Tennent’s Irish Cup: Goals in each half send Warrenpoint Town through against Queen’s University

Warrenpoint Town redeemed themselves in the Irish Cup against Queens University with a 2-0 victory, after a disastrous home league fixture against Glentoran on Saturday that saw them lose 5-0 with nine men after Fra McCaffrey and Ciaran O’Connor were sent off with straight reds.

Manager Stephen McDonnell made a raft of changes from that game and would have expected a result against the Premier Intermediate League leaders but straight from kick-off Queens forced the first save of the night from Jared Thompson when Christopher Middleton bolted down the right and crossed to Ciaran O’Hare who really should have scored.

The Point settled into the game after that and enjoyed most of the possession, but their movement was sluggish, and it was easy football to defend.

Deane Watters came close with a super strike from 30 yards on 28 minutes that Queens keeper Declan Brown tipped over his bar but seconds later Middleton went on the break, won and took a corner that was headed goalward from close range by Ryan McCready forcing a save off the line from Simon Kelly and then Seanan Foster from the rebound.

The home side went 1-0 up on 36 minutes when Lee Duffy sent a low cross from the right into the box where Philip Donnelly, with his back to goal, turned and tucked into the bottom corner but Queens, who were content to sit back and take their chances on the break, had a goal disallowed for offside on 40 minutes when Lorcan McIlroy got on the end of a cross from Leon Bonnes.

A much-improved Warrenpoint came out after the break and O’Sullivan came close to doubling their lead with a low effort that Brown saved but it was 2-0 on 52 minutes Matthew Torrens scored an own goal as he tried to clear an on-target free from Scannell.

Ronan Young came on as a sub for Queens on 71 minutes and hit the bar from a super free with his first touch and he came close again seconds later.

In the last 10 minutes Queens began to play the kind of open football they probably regret not doing from the start, but the Point had done enough to warrant their place in the Irish Cup quarter-finals.

Warrenpoint Town: Jared Thompson, Seanan Foster, Anton Reilly, Simon Kelly, Mark Griffin, Alan O’Sullivan, Matthew Lynch, Deane Watters (Joshua Lynch H-T), Eamon Scannell (Daniel Wallace 71), Philip Donnelly, Lee Duffy (Stephen Moan 81).

Queens University: Declan Brown, Joshua Corry, Adam Robinson, Daniel Hanna, Matthew Torrens, Barry Walsh, Christopher Middleton, Ciaran O’Hare (Connor Mulholland 78), Ryan McCready (Philip Traynor 78), Leon Bonnes, Lorcan McIlroy (Ronan Young 71)/

Referee: Ian McNabb.