Salthill Devon gave their best indication yet that their scratchy season start may be well and truly behind them as they emphatically thumped first division outfit Colemanstown United 5-1 to move into the fifth round of the FAI Junior Cup yesterday.
Although the opposition was not up to the standard they face week to week in the league, it was the general improvement in Salthill’s structure and organisation that heeded hopes a resurgence is impending.
They put five goals past a less than miserly Colemanstown defence up in Drom in conditions that could be described as miserable at best.
The first half was played out amid an icy gale and driving, freezing rain as Salthill management sent their substitutes into the dressing rooms for shelter for the duration of the half.
The sun emerged for the entirety of the second half, making for much better conditions in which the home side added a further three unanswered goals to the 2-1 lead they held at the break.
In fact it was not until the second half that Salthill really kicked into top gear, although it was hardly surprising neither side leapt out of the blocks with any driving enthusiasm.
There were a couple of half-hearted early attempts, a Rossa Mullins drive from a corner and another shot from a Gerard O’Leidhinn free kick both cruising over the cross bar, O’Leidhinn’s needing a slight nudge from Colemanstown ‘keeper Joe Flannery.
The visitors then could not take advantage of three consecutive corners, never really posing a threat with each of them and left to regret the opportunity as 10 minutes later Salthill took the lead.
It was a goal that probably was never meant to be one as a wobbly, mis-timed pass forward from defender O’Leidhinn somehow found its way to striker Charlie Burke standing in the box, with the Salthill management left scratching their heads as to just which training manual that move had come out of.
They were not able to ponder it too long, though, as the visitors scored an unlikely and instantaneous equaliser, central midfielder David Killarney tapping in a cross from in close to level scores in the 32nd minute.
Striker Ray Moran could have added another for the first divisioners when left with just Salthill ‘keeper Noel Holland to beat, but Holland was up to the task, deflecting the shot, and three defenders arrived on the spot to provide the clearance.
Six minutes were left in the half when Salthill gained the upper hand once more, a goal that will go into the books as an own goal after Ronan Silke’s well-timed long distance strike took a deflection off a Colemanstown defender as it sailed into the top left corner of goal.
Holland had to make an early save on a Colemanstown shot as the second half opened, but this would be his last real workload for the day as Salthill made a strong run home.
Shots from Robbie Porter and Mullins were near misses, before Shane Browne hit the right post and Noel Tyrrell was on hand at the top of the box when the deflection eventually landed at his feet and he smashed it past Flannery with 23 minutes remaining in the game.
Salthill’s fourth goal went to Mike Lindsay, the tall striker left to tap home a cross in from the right in the 74th minute as the result was put well and truly beyond doubt.
The cake was iced as Lindsay was allowed to grab another on 78 minutes, running onto a precision Silke cross from the right side again and drilling it in from close range, leaving Flannery no chance of even getting near it.
A late effort saw Browne bounce a shot off the crossbar, before Colemanstown midfielder Damien Concannon pushed a shot just right of goal in an attempt that would have been a just late consolation for the well-beaten visitors.
Salthill Devon: Noel Holland, Ronan Silke, Gerard O’Leidhinn, Rossa Mullins, Paul Fitzpatrick, Shane Browne, Johnny O’Connor (Alan McGee, 66mins ), Robbie Porter, Mike Lindsay (Brian Naughton, 78mins ), Charlie Burke (Sean Nevin, 80mins ), Noel Tyrrell.
Colemanstown: Joe Flannery, Richie Lally, Keith Donnellen, Damien Concannon, Ollie Crowe, Mike O’Grady, Kenny Duane (Sean Hardiman, 70mins ), David Killarney (Matt Moran, 61mins ), Ray Moran (Niall Ronan, 76mins ), Colin O’Grady, Damien Wynne
Referee: Vincent Carew.
