Wayside Celtic 1-1 Waterford United
(after extra time)FAI Cup Second Round Replay
At the Golden Ball, Kiltiernan
Thursday, February 15th, 1996
Attendance: 800 approx
Wayside Celtic Waterford United
1:- Robbie O'Dowd 1:- Scott Garlick
2:- Matt Grimes 2:- John Sayers
3:- Seanan O'Douchan 3:- Stevie Hall
4:- Willie Simpson 4:- Tony Hall
5:- Paraic Mooney 5:- Gary Coad
6:- Steve Martin 6:- John Carthy
7:- Derek Jackson 7:- Alan Reynolds
8:- Colin Talbot 8:- Brian Barry
9:- Paddy Geraghty (wdn 62) 9:- Pascal Keane (wdn 96)
10:- Gerry Hayden 10:- Micheal Downey (wdn 81)
11:- Paul Masterson (wdn 82) 11:- Colin Fanning (wdn 62)
12:- Mark Byrne (for 11) 12:- Declan Power (for 11)
13:- Frankie Byrne (for 9) 13:- Darren Kavanagh (for 10)
14:- Jason Staunton 14:- Richie Hale (for 9)
Referee: J. McDermott (Dublin)
Linesmen: J.O'Brien, J.Smith (both Dublin)
Bookings: WAYSIDE - Martin 20
WATERFORD - Reynolds 2, T.Hall 78
Harp Lager Man of the Match: Paraic Mooney (Wayside).
BY PUTTING IN one of the best performances by a visiting team so far this season at the Waterford RSC in the original tie last Sunday, Wayside Celtic earned themselves a large pay-day in yesterday's replay, which was witnessed by perhaps their biggest crowd ever. It was certainly bigger than the number who watched the drawn encounter, which saw Waterford goalkeeper Scott Garlick earn a well-deserved Harp Lager Man of the Match award. Wayside's performance was so outstanding on Sunday that leading Irish bookmakers Paddy Powers had made Wayside 4/5 favourites for this second meeting. National League outfit Waterford were priced at a generous 2/1.
Unsurprisingly, Wayside fielded the same eleven that played out of their skins on Sunday, while the visitors were forced into a number of changes; striker Pascal Keane replaced the suspended Joe Lawless, work-bound Kevin Kelly was replaced by John Sayers. Meanwhile Paul Scully's place was taken by back from suspension Alan Reynolds, and Micheal Downey took the place of Richie Hale, who was on the bench.
Following a goalmouth scramble which almost saw Wayside forcing the ball home after 14 minutes, their first clear-chance opportunity came when a Paul Masterson cross was flicked into the net by Steve Martin. However, Martin had used his hand, and his Maradona-style punch earned him a booking, prompting quick-witted Stephen Finn, reporting for "The Star" to quip: "That's one Steve Martin joke the ref didn't like!" This, by the way, is not the same Steve Martin currently appearing in "Father of the Bride 2".
A more orthodox Wayside effort saw Masterson placing Colin Talbot with a fine lob that resulted in Talbot's volley being saved by Scott Garlick. Just two minutes after this chance, Wayside came close again, as on 26, a Martin throughball released Derek Jackson who shot straight at Garlick.
Those were misses that Wayside ended up rueing, because with their first real goalscoring chance, the Blues found the net. Pascal Keane's cross found Brian Barry, and the 22-year-old Carrick native connected sweetly sending a superb shot looping over O'Dowd and into the net.
Wayside instantly had the United goal at their mercy immediately after, Seanan O'Douchon's glorious pass set up Paddy Geraghty who blasted over from six yards.
1-0 to Waterford at half-time, but their lead was cancelled out eight minutes after the restart - what a bizarre goal it was too. Colin Talbot's pacy cross was caught by United's American keeper Scott Garlick, but as Garlick tumbled over, he dropped the ball which trickled over the line for an equaliser which sent the huge home support wild with delight. It was no more than they deserved, but it was surely rough justice on easily one of the best stoppers in the League.
