A ten out of ten display from free flowing Villa
Villa FC team that defeated Crystal in the Munster Junior Cup at workLAB Connors Park on Saturday night last. Photos: Paul Elliott
Where to start with this one? Well, the fact is that Villa just blew Waterford Crystal out of the water and hit ten goals without reply. Goals just kept raining in on Crystal. Remarkably, Villa’s leading goalscorer, Dean Walsh, who has hit over 35 goals this season, failed to find the net in Villa’s ten-goal haul. Crystal did themselves no favours by defending too deep; even at five-nil, they still had ten players lined up across their own penalty area.
Villa got after Crystal straight from the kick-off, and they opened the scoring on four minutes. James Kennedy got around the back of the packed Crystal defence, but nobody picked up John Browne, who side-footed home from close range.
Three minutes later, Dean Walsh took on the Crystal defence, and he picked out John Browne, who scored from six yards. Villa scored again four minutes later, this time Conor Kilgannon played a superb pass to split the Crystal defence, and James Kennedy found the net with a fine finish past Crystal keeper Jack Hennessey.
It was four-nil on 15 minutes. James Kennedy overlapped down the right, and Conor Kilgannon converted his perfect cross at the far post. Goal number five arrived a minute later. This time, the attack came from the other flank as John Tamen whipped in a low cross, and Conor Kilgannon was once more left unmarked to shoot into the far corner of the net. It was six-nil four minutes later. Dean Walsh produced a moment of magic to lift the ball over the top of the Crystal defence, and Conor Whittle supplied another top-class finish.
The second half was only two minutes old when substitute Jeff Da Silva scored number six on 47 minutes, Enis Ibrahimi threaded the ball into space and Da Silva shot left-footed into the bottom corner. Villa scored their eighth goal on 62 minutes, James Kennedy drove in a corner kick, and Matt Grinius came roaring into the box to head powerfully into the net.
Seven minutes later, Conor Whittle sent a good strike at goal, but the ball took a deflection off the unfortunate Crystal defender, Wojciech Spyra, who the Crystal keeper wrong-footed.
Dean Walsh did have a chance to score minutes later, Evan Ryan set him up, but Walsh lashed his effort off the underside of the crossbar and bounced clear. The final goal arrived on 76 minutes, James Kennedy fired in another top-class ball, and Conor Whittle headed home from close range.
Craig Dunphy, Adam Conway (Jeff Da Silva 46), James Kennedy, John Tamen (Darragh O’Connor 46), Luke Walsh, Conor Kilgannon (Evan Ryan 46), Conor Whittle, Dean Walsh, Matus Grinius, John Browne (Noah Aimiuhi 58), Enis Ibrahimi (Shane O’Brien 58).
Jack Hennessey, Zach Reinl (Luca Di Berardino 65), Dylan Ryan (Vusani Mayo 65), Aidan Holden, Wojciech Spyra, John O’Toole, Darren Burke, Rizgar Mohammed, Conor Murphy (Daniel Barry 16), Conor Walsh, Cian Dunne (Bobby Behan 65)
Gavin Keyes.
