U16 SFAI Round of 16
Rathangan FC 0-0 Bridge United
(Bridge United Win 4-2 On Penalties)

Bridge United u16 created their own little piece of history this weekend when they travelled to Rathangan by the banks of the Grand Canal, Co. Kildare. They became the first Bridge side to reach the competitions quarter finals.

The journey to that point was anything but easy. Flying out of the block early doors, Bridge created the first real opportunity when the ball ricocheted around the Rathangan six yard box and fell to Aidan Moloney who's shot from an acute angle could only find the side netting.

Seconds later Finn Murphy had to be alert to race off his life to smother a ball from the onrushing Rathangan centre forward.

10mins and the game settled in to a steady pattern, Bridge dominating possession through Aidan Moloney and Matthew O Halloran in the middle of the park.

Chances were plentiful with the host's goal living a charmed existence. Darragh Hayes, Callum Phelan, Marcus Joyce and Jack O Halloran all going agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock.

The pressure was relentless and half time whistle offered some rest bite to the home side. The threat of wing backs Ben Maxwell and Callum Phelan particularly evident in the opening 40mins.

To there credit Rathangan reshuffled their share and did their best to stiffle the Bridge attack in the second half. Chances in the second half were few and far between with neither team willing to commit fully to attack. Given the prize on offer it was alway going to to be cagey in the final stages.

The defensive effort of Micheal Morey, Niall Liddane and Jack Phelan will live long in the memory, as will the introduction of Isaac Deegan Green and Niall Moloney off the bench.

Extra time, as it so often is, was a non event with both teams willing to settle for penalties.

Staring down Finn Murphy in a penalty shoot out is a daunting prospect and it cane as no surprise that the young goalkeeper saved two of the first three penalties.

Jack O Halloran, Aidan Moloney, Niall Liddane all dispatched the spot kicks with aplomb. So it was down to Marcus Joyce to send us on our way, and he certainly did, sending the ball to the corner of the net to the rapturous cheer of a vocal Bridge support.

To single out a single player for praise would deflect from the titanic team performance this was. A courageous team performance from one to sixteen was the order of the day.

Next up is an away quarter final to Carrigaline United of the Cork Schoolboys League. Congratulations to Pa, Vinny, Corey and all the players for memorable win.

Special thanks must go to Flora Crowe for the kind sponsorship of the team. Very much appreciated from all at Bridge United.