Malahide United see off Salthill Devon on penalties

Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Salthill Devon 2 Malahide United 2 (Malahide 6-5 on penalties) 

Malahide United squeezed past a spirited Salthill Devon after an absorbing 120 minutes in Drom to secure their place in the second round of the Extra.ie FAI Cup.

The visitors made their intentions clear early and owned the opening quarter. Cillian Timmins terrorised down the flank and the visitors could have had a penalty and scored inside the first 10 minutes. After weathering the early storm, Devon went close themselves, Lucas Da Paula rattling the bar.

After the turnaround the game exploded into life. Jordi Ebanda stole down the left and blasted home to give the visitors a deserved lead in the 52nd minute.

It was a lead that lasted only three minutes as Devon defender Cillian Doyle turned well in the box to bundle home another threatening Da Paula corner.

Devon then stole in front after an hour, the electric Matthew Barrett racing clear and poking home.

The Dubliners never gave up and sub Dillon Keane went close twice. Devon continued to create too, hitting the woodwork three times in all.

They paid the price for these misses, when deep in injury time Ciaran McGahon coolly nodded home to set up extra-time.

Devon had 2 great chances to win in extra time, Matthew Barrett being excellently denied by Dylan McNulty at the end of each period of extra-time.

The same pair had the final say in sudden death of penalties. 11 penalties in a row were slotted until McNulty again thwarted Barrett to send the visitors through after a cracker.

Salthill Devon: DeAmorim, Doyle, Geraghty, Allen (Conlon 45); Thompson, Murray (Darcy 78), O' Rourke, Conway, Barrett; Da Paula (Kovtun 72), Faherty (Duffy 85). 

Malahide United: McNulty; Deasy, Gaul, Healy, Melling (McGahon 39); Doyle (Keane 57), Brennan (Dooney 83), Cashin; Timmins (Whelahan 65), Ebanda, McGlynn (Dooney 117). 

Referee: Trevor Conlon.