Rathcoole FC - over 35s 0 vs 2 St. Ita's o35s N3

Rathcoole FC over 35s hosted St. Ita’s o35s N3 at Rathcoole on 7 March 2026, with kick-off at 6:00pm in a crucial cup final home match. The 90-minute encounter, overseen by referee Wayne Gahan, ended in a 2-0 defeat for Rathcoole, as St. Ita’s secured victory on the night.

Rathcoole lined up in a 3-5-2 formation, deploying Karl Skelly in goal behind a back three of Adrian Whelan at right defender, Gary Ryan centrally, and Paul Lowry on the left. The midfield five featured Johnny Paun on the right flank, Colly O’Neil, Luke Keegan, and Stephen J Fox occupying central midfield roles, with Paul Moran operating on the left wing. Up front, Darryl Shanahan and Mick Hynes led the attack as right and left forwards respectively. The substitutes bench included Mark Kemple, Tiago Faria, Phil Leddy, Tom Buchanan, Noel Brennan, and Sammi Idris.

The 3-5-2 setup was designed to provide defensive solidity through the three central defenders while allowing the wing midfielders to supply width and support the two forwards in attack. The central midfield trio were expected to control the tempo and link defence with offence, while the forwards aimed to capitalise on chances created.

The match began with Rathcoole showing intent, Johnny Paun testing the waters with an early attempt in the second minute, though his effort went wide. Karl Skelly was called into action at the eighth minute, comfortably catching a shot to keep his side in the contest. However, discipline was an early concern as Paul Moran committed a late tackle in the 11th minute, conceding a foul.

Rathcoole’s attacking efforts continued but lacked precision, with Moran firing high over the bar in the 15th minute. Defensively, Moran redeemed himself by blocking a clear chance in the 18th minute, preventing St. Ita’s from taking the lead. The match took a blow for Rathcoole shortly after when right defender Adrian Whelan was forced off injured in the 19th minute, replaced by Mark Kemple.

Midfield attempts from Stephen J Fox and Darryl Shanahan in the 27th and 32nd minutes respectively failed to trouble the opposition, both shots drifting wide. Mick Hynes followed suit with a wide effort in the 35th minute. Skelly remained alert, making another catch at 37 minutes to deny St. Ita’s.

The deadlock was broken just before half-time when St. Ita’s scored a close-range goal inside the box in the 40th minute, taking a deserved lead. Rathcoole’s substitute Mark Kemple made a crucial interception at 42 minutes to prevent a further chance, but the home side went into the break trailing 1-0.

At half-time, Rathcoole made a double substitution, bringing on Tiago Faria for both Mick Hynes and Luke Keegan, signalling a tactical reshuffle. Phil Leddy replaced Paul Lowry early in the second half at 46 minutes, adding fresh legs to the left defensive position.

The second half saw continued physicality, with Paul Moran committing another foul in the 48th minute. Rathcoole’s forwards pressed for an equaliser, with Darryl Shanahan’s shot saved at 50 minutes and Moran’s subsequent attempt sailing high at 51 minutes. Phil Leddy contributed defensively with a timely block at 52 minutes to deny St. Ita’s a chance.

Shanahan’s frustration showed as he fired wide again in the 56th minute. Gary Ryan was correctly flagged offside at 60 minutes, a decision applauded for good defending by the visitors. Tactical changes followed with Tom Buchanan replacing Johnny Paun at 61 minutes.

Noel Brennan entered the fray at 70 minutes, taking over from Darryl Shanahan as Rathcoole sought to inject energy into their attack. Colly O’Neil’s effort went wide at 72 minutes, and an injury to Paul Moran saw Sammi Idris come on at 74 minutes.

St. Ita’s doubled their advantage in the 77th minute, effectively sealing the contest. Rathcoole continued to push forward, with Stephen J Fox attempting a late effort at 80 minutes, but the deficit proved too great to overcome.

Despite Rathcoole’s spirited efforts and tactical adjustments, St. Ita’s proved the stronger side on the night, securing a 2-0 victory to progress in the cup. Rathcoole will look to regroup and build on their performance in upcoming fixtures.