In the FAI Cup match held on April 9, 2023, between St. Michaels and Ballynanty Rovers FC, we saw St. Michaels taking home the win with a score of 2-1.

It's worth noting upfront that the key to their victory was their productive utilization of set-pieces, evident from their 9 corner kicks in contrast to Ballynanty Rovers' 6. St. Michaels capitalized early with a goal in the first half at 28 minutes 53 seconds, creating a match tone that put pressure on the Rovers. Despite their efforts, the Rovers couldn't break the St. Michaels' defense to equalize in the first half.

St. Michaels doubled the lead in the opening minutes of the second half at 59 minutes 54 seconds. The statistical data indicates a sheer dominance from St. Michaels, as they maintained the 2-goal cushion for a considerable duration of the second half. However, Ballynanty Rovers FC showed resilience and struck back at 65 minutes 18 seconds to make the score 2-1.

Analyzing the disciplinary actions of the game, St. Michaels had 3 yellow cards, one more than Ballynanty Rovers FC, who had 2. Interestingly, both teams received yellow cards in quick sequences - the visitor's dual yellows at 70 minutes 37 and 70 minutes 38 seconds followed by St. Michaels' cards at 80 minutes 2 seconds and 94 minutes 54 seconds, demonstrates the intensity of the latter stages of the match.

It's also essential to point out the discrepancy in fouls committed by both teams, wherein St. Michaels committed a whopping 20 fouls against 8 by Ballynanty Rovers FC. This excessive physical game by St. Michaels can be interpreted as their attempt to disrupt the rhythm of the Rovers' play. Notably, the match data shows that Ballynanty Rovers FC had one player sent off, which definitely made an impact on their gameplay.

Despite the win, St. Michaels could be quite disappointed about their offsides, with one being flagged, the only one in the match. For a team with this level of control over the game and the number of set-pieces, they would certainly want to rectify this in subsequent games to fully maximize their goal opportunities.

In summary, St Michaels' victory over Ballynanty Rovers FC in this intense FAI Cup game was due to their effective use of corners and commendable defense. An aggressive play surfaced in the later stages of the game, which resulted in multiple disciplinary actions and a sending off for Ballynanty Rovers FC, compounding the difficulties in their comeback. These factors indeed played a significant role in dictating the eventual result of the match.

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