- Dave Donnelly
- Mon, Mar 21 2016
Sodiq Oguntola returned to haunt his former club for the second time in four days as he inspired Shelbourne to a 5-0 EA Sports Cup victory over Cabinteely at Tolka Park.
Oguntola set up Gavin Boyne's first-half opener and added two of his own in the space of six second-half minutes to cap off a brilliant individual performance.
Substitutes James English and Mark Sandford added strikes of their own in the closing stages to produce a margin that was unfair on the visitors, who had been well in the game up until the second goal.
Both sides made extensive changes after the 1-1 league draw between the sides on Friday, with Oguntola given a first start of the season for Shels and Oliver Hamzat leading the line for Cabo as top scorer Ben Hanrahan was given the night off.
Cabo's Oscar Brennan, absent on Friday following his red card at UCD, had the first shot in anger as he drove straight at Jack Brady within the first 60 seconds, an openness that was characteristic of the entire game.
It took just eight minutes for Shels to open the scoring as, having threatened with deep runs from midfield already, Boyne was released by a clever defence-splitting pass from Oguntola and slotted the ball coolly under the body of Cabo keeper Michael Kelly.
Kevin Doherty's side should have doubled their advantage on the half-hour from Gareth Coughlan's corner, but Oguntola and Robert O'Reilly collided with one another when any sort of touch would have taken the ball past Kelly.
As the half hour approached, Cabo almost got the equaliser they deserved as the ever-impressive Brennan unleashed a fine drive from outside the area and was unfortunate to see the ball cannon back off the top of the post.
Shels were having joy with a series of angled balls over the top for Carl Walshe, and the former Drogheda United man should have scored when he latched onto Dylan Kavanagh's pass, but Kelly did well to narrow the angle and save with his feet.
Walshe redeemed himself shortly after the hour mark as he connected with Conor Keely's lofted pass and centred for Oguntola, who dove to head into an empty net.
Shelbourne continued to pile on the pressure and, after Oguntola forced another good stop from Kelly, the Nigerian striker rolled the ball into the corner of the net following more good work from Walshe.
With progression to the next round guaranteed, Shels refused to ease off and Doherty introduced strikers Mark Sandford and James English in the final quarter, with Oguntola denied the opportunity to bag his first hat-trick in senior football.
English made it four with 14 minutes remaining as he drilled through a crowd of bodies from six yards, before Sandford volleyed home to rub further salt in Cabinteely's now festering wound.
Shelbourne: Jack Brady; Darragh Gannon, Robert O'Reilly, Conor Keely, Dylan Kavanagh; Robert Duggan, Gavin Boyne, Dylan Grimes (James English 70), Carl Walshe, Gareth Coughlan (Alan Kehoe 58), Sodiq Oguntola (Mark Sandford 67).
Subs not used: Greg Murray (gk), Ryan Robinson, Alan Kehoe, Cian Kavanagh, Lorcan Shannon, James English, Mark Sandford.
Cabinteely: Michael Kelly; Lloyd Cairns, Andrew Wall, Lee Mitchell, Kevin Knight; Sean Burke, Oscar Brennan, Mark Slater (Joe Doyle 46), Troy Owens (Aaron Brilly 75); Shane Heffernan, Oliver Hamzat (Stephen Hanley 63).
Subs not used: Cathal Gillen (gk), Karl Byrne, Edward McDonagh, Aaron Brilly, Joe Doyle, Michael Brown, Stephen Hanley.
Referee: Robert Harvey.
Attendance: 300 (estimate).
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Sodiq Oguntola (Shelbourne)