On the hour, Micheal Downey, signed from Dungarvan United during the summer and just back from a lengthy injury, broke through dramatically but had his final shot smothered by Robbie O'Dowd. Frantic cup football followed for the remainder of the 90, but it was the introduction of recently married Mark Byrne that could have groomed Wayside into quarter-finalists.
With 86 minutes on the clock, Frankie Byrne's cross found his namesake in a position to score, but the 28-year-old hit the post. In the classic cup-tie finish, the Dubliners were awarded a free-kick just outside the area; the number 12 bulleted a magnificent effort goalwards, but Garlick shot out an arm and somehow diverted it over. It was the last chance of normal time, and now with the scores at 1-1, it was time for something extra.
The Golden Ball almost erupted in noise when Frankie Byrne struck a certain goal four minutes into extra-time, but again Garlick - signed from San Diego University FC in 1994 - was able to produce a great save.
100 minutes had elapsed when Waterford came close themselves from a free-kick. Brian Barry, the winning scorer against Galway, curled a superb around the wall, but he couldn't beat O'Dowd who saved well. Two late chances fell for Frankie Byrne, but he couldn't convert and so, here we go again.
The replay of the replay takes place again at the picturesque Golden Ball, Kiltiernan at the foothills of the Wicklow mountains next Tuesday at 2:00pm, and as this will be the deciding match, if the teams still have not been seperated after extra-time, the match will go to penalties.
And after another close encounter, this reaction from Wayside manager Peter Lennon:
WD: Peter, here we go again!
PL: It's unbelievable. I was just saying earlier we created about nine
chances throughout the two games, and we scored from an og. Waterford
haven't created a chance, and they scored a goal. That's football.
WD: Are you disappointed that you didn't win?
PL: Disappointed, and yet still excited that we're still in the competition. It's great that we're actually in the hat tomorrow, that's going to create a bit of atmosphere around the place!
WD: So will you be looking forward to getting up in the morning, switching
on your radio, waiting for the draw?
PL: I'll be up at the crack of dawn! I don't mind, as we always say, it's a
bonus to be in the Cup at this stage of the competition and I think that
the tie is still very evenly poised. We won't take anything for granted.
WD: Just looking around the Wayside pavillion here, this is a club with a
long and glorious history.
PL: We're fifty years on the go now, and it would be great to make history
this year because it is our fiftieth year. So, with a little bit of luck,
if we put away our chances we'll be alright!
WD: It was your 13th Cup-tie of the year for you today, did you think that
it might have been unlucky for you?
PL: Well, no, I think we got our bit of luck today. To come from one-down
was great, but to get the goal the way we did, that was a bit of luck. They
rode their luck last game, we rode our luck today.
WD: We'll see how things will go on Tuesday, thanks a lot, Peter.
Speaking to Waterford manager Michael Bennett after the game, he said he was still hopeful of beating Wayside, but that an a non-league club, they should have been accounted for already. He wouldn't be listening to the Cup draw on Friday morning (he was laughing when he was saying this) but on a more serious note, would be concentrating on next Saturday's league game with Finn Harps, and next Tuesday's third meeting with Wayside Celtic. I'm afraid I couldn't type up this interview because my tape recorder packed up while I was talking to him, so this was all from memory I'm afraid.
Wayside's organisation for this match was top-notch, they're getting used to it now, and there must still be a dream for them that there could be a great reward for them at the end of this Cup trail.
And on Friday morning, a welcome present was given to Wayside Celtic and Waterford United, because whoever wins the tie will play hosts to St.Patrick's Athletic in the quarter-finals. If Wayside come through, it will set up a massive Dublin derby that would see record-shattering crowds for the Leinster Senior League side, which could be anything up to five times higher than yesterday's crowd, which is believed to itself be a record. As for Waterford, it would be a major windfall for them too, and a timely one - their new 1200-seater stand will be opened for the first time for Saturday night's league game with Finn Harps.
The dream continues, and what a dream.....
This report originally featured on Dale Dermott's 1996 FAI Cup site. His new National League site can be found at www.dermott.com/irishsoccer.