Irvinestown Wanderers 1

Rosario YC Reserves 1 (aet)

Rosario won 5-3 on pens

Irvinestown Wanderers exited the fonaCAB Junior Cup after losing on penalties to Rosario YC Reserves.

The Fermanagh side dominated the game but failed to make the most of their opportunities, and were denied a place in the next round when they lost out on penalties.

Manager Ryan Beacom felt his side deserved more, but their poor finishing proved costly.

“We had numerous chances and they rode their luck but that is the joy of the cup,” he said.

“We missed five or six one on one chances, we missed an open net, we hit the crossbar, we tested them but if you don’t put your chances away that is what can happen.

“I can’t fault our lads. They were excellent, gave 100 per cent and worked hard. It’s not a nice way to go out, but on a different day we could have walked off with six or seven goals.

“It was a good side we were playing but I don’t think they were as good as the side we put out in the last round. They came down and tried to play football but on any other day we would have had a few in the back of the net. We have a good young squad and they kept trying to unpick the lock.

“Experience comes with games played and they will remember this moving forward and hopefully will be able to rectify it in the league and maybe get a decent wee run in the Mulhern as well.”

After an evenly contested opening ten minutes Irvinestown began to get on top and were finally rewarded midway through the first half.

Caolan Ward and Liam Murphy combined well in midfield before Murphy’s pass released Ronan Ormsby. He then put Thomas Owens through and he slotted into the bottom left corner to open the scoring.

It was a short lived lead however. Five minutes later Rosario pounced on a loose ball in midfield and took full advantage to equalise.

Stephen Sheridan had a great chance to restore the Wanderers lead, but after beating two defenders and rounding the keeper, he could only find the side netting with his shot. Owens then had a shot tipped over the bar and missed the target with a difficult chance at the far post before half time.

Wanderers remained the side looking most likely to grab the next goal in the second period, with Liam Ormsby twice denied by the keeper when through on goal.

Substitute Joey Millar also missed two chances with just the keeper to beat, while Odhran Mulligan also went close.

With ten minutes remaining Irvinestown felt they should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Millar, but the referee ruled the infringement occurred outside the area.

From the free kick Gary Maguire came within inches of scoring but the ball came back off the frame of the goal.

Neither side could find a winner in extra time, and in the lottery of the penalty shoot-out a miss from Mulligan proved decisive, with Rosario scoring all five spot kick to knock out Wanderers.