Understrength Avenue bow out

Avenue United             0
Manulla United             2

Avenue United’s hopes of winning a place in the quarter-finals of the FAI U-17 Cup ended at rain-lashed Lisdoonvarna on Saturday last when they went under to Manulla from Mayo in a round four tie.
The only game to take place in the county at the weekend, the game was switched from Lees Road to the North Clare venue.
The home side were unlucky to bow out of the competition as they matched their opponents for most of this tie.
Avenue went into the game without four first choice players that proved to be a huge blow to their hopes.
The match clashed directly with a Clare minor football trial and this resulted in the loss of some key defenders.
Missing on the day were Evan McNamara (injured), Levi Howard, Cian Crimmins and Michael Moloney.
There was nothing between the sides in the opening half, at the end of which the game was still scoreless.
It continued in the same vein in the second half but as the match progressed, it was clear weather conditions were deteriorating
Ten minutes into the new half the visitors broke the deadlock with a powerful strike. Shortly before this, the home side were unlucky not to have scored when a Michael Duffy shot rebounded into play off the crossbar with the visitor’s defence beaten.
In the last quarter Avenue piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser before being dealt a fatal blow when conceding an own goal 10 minutes from time.

Avenue United: Shane O’Connell; Conor O’Brien, James Woods, Lee O’Callaghan, Stephen Jordan; Rory Brennan, Maccon Byrne, Ross McCarthy, Conor Grogan, Cameron White, Michael Duffy.
Sub: Ronan Kerin.