Daniel Okuwte’s Extra-Time winner has put Kerry FC into tomorrow’s Sports Direct FAI Cup Semi-Final draw after overturning a 3-goal deficit against Premier Division side Sligo Rovers to win 4-3 at Mounthawk Park.
The hosts seemed dead and buried after Sligo striker Owen Elding completed a hat-trick in the 61st minute having given them a 2-nil lead at half-time.
Substitute Cian Brosnan pulled one back after 64 minutes, then Joe Adams scored from a penalty after another sub, Daniel Okute was fouled in the box.
Brosnan forced extra-time with an equaliser in the second of four minutes of stoppage time.
The momentum with Kerry and when a Penalty Shoot-Out seemed likely, Daniel Okwute scored the winner at the death.
Words by David Moriarty and photographs by Luke O’Mahony
REPORT:
SPORTS DIRECT MEN’S FAI CUP
QUARTER FINAL
Kerry FC 4-3 Sligo Rovers (After Extra Time)
On Friday evening, Kerry FC played in what was surely their biggest game in their short three-year history at senior level when they hosted SSE Airtricity Premier Division side Sligo Rovers at Mounthawk Park in the Quarter Final of the Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup.
There was a huge build-up to the game the entire week leading up to the occasion, with flags and bunting visible all across Kerry and even beyond. It was the first time Mounthawk Park saw a sell-out crowd since last season’s cup game against Bohemian FC, which saw the Dublin side narrowly go through on penalties.
Kerry FC have seen themselves play with a different freedom in the cup this season, as midfielder Oran Crowe pointed out during the week, “The Cup brings a clean slate. League form and position, no matter the league you’re in, goes out the window; it’s all about who wants it more on the night.”
Kerry FC manager Colin Healy was under no illusions of the test his side would face, but he said it was a game his players were looking forward to and would be excited for. Kerry FC had always given a good account of themselves in the cup since year one, so the Mounthawk faithful hoped nothing would change in that regard.
FIRST HALF
The contest kicked off in front of a raucous crowd at Mounthawk Park, with chants of “Kerry FC!” ringing out across the ground. The early stages of the match were tentative, with Sligo Rovers enjoying the majority of possession but Kerry showing flashes of confidence on the ball. Both sides probed cautiously, neither willing to overcommit, as the supporters settled in for what would be a tense cup tie.
The game shifted decisively in Sligo’s favour after just fourteen minutes. James McManus whipped in a precise cross from deep, and striker Owen Elding rose at the back post to power home a header past Matthew Connor. The finish was clinical, and the travelling fans erupted in celebration as Rovers seized control.
Barely two minutes later, Elding struck again in devastating fashion. A loose, bobbling ball fell to him inside the penalty area, and though the position of the ball was awkward, he improvised brilliantly, volleying into the top-right corner. In the blink of an eye, Kerry found themselves two goals down, and the atmosphere in Tralee turned anxious.
Manager Colin Healy responded swiftly to the setback, introducing Cian Brosnan for Daniel O’Connor after twenty-six minutes. Brosnan’s energy was immediately evident as he drove down the left flank and won a throw-in deep in Sligo territory. Despite his best efforts, Kerry continued to struggle in the final third.
Their frustrations grew when Sean O’Connell received a yellow card in the 37th minute, a reflection of the team’s growing desperation. Sligo, meanwhile, kept possession comfortably and dictated the tempo, starving Kerry of chances and quietening the home crowd.
Just before half-time, Kerry carved out their first genuine opportunity when Brosnan worked space on the right and swung in a cross. However, the ball was cleared by the Sligo defence, and the referee’s whistle soon confirmed that Kerry trailed 2–0 at the break.
SECOND HALF
The Kingdom emerged from the interval with renewed intent. A dangerous free kick from Joe Adams in the fifty-first minute looked promising, but his delivery from the right side floated harmlessly into the arms of Sligo goalkeeper Sam Sargeant.
Moments later came Kerry’s best chance up to that point. Kevin Williams unleashed a shot from distance that deflected just over the bar. The resulting corner came to nothing, but the attempt signalled Kerry’s determination to fight their way back into the match.
Any momentum Kerry had built seemed to vanish in the sixty-first minute when Elding completed his hat-trick. A cross from the left deflected slightly and wrong-footed the defence, allowing Elding to bundle the ball home for his third of the night. At 3–0, the tie looked dead and buried.
Yet Kerry refused to surrender. Substitute Daniel Okwute immediately made his presence felt, latching onto a ball inside the box and fired a shot from a tight angle. Sargeant stood tall to block, but Kerry’s persistence hinted that the night was far from over.
