Bridge and Tulla complete semi-final line-up

THE way is clear for the Clare Cup semi-finals with Bridge United B and Tulla United A booking their places in the last four at the weekend. They join Avenue United A and Burren United who had won their quarter-finals a week earlier.

This means that last year’s finalists, Avenue A (the winners) and Bridge United B are still in the Cup race. The semi-final pairings will be decided on this Friday evening.

Tulla Utd A   0    Lifford   0 (after extra time, Tulla won 5-3 on penalties)
TULLA United A qualified for the cup semi-final for the first time since 2001 when they beat Lifford in a penalty shoot-out. While the sides failed to produce a goal in 120 minutes, there was a high standard of play on the day with both sides creating chances.
Shane Collins in the Tulla goal made an excellent save from Roberto Pinto late on while, at the other end, Alan Brigdale and Keith Lenihan came close. Lifford’s impressive youths player Ruairi Norrby saw his cross rebound off the crossbar with Collins beaten.
In the penalty shoot-out, Tulla United went first and Gearóid O’Doherty gave them the lead. Ryan Boyle levelled the tie when he scored Lifford’s first.
Tulla went back in front when Niall Whelan scored but Ruairi Norrby did likewise for the visitors to the Cragg to tie the game at 2-2.
Norrby’s fellow Clare youths player, Darragh Corry, put the home side back in front and his team then took a major step on the road to the last four when their goalkeeper Shane Collins saved from Lunga Ballman.
Keith Lenihan scored penalty number four for Tulla and Gary McNaboe did likewise for Lifford.
This meant that Tulla captain Denis Murphy would send his team into the semi-finals if he converted their fifth penalty, which he duly did.
Tulla United A: Shane Collins; Tom Byrnes, Gearóid O’Doherty, Paraic O’Malley, Tommy McKeown, Denis Murphy, Niall Whelan, Shane Mason, Darragh Corry, Alan Brigdale, Kevin De Loughrey.
Subs: Keith Lenihan for De Loughrey; Colin Nelson for McKeown.
Lifford: Jan Da Silva; Joe Lynch, Hamad Kuku, Michael J Sullivan, Conor Donlon; Ryan Boyle, Ruairi Norrby, Gary McNaboe, TJ Ajisomo; Ciarán Neenan, Lunga Ballman.
Subs: Dardon Haziri for Da Silva (injured); Roberto Pinto.

Bridge Utd B   3    Rineanna Rovers B    1 (after extra time)
BRIDGE United had to come from behind to account for Rineanna Rovers B in this cup semi-final, which was played in beautiful weather conditions at Sixmilebridge on Sunday.
Rineanna B travelled to Sixmilebridge determined to cause another upset in the cup title race. In the previous round, they had created a major shock when knocking out Bridge United A.
They took the lead half an hour into Sunday’s tie when the home side’s defence failed to clear their lines and an own goal resulted.
This goal separated the teams at half-time.
On the hour mark, Bridge United B got back on terms when Gavin Downes converted a penalty awarded after substitute Alan Mulready was fouled in the area. Earlier, they had a Kevin Meehan effort disallowed for a foul on the visitors’ keeper.
The home side piled on the pressure for the final quarter of the tie and came close to taking the lead on a number of occasions but the teams remained deadlocked at the end of normal time.
The winners went in front early in extra time when Damian Murray headed a Gavin Downes cross to the net.
Barry Deasy made amends for his first-half slip-up when he made great saves from Thiago and Enda Barrett early in the second period of extra time before last year’s runners-up sealed victory with a Gavin Downes header following a Robert Conlon cross.
Bridge United B: Barry Deasy, Paudge Flannery, Albert Finnan, Dominic Murphy, Kevin Meehan, Paul Corbett, Damian Murray, Robert Conlon, Brendan Murphy, Jamie Gorman, Gavin Downes.
Subs: Alan Mulready for B Murphy, Darragh Fitzgerald for Gorman, Geoff Flynn for Corbett, Alan McAuley for Flannery, Gavin O’Herlihy for Downes, Iain O’Sullivan, Barry O’Halloran, Brian O’Connell.
Rineanna Rovers B: Eugene O’Mahoney, Conor Cusack, Dara McCormack, Gerard Cahill, David Barrett, Martin Frawley, Kieran O’Connor, Enda Barrett, Ronan McCormack, Alan Barrett, Shane Meehan.
Subs: Thiago for Meehan (inj); Declan O’Mahoney for O’Connor.