Carnew found themselves two men down but that didn’t stop them grabbing a last-minute equaliser. A free-kick in the 89th minute was curled around the wall and into the corner of the net with a sweet strike from Dean Grandy earning his side another half an hour of playing time as extra-time loomed.

Despite some late chances in the final minutes from the home side, extra-time was a dull affair, resulting in the tie being decided by penalty kicks.

Carnew were immediately on the back foot as Eoghan Dolan missed his penalty for the away side, after John Kavanagh slotted home his second goal of the game.

Newtown’s Aaron Byrne, Daire Kileen and Dylan Fitzsimons found the back of the net with their strikes for the home side.

Carnew struck back as Dean Grandy and Justin House found the back of the net for the travelling side and Newtown defender Oisin Greenan left it all up to goalkeeper Eoin Kavanagh, who had been moved outfield in extra-time, to score.

Kavanagh had an awkward run up and tried to curl the ball into the top corner with a side-footed strike, but the ball flew up high and over the bar and Carnew’s Wicklow Cup with it.

A difficult one to swallow for a Carnew side who fought back to bring the game into the final kick of the game but it’s Newtown who now march on into the next round.

Newtown United A: 1. Dean Odlum, 2. Oisin Greenan, 3. Barry Davis, 4. Declan Doyle, 5. Stuart Synnott, 6. Dylan Fitzsimons, 7. Bobby Greenan, 8. Daniel Testa, 9. Jack Elliot, 10. Dillon Carthy, 11. Aaron Byrne. Sub: Daire Kileen for D Carthy (88).

Carnew FC A: 1. Eoin Kavanagh, 2. Michael Rock, 3. Jonathan Smith, 4. Dan Nolan, 5. Ruairi O’Brien, 6. Larry Keating, 7. Eoghan Dolan, 8. Dean Grandy, 9. Ben Gilligan, 10. John Kavanagh, 11. Alan Dillon. Sub: Justin House for A Dillon (80).

Referee: Mick Kennedy