In the sixty-fifth minute, Mounthawk Park erupted. Brosnan, who had been lively since his introduction, picked up possession just inside the box. From a difficult angle, he opened up his body and curled a superb finish into the far corner. Kerry had a lifeline, and the belief rippled back through the stands.
The atmosphere grew increasingly heated, with Sean Stewart booked three minutes later and Matthew Connor pulling off a crucial save to deny Elding his fourth. Kerry, emboldened by Brosnan’s strike, pressed forward with renewed aggression.
The turning point arrived in the seventy-fifth minute. Kerry were awarded a penalty after sustained pressure from Daniel Okwute, and the home crowd collectively held its breath. Joe Adams stepped up with ice-cold composure and thumped his spot-kick into the top-right corner. At 3–2, the game was suddenly alive.
Okwute, relentless in his energy, nearly levelled the tie just minutes later, forcing a superb save from Sargeant at a tight angle. The momentum was all Kerry’s, and the crowd sensed that history was in the making.
As the clock ticked towards full-time, Kerry threw everything forward. Okwute drove at the Sligo defence in the 89th minute but dragged his shot narrowly wide. With four minutes of stoppage time announced, the home supporters urged their side on with every ounce of energy.
Then, in the ninetieth minute, came the moment of pure magic. A low cross fizzed across the penalty area and found Brosnan arriving at the far post. His shot wasn’t the cleanest, but it trickled agonisingly over the line. The eruption inside Mounthawk Park was deafening. Kerry had clawed back from the brink to level the tie at 3–3.
EXTRA TIME
As the whistle confirmed extra time, the ground shook under the roar of the supporters. Kerry carried their momentum into the additional period, with Adams firing a free kick just over the bar in the ninety-second minute. Both sides probed cautiously thereafter, the physical toll of the evening beginning to show.
Half-time in extra time arrived with the scores still locked, but the energy in the stands remained electric. Kerry fans sensed the impossible might yet be achieved.
The decisive moment came in the one hundred and sixteenth minute. A flowing move involving Adams, Sean McGrath, and Okwute created chaos in the Sligo penalty area. The ball ricocheted between players before falling to Okwute, who adjusted superbly to lash a half-volley into the net.
The celebrations were euphoric. Players sprinted towards the stands, fans spilt forward in jubilation, which echoed long into the night. After trailing 3–0, Kerry had completed an astonishing turnaround to lead 4–3.
The remaining minutes were played amid feverish anticipation, with Kerry throwing bodies behind the ball to preserve their slender lead. When the referee finally blew for full-time, the stadium exploded once again. Players collapsed to the turf, drained but ecstatic, as supporters hailed a night that would be remembered forever in Kerry FC footballing folklore. The players remained on the pitch long after the full-time whistle and were serenaded by the Kerry support from all 4 corners of Mounthawk Park.
Kerry FC showed on the night that anything can happen on a football pitch. We have seen some remarkable comebacks in years gone by in football, but for Kerry FC and the Mounthawk faithful, it will be hard to see how this night could ever be topped. It was a night for everyone involved in the club, players, staff, and supporters, all with one common goal, putting Kerry FC on the map. Well, on Friday night, Mounthawk Park did just that. A semi-final berth secured and we await to find out our opponents on Sunday evening
Kerry FC Team: 16. Matthew Connor, 3. Sean O’Connell, 4. Oran Crowe, 5. Christopher McQueen, 6. Carl Mujaguzi, 8. Ronan Teahan, 10. Joe Adams (GOAL PEN ‘77), 14. Robert Cleary, 15. Kevin Williams, 19. Daniel O’Connor, 28. Niall Brookwell.
Subs: Darragh Foley, Arran Healy, Cian Brosnan (GOAL ‘65, ‘90), Luke Doolan, Finn Barrett, Sean McGrath, Luke Palmer, Daniel Okwute (GOAL ‘117), Ryan Perez.
Sligo Rovers Team: 29. Sam Sargeant, 2. Edwin Agbaje, 3. Sean Stewart, 4. Sebastian Quirk, 5. Patrick McClean (C), 8. Jad Hakiki, 10. Ciaron Harkin, 15. Oliver Denham, 16. James McManus, 28. Ryan O’Kane, 47. Owen Elding (GOAL ‘15, ‘16, ‘61).
Subs: Conor Walsh, Matthew Wolfe, Wilson Waweru, Ronan Manning, 21. John Mahon, Kyle McDonagh, Conor Reynolds, Gareth McElroy, Daire Patton.
