EA Cup - Five of the Best

As the new League of Ireland season draws ever closer, the draw for the 2015 EA Sports Cup took place today. While it may be viewed by some as a low priority, when the teams are on the pitch and the chance of a cup final appearance is there to be won, the EA Sports Cup is as good a cup as any to hold aloft in front of your supporters. And it all starts in the first round.

So in honour of the 2015 EA Sports Cup first round draw, here are five of the most memorable first round EA Sports Cup games of recent seasons.

March 10th, 2014: Shelbourne 2 Bray Wanderers 5 (aet), Tolka Park

The build up was all about the return of Alan Mathews to Tolka Park following his departure from Shelbourne in acrimonious circumstances the previous season. It remains in the memory largely for the impact of one player: Jake Kelly.

Bray raced into a two goal lead inside the opening ten minutes thanks to a brace by Shane Byrne. It looked like the floodgates would open, but Bray failed to take their chances and Shels pulled a goal back two minutes after half-time through Darren Tinnelly. The Reds winger added a second on 67 minutes when Bray failed to deal with Shels' first corner of the night. It was set up for the First Division side to scalp their Premier Division opponents.

Enter Jake Kelly, a 63rd minute substitute. He didn't score in normal time, instead waiting until the third minute of extra-time to get his first goal, a perfectly executed free-kick. Shortly afterwards, he added a controversial second - his shot seemed to roll through the net and referee Tomas Connolly, after much confusion, reversed his initial decision to not award the goal.

At 4-2, the game was over, but Adam O'Connor was sent off in the 119th minute for a handball inside the penalty area - and that man Kelly stepped up to complete his extra-time hat-trick.

March 10th, 2014: Finn Harps 3 Cockhill Celtic 2, Finn Park

Cockhill Celtic fell two goals behind early on courtesy of a Sean McCarron strike and a Liam O'Donnell own goal. They also saw a Johnny Havlin effort not given as a goal – the former Harps defender's header hit the crossbar and bounced down before being cleared. Linesman Joe McHugh ruled that the whole of the ball hadn't crossed the line and Harps got to the interval with a 2-0 lead.

Cockhill didn't let that bother them as they came out fighting in the second half, getting their reward in the 66th minute when Malachy McDermott headed home from Gerry Gill's corner to pull one back. But a moment of madness two minutes later from midfielder James Bradley ruined Cockhill's chances - he was sent off for throwing the ball at referee Paul Duddy.

Harps striker Ruairi Keating netted the home side's third shortly after the sending off, and though Aidan O'Donnell made a more positive impact off the Cockhill bench than Bradley by scoring in the 85th minute, Harps held out to book their passage to the next round.

March 11th, 2013: Bohemians 3 UCD 2 (aet), Dalymount Park

Having left Bohemians to sign for UCD in the off-season, striker Dinny Corcoran showed the Gypsies what they were missing with a brace to give his new club a 2-0 lead - the opener a first-time strike from a Gary Burke cut-back on 35 minutes; the second a 53rd minute penalty which Corcoran won himself after drawing a foul from Roberto Lopes.

With Bohs' Shane Murray having a penalty saved by UCD 'keeper Mark McGinley just before half-time, it looked like the Students would go through. But Bohs pulled one back just three minutes after UCD's second goal - Dave Scully rifling home from six yards after a scramble in the box. Then, in the dying moments of the match, Karl Moore buried a free-kick past McGinley in dramatic fashion to force extra-time.

The extra 30 minutes were scrappy, but Bohs found a winner when McGinley fouled Stephen Paisley in the box in the 107th minute. Substitute Chris Lyons stepped up to take the penalty and though McGinley saved from the spot for a second time, Lyons was able to knock in the rebound.

March 28th 2011: Longford Town 2 UCD 3, City Calling Stadium

A good old-fashioned last minute leveller in the cup can only be beaten by a good old-fashioned last minute winner in the cup - and this game had both.

UCD took the lead after only seven minutes when Graham Rusk finished from Mark Langtry's cross. The visitors doubled their lead in the 23rd minute when Robbie Benson was pushed over in the box by Town goalkeeper Alvin Rouse - Robbie Creevy converted the spot-kick to put the Students in control.

However, Creevy turned from hero to villain when he fouled Don Cowan in the area to give away the game's second penalty. Mark Salmon converted to drag First Division Longford back into the tie. Then, with the game entering its 90th minute, Cowan rose highest to meet a cross from Jacques Morley to head Town level and seemingly force extra-time.

But the delirium of the home support had barely died down when, in the second minute of stoppage time, Rusk latched onto a defence-splitting pass from the redemption-seeking Creevy to slide home a dramatic winner for the away side. Controversial too as some felt Rusk was in an offside position when the ball was played.

April 13th, 2010: Derry City 3 Galway United 2, The Brandywell

Galway United travelled to the Brandywell with a squad of 13 players and no proper goalkeeper. This forced Galway manager Sean Connor to put defender Rhys Meynell between the sticks. Connor was also forced to use one of his two subs after only seven minutes of the game when Gary Cullen got injured. Despite this bizarre shortage of players, Galway were leading 2-1 against Derry with 12 minutes to go.

Shane McEleney put the Candystripes ahead in the 33rd minute when he rifled home a loose ball after Galway had failed to deal with a Darren Cassidy corner. Stephen Kenny would have expected his side to go on and kill the tie, but instead was left looking on in bemusement as Galway firstly levelled matters and then took the lead.

Ciaran Foley's pass found Cain McBrien, who left Derry 'keeper Gary Doherty with no chance to make it 1-1 after 57 minutes. Then the unthinkable happened as Emmett Friars left a backpass to Doherty short and Karl Sheppard reached it first, squaring the ball for McBrien to tap in for his and Galway's second of the game.

But Galway couldn't hold out. Kenny utilised his bench by bringing on David McDaid and Patrick McEleney. The latter teed up the former to head home Derry's equaliser before Patrick McEleney converted a penalty in the 83rd minute after he was brought down by Seamus Conneely.