Magic Moyne end United’s double hopes
MOYNE RANGERS denied North End United the league and cup double with an inspired performance in the Stanno Youth Cup final in Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday.
The result will come as a shock to many who are familiar with the Wexford youth football scene, as North End had clearly run away with the Premier Division title, scoring an incredible 64 goals in eleven games.
That statistic makes Moyne’s win all the more impressive though, as they matched the Wexford town side’s performance and were clinical when they needed to be.
In some respects, you could argue that they just wanted it more than North End.
It was clear Moyne were up for the fight, however they did well not to allow their heads to drop when United went a goal to the good.
North End had been on top in the early exchanges and the physicality of Leon Nolan-Cullen was causing problems, particularly from set-pieces.
They took the lead in the 25th minute when Ciarán Carthy’s free-kick was knocked on by Leon Sinnott, and Nolan-Cullen then rose highest to head in over goalkeeper Anthony Larkin.
However, it may have been United’s opener which actually allowed Moyne to lift off the shackles and play as if they had nothing to lose. Within six minutes, the Enniscorthy side had put the ball in the net twice and turned the game completely on its head.
The leveller was a free-kick, not too dissimilar from North End’s. Lee Jordan delivered and Nathan O’Connor headed across goal for Cian Hanley to volley into the right corner of the net.
The second was a peach of a strike. Liam Evans had done well to earn a free on the edge of the box which Jordan drilled low, through the wall and past ‘keeper James Creane.
Moyne’s lead was also shortlived however, and North End’s second made it four goals in just twelve first-half minutes. Niall Connolly’s cross was met by Nolan-Cullen to nod home at the near post.
After viewing the first-half you wouldn’t have guessed that the next goal in the game would be the winning one. Fortunately for Moyne, it was.
Coming just eight minutes after the re-start and directly after a North End corner, tremendous pressure from Evans won the ball back on the half-way line.
From here, he had it all to do and plenty of time to overthink, but Evans kept his cool as he raced towards goal and placed calmly to the right-hand side of Creane.
After the goal which would eventually prove to be the winner, North End pushed and Rangers looked dangerous on the counter.
United went closest when Connolly’s volley dipped onto the crossbar, and Dylan O’Brien momentarily thought he had equalised before the offside flag went up.
Moyne actually saw out the final 15 minutes with very few scares and were went on to deservedly lift the Stanno Youth Cup. MOYNE RANGERS: Anthony Larkin; Craig Peare, Marcus McCarthy, Nathan O’Connor, Steven Kearns; Dillon O’Byrne, Anthony Murphy, Lee Jordan, Cian Hanley, Liam Evans; John Murphy. Subs. - Darragh Breen for A. Murphy (65), Seán Breen for O’Byrne (65), Michael Delaney for Peare (75), also Evan Dempsey, Shane Broaders.
NORTH END UNITED: James Creane; Josh Murphy, Harry Kehoe, Darragh Howell, Liam Godkin; Dylan O’Brien, Leon Sinnott, Ciarán Carthy, Niall Connolly, Brandon Sinnott; Leon Nolan-Cullen. Subs. - Seán Murphy for Sinnott (68), Kyle Kennedy for Murphy (84), Shane Clancy for Kehoe (85), also Tomás Donovan, Kyle Turner, Josh Lawlor, Aaron Roche.
REFEREE: Kieran Dunne.