Toal's Steel and Sons Cup Round Two
Immaculata 2 Sirocco Works 0
FIRST half goals from Padraig Adams and Brian McCaul were enough for Immaculata to overcome Sirocco Works and advance into the third round of the Steel and Sons Cup at Grosvenor Recreation Centre's 'Cage' on Saturday afternoon.
Adams struck on 12 minutes and McCaul added a magnificent second just before the interval as the Divis outfit were fairly comfortable in the second half to get the job done on a wet afternoon.
The visitors did have their chances, but not enough and didn't really put 'The Mac' under enough pressure to force their way back into proceedings.
The East Belfast side were actually first to go close when a fifth minute free-kick from Darren Spiers on the left of goal clipped the top of the crossbar and went over, but Immaculata soon began to take charge, working the passes and their pressure was rewarded on 12 minutes as Kevin McGovern clipped in from the right with Colm O'Riordan flicking on and after another touch to the back post, Adams did well to take down and fire home when under pressure.
Colm O'Riordan breaks forward
The hosts were well in control in the following period as they passed and probed, but the ball just wouldn't fall to offer a clear sight of goal.
Sirocco were struggling to get much going but gradually grew into the game without actually creating too much apart from a Spiers free-kick from the edge of the 'D' going straight at Kieran McGourty in the home goal and then the Sirocco winger clipped in an inviting ball that was nodded away for a corner that came to nothing.
Just as it seemed the half was winding down, Immaculata won a throw-in down at the left corner that was launched into the box by McGovern and nodded out, but only to McCaul who left fly on the half-volley and into the net to make it 2-0 at the break.
The hosts almost had a thirds just second into the second period with Sirocco goalkeeper Chris Carson forced to claw away a dinked effort from McCaul, while two minutes later, McGourty was relieved as a high shot from Ryan Nugent squirmed through his fingertips, but the Mac 'keeper was able to scramble back and recover.
It was Sirocco who needed the next goal, but the hosts were looking more likely with Carson again called into action to get his fingertips to a rasping McGovern shot on the turn and divert it over the crossbar.
On 65 minutes, Carson again produced heroics to keep his team in it when first saving with his feet from McGovern and then scrambling to get to Colm O'Riordan's follow-up header.
Sirocco just weren't giving the hosts enough to think about aside from a shot from Glen Upton straight at McGourty and then a decent effort from spies that was comfortably saved.
Martin Bradley slides in to make a challenge
Darren Bellew and Adams had shots off-target at the other end as the game was ticking into the final moments and Sirocco now posing forward a little more, but they couldn't get the goal they badly needed to ignite their challenge with McGourty getting down to push away a shot from Justin Gregg-Tobin and deep in injury-time, a stray pass left Dean Moore with the goal at his mercy, but he failed to hit the target as Immaculata kept the clean sheet to claim a fully-merited victory.
PSNI will await them in the Third Round having defeated St Oliver Plunkett 2-1 at Lenadoon Park on Saturday afternoon.
IMMACULATA: K McGourty, D Bellew, M Fisher, C Slane, S McGovern, C O'Riordan, P Adams, M Bradley (D Jackson 67), B McCaul, E Fallon, K McGovern (T McDonald 67).
Goals: P Adams 12, B McCaul 43
SIROCCO WORKS: C Carson, G Parker, M Jones, C McConville, M Roy, B Graham (J Gregg-Tobin 72), D Spiers, R Nugent, D Moore, G Upton (N McIlwaine 67), B Lindsay (D Mayes 57)
