State Cup wrap-up

Robbie O’Neill’s heroics between the sticks helped the first team progress to the next round of the Flamhaft Cup on Sunday evening after a penalty shoot-out victory at College Point. The score was deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes.

Robbie O’Neill saved two penalties in the shoot-out to set up victory.

NY Shamrocks dominated possession in the first half but squandered a number of opportunities to take the lead. It was College Point who went ahead 10 minutes into the second half after Shamrocks failed to clear their lines and were punished.

Rocks equalized through midfielder Hossan ‘Sammy’ Mohamed who bundled in his first goal for the Rocks following a corner kick that was not dealt with by College Point.

In the penalty shoot-out, Rocks goalkeeper O’Neill proved to be the hero saving two penalties from College Point, the first, a fine save.

Tyrone Kent, Adam Amann and Nikle Guzijan all executed their penalties neatly with Andy Horan the only Shamrocks player to miss, blasting his penalty high and wide.

Meanwhile, in the New York IT Sportsgrounds, the reserve team was beaten 4-1 at NY Irish Rovers, exiting the D’Arpino Cup in a humbling defeat.

The visitors started brightly, taking the game to their arch rivals from Long Island, and when John Mc Donnell whipped in a free from the right to the back post, John Riordan was on hand to head home and put the Rocks 1-0 up.

However, a sloppy equalizer was conceded just before the break and a penalty put Rovers 2-1 up with 50 minutes gone. Two further strikes ensured the battling Rocks could find no way back into it.

There was much better news for the Over-30s who were in action early Sunday morning in Randall’s Island, securing an 8-1 rout of RTG.

A Eugene Gormley hat-trick and a brace of goals from Burim ‘Benny’ Ljuta had the visitors cruising and they will move onto the next round with confidence.