FAI Junior Cup Quarter Final
Killarney Celtic 2-1 Janesboro (AET)

There was high drama at Celtic Park on Saturday night as a late extra-time winner from substitute Stephen Hayes sealed Killarney Celtic’s passage to the last four of the FAI Junior Cup.

Opponents Janesboro were one of the pre-tournament favourites but Celtic more than held their own over the course of a gruelling encounter, and when Hayes pounced in the dying embers of extra time you certainly couldn’t say the Killarney side were undeserving of their victory.

To be honest, the great game of football we were hoping for never really materialised. It was a very competitive, very tense match with flashes of brilliance and some moments of high drama but it definitely wasn’t one for the purist.

As underdogs you would have expected Celtic to dig in and make it difficult for the visitors and that’s exactly what they did. The centre back pairing of Jamie Spillane and John McDonagh in particular were outstanding on the night and from one to eleven the home side’s application was spot on.

They fell behind midway through the first half when striker John Tierney controlled and fired a powerful half volley into the top corner from 25 yards out. Janesboro improved thereafter but it remained 1-0 at the break.

To the delight of the boisterous home crowd, Celtic equalised on the hour mark when Jamie Spillane attacked Matt Keane’s corner and powered his header beyond the keeper.

The game opened up briefly after that but both sides squandered chances before the nerves really seemed to kick in.

With five minutes to go, veteran Peter McCarthy received his marching orders for shoving an opponent. It was unnecessary but, in fairness to the Celtic man, it was never a red card.

With ten men you felt as though Celtic would have settled for extra time and penalties at that stage but they almost won it in stoppage time, substitute Conor Randall volleying wide with the goal at his mercy.

Experienced winger Stephen Hayes, who was surprisingly dropped having started all of Celtic’s previous games this season, was finally called upon at the beginning of overtime and he was determined to make his mark.

“I was disappointed [not to start] but I didn’t let it get to me,” Hayes said. “I felt that if I did get a chance to come on, I could hopefully do something that would help the team.”

He got his big opportunity midway through the second period when a defensive mix-up had Janesboro scrambling. Cathal O’Shea retrieved possession and when his through ball deflected kindly into the path of Hayes right in front of goal, he couldn’t miss.

Joyous celebrations followed, and Celtic held on for another historic win.

Next up is a semi-final clash against Dublin giants Sheriff YC on April 8/9, and it will undoubtedly be their biggest test yet. The team from the north side are stacked with talent and are gunning for back-to-back national titles for the second time in six seasons.

Tournament rules stipulate that in the semis that the team drawn at home, in this case Celtic, can play the fixture on any pitch in their home county apart from their own.

Mounthawk Park (Tralee), Listowel and even Killarney Athletic’s pitch have been mentioned as possible venues but it was still undecided at the time of going to print.

Although Sheriff are without question the biggest team left in the tournament, Hayes feels Celtic should be happy with the draw.

“Isn’t now the time to get them? They have to come down here to Kerry. If we avoided them and we were fortunate enough to get to the final, we’d have to play them up in their own patch,” he said.

“But they have to come down to us, and they’ll be in for a battle.”

Celtic: Roy Kelliher; Chris O’Leary, Jamie Spillane, John McDonagh (c), Brendan Falvey; Pa McGrath, Podge O’Connor; Wayne Sparling, Matt Keane, Peter McCarthy; Cathal O’Shea. Subs: Conor Randall, Stephen Hayes and Anthony O’Leary.
 

 
Above: Killarney Celtic's Stephen Hayes celebrates after his side defeated Janesboro in the FAI Junior Cup quarter final at Celtic Park on Saturday night. PICTURE: Eamonn Keogh.