On Friday night, Johnstown’s season came to a close with a heart breaking 2-1 defeat to Premier side Navan Cosmos in the Tully Challenge Cup semi final at the MDL.

This local derby began with the Premier side in full control and they could have been a goal up inside 3 minutes as they wasted a free header from 6 yards out. It was but a portent of things to come as Cosmos soon hit the front.

Just 9 minutes had elapsed when they attacked down the opposite flank. As they entered the area, they pulled the ball back where the finishing touch was applied, going in across goal. It was the reward their early dominance deserved.

Shortly afterwards, Johnstown nearly got on level terms. Sean Challenger, who has been immense in midfield all season, played Kacper Zeberek in on goal. His shot was well saved by the legs of the Cosmos custodian when he was through one on one.

Despite their dominance and ease of possession, Cosmos could not break through a well drilled Johnstown rearguard and chances were at a premium. Indeed, a very harshly awarded penalty on the half hour was Cosmos’ next opportunity to stretch their lead.

Just inside the area, a Cosmos player went down after the slightest touch from Aaron Mooney. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Up stepped a very confident Cosmos player. However, his Panenka style penalty did not fool Dylan Byrne as he comfortable tipped the ball over.

A famous quote from basketball legend Michael Jordan says “It takes effort to win a game, but it takes courage to change the game”. Having been second best in all areas during the first half, Johnstown showed tremendous courage after the interval and changed the flow of the game entirely.

Very early on, some great play by Dylan Bollard and Aaron Mooney on Johnstown’s right saw Arnold Luco fire over but showed the intent that Johnstown were not lying down. Luco had another chance soon after. This time Zeberek’s strong run released Luco but his powerful shot was comfortably saved.

Cosmos rallied quickly and almost punished Johnstown for their 2 missed opportunities as they flooded forward. But for a last ditch tackle from the solid Jake McDermott, Cosmos could have been 2 clear.

On the hour, substitute Vinny Murphy was felled outside the box, on the right hand corner. Having only come on the pitch, his free kick cracked off the underside of the bar and away, with the keeper well beaten. Murphy showed he had the appetite to drag Johnstown back into the game.
Despite being quiet for much of the game, Dylan Byrne was called on twice in very short period of time as the game entered its last 15 minutes. First, he needed to be alert having seen a header late from a corner. Then in almost a carbon copy of their previous effort, Byrne flung himself across the face of his goal to claw away a thumping header from close range.

Those 2 saves gave Johnstown belief that it may be their night after all and continued to push forward.

Alas, with 8 minutes left, Cosmos broke quickly and released their front man who timed his run to perfection and left Johnstown offside line in tatters before slotting home despite Byrne’s best efforts to keep it out, doubling his side’s lead.

As the match entered injury time, hope was restored. A quick free kick from a position similar his earlier effort saw Murphy’s low driven shot be diverted into the net as another substitute, Josh Gaffney, apply the finishing touch to make it 2-1.

Sadly, the equaliser for the underdogs just would not come and Navan Cosmos held on to reach their third successive Tully Challenge Cup final, in which all at Johnstown would like to wish them the very best of luck.

And to our own team, hard luck but very well done on a hard season, with some highs, fewer lows, but many many great performances of which to be proud. Take the summer’s rest, come back stronger and ready for the push for promotion to the Premier Division next season.

Johnstown FC Team: D. Byrne, D. Bollard, J. Colton, J. Connolly, J. McDermott, D. McQuillan (c), W. Cahill, S. Challenger, A. Mooney, K. Zeberek, A. Luco.
Subs: V. Murphy for Mooney, D. Halligan for Cahill, A. Ivers for Bollard, J.Gaffney for McDermott.

For the second time in 4 games, and just the third time all season, Johnstown kept a clean sheet as they saw off Division 2 challengers Baileborough Celtic in their Tully Cup Quarter Final tie 3-0 at the MDL on Friday night.

The gulf in talent between the 2 sides was apparent from the off. The home side could and perhaps should have been 3 up inside the opening 10 minutes.

Kacper Zeberek, looking back to his best, took possession on half way in the second minute and proceeded to dance his way through the opposition, leaving Baileborough chasing shadows. As he bore down on goal, the keeper advanced. Zeberek’s low shot was well saved by the keeper legs.

The next opportunity, less than 3 minutes later, saw Dan Halligan and Arnold Luco combine well on the left but the latter’s shot could only find the keeper’s midriff. Halligan was again involved in Johnstown’s next chance as he crossed to Zeberek in the area but he could only steer his effort over the bar.

Just shy of the quarter hour mark, a poor delivery by Challenger from a corner on their left was almost converted as Jay Colton caught it on the half volley at the near post, only to watch it come back off the base of that same post.

And the chances kept coming. Zeberek, Luco, Aaron Mooney, Halligan, and Josh Gaffney all went close and kept the Baileborough keeper busy.

