MacNally keeps Westport’s FAI Junior Cup dream alive

Round Four
Dysart 2
N Corbett 34, 52

Westport Utd 3
M MacNally 29, 85, D Cameron 40

Colin McDonagh
Dysart

IN Westport United’s recent history book former captain Brian Kennedy cast his eye back to a major turning point in their triumphant 2004/2005 season. Some United fans will remember it fondly. Others might not have such vivid memories.
 Thanks to a Brian Fahy strike, the Covies ground out a 1-0 win away in Inver. “We were very lucky to get out of there,” Kennedy remarked, “a game in all probability we should have lost. It was a lesson to us that you can take no team for granted.”
For John Brennan and his class of 2015, this was another one of those lessons, and if the Covies do manage to emulate the heroics of Buckley Park this season, they will look at this encounter in the same way as Kennedy did, all those years ago.
Last Sunday’s contest in Co Roscommon wasn’t a classic by any means, but United managed to get the job done, thanks to Mark MacNally, who netted five minutes from time to seal a safe passage to round five.
United did manage to start well and took the lead on 29 minutes in controversial circumstances. MacNally headed his effort towards goal, and the ball appeared to bounce on the line. Danny Scahill looked to have made sure but referee Martin Hatchett had already made his mind up and awarded Westport the goal, much to the frustration of the Dysart team.
However, they weren’t behind for long. Five minutes later, Dysart captain Andy Higgins crossed and caught the Westport defence off guard. Niall Corbett was on his toes, though, and his header gave no chance to Gary Cunningham, who had cut short his trip to Fuerteventura.
United were not deterred, however, and on 40 minutes they were back in front. Shaun Tagg was superb in taking the ball off Paddy Neary and his hard work allowed the evergreen Dave Cameron to score at the back post to give United the advantage at the interval.
The second half was full of incident and talking points but on 52 minutes, a lapse in concentration from Tagg allowed Johnny Coyne a shot on goal. Joe Lawless managed to clear off the line, but Corbett was on hand once more to make it 2-2.
Coyne should have scored from a corner shortly afterwards, and the hosts should have had a penalty when Colin Cameron appeared to foul Higgins in the area.
The Westport ship was in dodgy waters, but they managed to settle down and chances fell to Cameron, Jamie Fallon and Dave Hoban but all were thwarted by eccentric Dysart goalkeeper, Noel Fallon.
But with five minutes left, United got their get-out-of-jail card. Lawless broke away down the right and crossed brilliantly for MacNally who simply couldn’t miss.
Dysart threw everything at the Westport defence in the last few moments but United held firm to book their place in the next round, on a day when things could have gone so differently.
 
Dysart
N Fallon; J Coyle, P Neary, J Coyne, K Doolan; J Coyne, A Higgins, K Waldron, D Sheehy; J Coyne, N Corbett.
Subs used: C Garvin for Johnny Coyne (59 mins); B Garvin for P Neary (78 mins).

Westport United
G Cunningham; J Lawless, C Cameron, M Geraghty, S Tagg; D Cameron, J Fallon, D Scahill, D Browne; M MacNally, P Keegan.
Subs used: D Hoban for D Browne (60 mins); P Moran for J Fallon (76 mins); V O’Malley for M MacNally (86 mins).

Referee: M Hatchett (Roscommon)