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Dublin City ease into next round

Dublin City regained their true form to book a third round home meeting with Bray Wanderers as they overcame the challenge of…

Fri Dec 21 2001 - 00:00

Dublin City regained their true form to book a third round home meeting with Bray Wanderers as they overcame the challenge of Leinster Senior League side Glenmore Dundrum in an FAI Cup second round replay at Whitehall.

Out of sorts in last week's scoreless first meeting, the First Division leaders abandoned their sweeper system and switched to a flat back four. Almost immediately it paid dividend as John McDonnell's side had a better shape and were never really in danger as they took the game to their opponents, deserved their early goal and went on to win comfortably.

After Maurice O'Driscoll and Colm Notaro missed a couple of chances the lead came on 13 minutes. Tony Sheridan, no stranger to cup glory, beat the visitors offside trap to race through and score with a delightful chip over Ciaran Smyth.

Smyth subsequently made a superb save from Robbie Farrell, while Wes Flynn cleared a shot from Brendan Kelly off the line before Glenmore lifted the siege with captain Derek Dodd and Gerard Irwin coming close late in the first half.

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But just when they looked to have given themselves the confidence boost ahead of the second half, Dublin City struck for their second goal in first half stoppage time.

Cathal O'Connor's sublime through ball got the finish it deserved as Farrell ran behind the Glenmore defence before beating Smyth with a well struck volley.

Sheridan added the third goal on 56 minutes, punishing poor marking to score with a simple header from Stephen Gifford's cross.

Farrell's second arrived on 64 minutes from Sheridan's assist before Glenmore got some consolation 15 minutes from time when Richard Fitzgibbon sidefooted home fellow substitute John Bennett's cross.

The sides then finished the match with ten men each as Dublin City's Austin Skelly, only on the pitch a minute or so, and John Doolan were sent off following an off the ball clash. Alban Hysa added the fifth in stoppage time from an O'Connor cross.

DUBLIN CITY: Flood; Jackson, Gifford, McGauley; Notaro, Crowley, O'Driscoll, O'Connor, Kelly (Skelly 70); Farrell (Hysa 84), Sheridan (Markey 75).

GLENMORE DUNDRUM: C Smyth; Power, Reynolds (Merrigan 61), Gill, Flynn; Crowley (Bennett 68), Doolan, Kelly, Dodd; Irwin (Archbold 68), G Smyth.

Referee: J Breen (Dublin).