McDaid’s strike sees Avenue advance

AVENUE’S great season at schoolboys level took a step further on Saturday when the U-12s advanced to the last 16 in the National Norton Cup.
A 1-0 win over Granada from Dublin was fully merited when the sides clashed at the County Grounds in Doora.
As a result of the victory, the Ennis side will now play the highly rated Maree-Oranmore from Galway, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
A very strong wind made conditions difficult for both sets of players on Saturday. The wind favoured the visitors in the opening half but it was the home side who made what proved to be the vital breakthrough when Conor McDaid scored with just under 15 minutes played.
After good work by Ronan Lanigan, the ball was won by McDaid, who was fouled on the edge of the area. McDaid took the resulting free kick and shot low to the corner of the net.
There was little between the sides for the remainder of the half and followers of the Ennis club were happy when their favourites went to the break with a one-goal advantage.
In the second half, the winners came close on a few occasions to increasing their lead. They were deserving winners when the final whistle sounded.

Avenue United: Brian Honan; Frank Roche, Darren O’Brien, Conor Hehir, Joseph Connaughton, Ronan Lanigan, Cillian McCabe, Eoghan Thynne, Tom O’Brien, Philip Talty, Conor McDaid.
Sub: Conor Devanne for O’Brien.
Granada: Steve Bilevil; Danny O’Donovan, Conor Kane, Jack Small, Emett Lawless, Cian Steele, Gary McKinley West, Matthew McDonnell, Louis Toomey, Moss O’Reilly, Charlie Reilly.