Halwax the hero as Kerry dump Shelbourne out of FAI Cup after penalties

Kerry FC goalkeeper Harry Halwax celebrates. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

FAI Cup: Kerry 2 Shelbourne 2 (AET) (Kerry win 6-5 on penalties)

Kerry FC dumped Premier Division Shelbourne out of the FAI Cup on penalties in Tralee in a cup tie for the ages.

Harry Halwax saved the sudden-death penalty to send Kerry FC through against 10-man Shelbourne, who twice missed with the chance to go through.

Shels were reduced to 10 early in the half but took the lead. Kerry scored twice within a minute to go ahead but Henry Francis rescued the extra period and then penalties with a late equaliser.

It was a cagey first half with chances few and far between, although Kerry were holding their own against the Premier Division side, who did enjoy most of the ball.

The tie blew into life just seven minutes into the second half when Odhran Casey of Shelbourne was shown his marching orders for a second yellow card, just six minutes after picking up his first.

Shels responded well, though, and the 10-men opened the scoring on the hour mark

Substitute Sean Moore’s corner fell to Paddy Barrett at the edge of the area, whose shot was parried into a dangerous area, with Daniel Kelly first onto the rebound to smash home.

But Kerry got back level twelve minutes from time when Sean O’Connell managed to steer the ball home from close range after Shelbourne failed to clear their lines.

Eleven seconds after the restart, Kerry were ahead. A moment of madness saw Shels play back to keeper Finn Moylan, whose clearance was blocked down by Murphy, allowing him to smash into an empty net.

But Shels found a way. 

Shelbourne first team coach David McAllister has words with Kerry FC manager Colin Healy. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Four minutes into injury time, Jack Henry-Francis shot from the edge of the area, took a huge deflection and found the bottom left corner.

Despite the best efforts of Vince Borden for Kerry and Daniel Ring for Shels, the sides remained level through the extra innings, so penalties were required.

Britton and Murphy both missed their first two as Shels raced into the lead on spot kicks but both Roche and Caffery saw their penalties saved as it went to sudden death. 

Vincent Borden scored the 15th penalty, and when Sean Gannon missed number 16, Mounthawk Park went wild.

Kerry FC: Harry Halwax; Samuel Aladesanusi, Niall Brookwell, Jonas Hakkinen, Sean O’Connell; Ewan Lee, Vincent Borden; Cian Bargary, Cian Brosnan, Daniel Okwute; Cian Murphy. 

Subs: Sean McGrath for Brosnan (58), Matthew Britton for Aladesanusi (70), Luke Palmer for Bargary (82), Colin Healy for Okwute (111).

Shelbourne: Finn Moylan; Milan Mbeng, Kameron Ledwidge, Odhran Casey, James Norris; Ali Coote, Evan Caffery, Jack Henry-Francis, Daniel Kelly; Will Jarvis, Rodrigo Freitas.

Subs: Sean Moore for Coote (HT), Daniel Ring for Freitas (55), Paddy Barrett for Jarvis (55), Sam Bone for Norris (69), James Roche for Ledwidge (84), Sean Gannon for Henry-Francis (90).

Referee: Neil Doyle