Dean O’Brien scored a dramatic last gasp winner to book CIE Ranch a place in the second round of the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup.
Though a close game between the Leinster Senior League rivals at Coldcut, Ranch edged it on chances and were deserving winners over a side a division above them.
Ranch began positively with Lee O’Sullivan finding space to fire off a shot that was ably dealt with by Kevin Kelly in the Bus goal just 10 seconds in.
O’Brien should have done better six minutes later when he planted a free header wide from a Glenn McCabe corner.
The higher ranked Bus enjoyed a spell of pressure with Paul McMahon’s volley from a Ciaran Bisset corner bringing a terrific save from Ranch keeper Sean Brazil on 15 minutes.
Solid at the back and more threatening up top, Ranch were proving to be the better side.
O’Sullivan crashed a shot off the Bus crossbar on the half hour after home keeper Kevin Kelly flapped at a cross from McCabe.
Frantic defending was required by Bus as they then had to clear a looping header from Peter Thomas from another McCabe corner off their line.
After Ranch defender Keith Eagers headed wide from a McCabe free kick early on, chances were scarce in a tight second half before the late twist prevented extra-time.
With referee Johnny Glynn’s watch into the third minute of added time, O’Brien found time and space to crack home a left-footed shot from outside the area that screamed into the right-hand corner of Kelly’s net for what was literally the last kick of the game.
Dublin Bus: Kevin Kelly; Patrick Mahon, Stephen Byrne, Aaron Brazil, Liam O’Dwyer; Paul McMahon (Daniel Gleeson 77), Alex O’Callaghan (Oscar Sibanda 63), Geoff Doyle, Sean Maher; Ciaran Bisset, Dylan Byrne.
CIE Ranch: Sean Brazil; James Bracken, Gary Sullivan, Keith Eagers (Edward Smith 84), Dean Dunne (Patrick Byrne 65); Graham Griffiths, Glenn McCabe, Dean O’Brien, Lee O’Sullivan; Paul Dunphy, Peter Thomas.
Referee: Johnny Glynn (Dublin)
