Rockmount 3 Portmarnock : Rockmount greeted this FAI Cup victory over Portmarnock at Rockmount Park yesterday with a mixture of joy and relief.

Portmarnock had beaten Rockmount in their previous two meetings in the competition but the Cork side quickly put themselves above the risk of failing for a third time.

Rockmount led 3-0 at half-time in a one-sided contest and in the process they showed the good organisation and capacity for hard work that took them to the FAI Intermediate Cup title last season.

Centre forward Michael Deasy and his partner Ross O'Callaghan kept the Portmarnock defence at full stretch throughout the game.

They showed surprising sharpness in their opening match of the season to go into that lead by half-time and ensure the match was effectively beyond Portmarnock's reach so early in the game.

Deasy showed them the way with a goal within 24 minutes of the start.

The second followed within two minutes as Pat Oldham turned a powerful header beyond the reach of Portmarnock goalkeeper Thomas Kavanagh. And Deasy added the third in the 37th minute.

Dave Battigan gave Portmarnock reason to hope when he pulled one back in the 53rd minute but there was no further joy for Portmarnock.

Indeed they suffered the disappointment of having Declan Dolan sent off in the final minute of the match.

ROCKMOUNT: Slattery; Busteed, Buckley (Montgomery 70, mins), O'Mahony, Hurley, Martin, Oldham, Keane, Deasy, Hennessy (Doolin, 82 mins), O'Callaghan.

PORTMARNOCK: Kavanagh; Battigan, Dolan, Ambrose, McDonald, Carroll (Boyle 65, mins), McGuinness (Bolton, 52 mins), Flynn, Hills, Kelly (Canavan, 82 mins), O'Meara.

Referee: A O'Regan (Cork).