With 10 minutes left in the first half, Jay Colton rose highest in the Baileborough area and met a Sean Challenger corner perfectly with his head. Having seen an earlier chance come back of the woodwork, Colton knew it would not be his night, as on this occasion his downward header was gathered gratefully by the custodian low at his feet.

Shortly after, Baileborough almost punished Johnstown’s profligacy in front of goal. In a rare venture upfield, the men from Cavan crossed from the right. With his back to goal, an improvised overhead kick dropped over the bar. It was to be the only chance the Johnstown back four, consisting of McQuillan, Colton, Connolly and Gaffney, were to concede in the match.

Finally the breakthrough came on the stroke of half-time. Sean Challenger released Luco down the left. The front man powered his way into the area before hitting a low hard cross towards the near post. Having played his part in creating a number of chances earlier, this time it was Halligan’s turn to be on the end of the move as he showed how to finish it off with a neat flick into the net ensuring Johnstown went into the break with a deserved lead.

The second half saw the one-way traffic continue. An earlier chance fell to Mooney but once again the visiting custodian was on hand to keep his side in the game.

Johnstown did not have to wait too long for the second. Again, a fine ball from Challenger set Luco free before he set the ball for Zeberek to make 2-0.

With an hour gone, Luco raced clear after Dave Grumley won the ball in midfield. Having missed a couple of earlier chances, Luco made amends and slotted away his side’s 3rd of the evening.

10 minutes later it was nearly 4-0. Second half substitute Vinny Murphy scooped a pass high over the Baileborough back line to Luco who caught it on the volley which produced a remarkable double save from the keeper, first when he saved the initial shot and second as he athletically clawed the ball back from the line.

Despite their first half dominance continuing throughout the second half, Johnstown were not as incisive and did not create as many chances but they were more clinical. At the back, Johnstown were solid and never looked likely to let the visitors back in the game, leaving Dylan Byrne a virtual spectator for the 90 minutes.

Johnstown FC Team: D. Byrne, J. Gaffney, J. Colton, D. McQuillan (c), J. Connolly, D. Grumley, S. Challenger, K. Zeberek, A. Mooney, D. Halligan, A. Luco
Subs: V. Murphy for Challenger, D. Bollard for Connolly, W. Cahill for Halligan, J. Flynn for Zeberek, C. O’Sullivan for Mooney.

For the second time in three days, Johnstown secured progression in knockout competitions with a highly competitive 3-2 Tully Cup win over Division 3 side Albion Rovers at the MDL on Friday Night.

With the game just one minute old, Albion broke swiftly down their right and delivered a cross to the back post where the waiting man could not take advantage of his free header. A portent of what was to come.

Just 4 minutes later, a Johnstown pass in midfield was charged down. The ball rebounded to an Albion striker clear of the defence. Despite protestations from the home side, he bore down on goal before giving his side the lead at the second attempt after his initial effort came back off the post.

For much of the opening half hour, Johnstown failed to impose any control over their lower division opponents with Albion looking much the better side.

Then with 32 minutes on the clock, Johnstown began a spell of 3 goals in 9 minutes.

First, Sean Challenger showed great vision to release Arnold Luco down the right. Luco cut infield and across the 18 yard line, passed a number of Albion defenders before pulling his left footed shot back across the keeper and into the net.

Five minutes later, Kacper Zeberek made it 2-1. Taking possession in midfield, Zeberek turned and ran at the defence, beating 3 players before unleashing an unstoppable shot from distance that dipped over the keeper into the net.

On 41 minutes, the combination of Challenger and Luco proved decisive once again for the home side. Challenger’s perfect through ball found Luco cutting in from the right. Despite the keeper’s best efforts, the Johnstown man’s shot found the inside of the far post giving his side a 3-1 lead going into the break.

During a second half dominated by the home side, Johnstown should have put the game to bed. A number of chances went abegging.

With 15 minutes to go, Luco raced clear. He rounded the advancing keeper, but only succeeded in further narrowing his angle. From this tighter position, he watched his attempt ricochet off the foot of the near post and away.

Two minutes later, Albion pulled a goal back as they finished across Dylan Byrne in the Johnstown net to set up a nervy end to the game.

The Louth side finished off the game with 2 excellent chances to get back on level terms. However they were thwarted on both occasions by Byrne.

With Albion constantly probing for the equaliser, the final whistle was greeted with more sighs of relief than outright celebration as Johnstown avoided a cup shock and moved onto the next round.

Johnstown FC Team: D. Byrne, D. Bollard, J. Colton, D. McQuillan (c), D. Grumley, W. Cahill, S. Ivers, S. Challenger, V. Murphy, K. Zeberek, A. Luco
Subs: A. Ivers for Murphy, A, Sirb for Cahill, J. Caffery for Challenger

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Team photo courtesy of Justin Burke

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