Parkvilla edged out in sudden death penalties

It was a game they could have won, but in the end Parkvilla were sent tumbling out of the u-16 SFAI Cup in the cruellest possible manner. The Navan club's home ground for under-age games at Watters' Lane was a hive of tension and excitement on Saturday afternoon as both these teams went toe-to-toe and slugged it out in the mud.. The players from both sides deserved great credit for serving up a right old humdinger - a little gem of a cup tie - that swayed one way then the other. The players' fitness was tested to the limit as they ran and chased on a pitch that had absorbed a lot of rain in the previous 24 hours and turned gradually into a quagmire as the afternoon wore on. By the end the surface was just about playable. Perhaps because of the worsening conditions the large group of suppporters who showed up could hardly afford to take their eyes of the action for a second - anything was likely to happen. The visitors had two players carried off with the second of them early in the second-half brought to hospital by ambulance with suspected concussion. Shamrock Rovers, who play in the Dublin & District Schoolboys' League came to Navan with a big reputation yet Parkvilla put in a gutsy display creating a host of good chances, especially in the opening half. The home side had heroes all over the pitch with Chris O'Neill outstanding in the heart of their defence and in the shoot-out another emerged amidst all the gloom and the rain. Parkvilla goalkeeper Colm Honan didn't have all that much to do during the game itself, although he had to be alert to keep out a fierce piledriver from Karl Chambers late in extra-time. Honan was certainly busy in the shoot-out diving to make three brilliant saves that went a long way to keeping his side in contention until Shamrock Rovers scored their fifth and match-clinching penalty in sudden death. In making his saves Honan showed the cat-like agility that Packie Bonner displayed all those years ago in the World Cup shoot-out against Romania. It was fine exhibition of shot-stopping. Parkvilla will look back and reflect on the first-half when they created a string of chances as they moved the ball around well despite the sticky surface. Eoghan Breathnach and Ben Hoey, both had early excellent chances yet somehow the Shamrock Rovers goal stayed intact. Eventually the pressure told and with 17 minutes played Parkvilla made the breakthrough. Dylan McMahon played the ball in from the left. It sailed over the heads of backs and forwards except Parkvilla's Ryan Murphy who was in the right place at the right time and he skilfully fired home. At that stage you would have put your mortgage on Parkvilla going on to win. They were facing the breeze and were playing up the slope yet still looked the sharper outfit, zipping the ball around. Also Parkvilla are not accustomed to losing. They lost just once this season before Saturday. Then on the half-hour mark on one of their relatively rare forays forward Shamrock Rovers equalised. Parkvilla were unable to clear a corner properly and Glen Doyle fired home from close range. It was a sucker punch for the 'Villa. Yet the Navan side still pushed forward. Hoey had a shot that whizzed wide after a Jack Byrne shot was blocked. Hoey crossed and both the strong-running Jordan Ntawambe and Murphy were just unable to get the touch that would surely have meant a goal. Rovers goalkeeper Conor Mackey had to make a super reflex stop after his own defender mis-hit a centre trying to clear a Breathnach cross. The shout of "Come on the Villa" could be heard time and again in the second-half of normal time yet it was Rovers who had the better of the play. Corey Leddy, Ntwambwe and Hoey troubled the Shamrock Rovers defence without finding a way through. With increasingly weary legs it was hardly surprisingly chances were scarce in extra-time although Jerome McLoughlin almost snatched a dramatic winner forcing an excellent save from Mackey. Honan also had to be alert to make a fine stop from Chambers. In the shoot-out there were a few misses on both sides, but Honan certainly did his bit while O'Neill, Hoey, Benjamin Adeyemo and McLoughlin superbly slotted away their penalties. However, it wasn't enough as the Dublin team rolled on. Referre Dave Murphy also deserves a mention for a job well done. Parkvilla - Colm Honan; Dylan McMahon, Comey Leddy, Harry Shivmangal, Chris O'Neill, Jack Byrne, Jerome McLoughlin, Ryan Murphy, Jordan Ntwambwe, Eoghan Breathnach, Ben Hoey. Subs - Benjamin Adeyemo for Murphy 72mins; Eoin O'Connor for McMahon 78m; Stuart Williamson for Shivmangal 84m. Shamrock Rovers - C Mackey; J McMillan, D Kelly, A Murray, E Langford, D O'Brien, K Chambers, R Dick, A Lynch, G Doyle, D Kelly. Subs - D Spain for Kelly 38mins; W Russell for McMillan 50m. Referee - Dave Murphy (Meath Branch).