Curracloe come good at second attempt
Seasiders see off St. Leonards to win the Division 2 title
LATE GOALS from substitute Conor Hearne and rampaging right-back Colin Cleary saw Curracloe United earn a dramatic victory in the Division 2 title play-off in Ferrycarrig Park on Sunday evening.
When the prolific Seán ‘Mini’ Ryan headed St. Leonards in front in the 57th minute, it looked like the Ballycullane boys had one hand on the silverware, but Conor Sutton equalised in somewhat contentious circumstances, before Curracloe finished strongly to take the title.
St. Leonards initially thought they had dodged a bullet when the offside flag was raised, but after consulting with his assistant, referee Brian Fenlon allowed the goal to stand.
The saints had the psychological edge going into the winnertakes-all tie, having overcome their rivals the previous weekend to force a play-off, but Curracloe took their medicine and learned the lessons from that loss, although it must be said the result could have gone either way again.
These are two very good sides, and on any given day either could come out on top, with a rub of the green or a moment of magic being the decisive factor.
It was certainly the latter this time around, with Conor Hearne, not long after his exertions in helping Shelmaliers qualify for a Senior hurling semi-final, applying an exquisite finish to fire Curracloe in front in the 85th minute.
With St. Leonards having no choice but to push everyone forward, the seasiders then took advantage on the break in injury time, with Colin Cleary, who was involved in all three of his side’s goals, applying a finish that any striker would be proud of.
Both sides went gung-ho from the off the previous weekend, but with so much at stake they were understandably a little more cagey early on this time around and the first shot in anger didn’t arrive until the 15th minute when Adrian Flynn’s strike from the edge of the area was easily gathered by goalkeeper Aodhán Foley.
‘Panther’ was ready to pounce and seconds later he again had a sight of goal when he was found by a diagonal ball from the lively Jack Burford, but although he managed to lift his shot over Foley, it was also a yard over the bar.
The game was certainly a slow burner, but it suddenly came to life in the 28th minute when Conor Sutton played in Tomás Murphy, who was brought down for a penalty.
Mark O’Connor had opened the scoring from the spot the previous weekend, but he wasn’t able to repeat the trick as he opted for power and his high and not so handsome effort sailed over the ’bar.
Both sides found it hard to create clearcut chances, although in the 42nd minute Eoin Ryan did well on the left before teeing up Seán Ryan, who shot over, while, for Curracloe, Tomás Murphy failed to get a firm enough connection on a Gary Murphy cross from the right.
Seconds later Adrian Flynn had another sniff of a chance at the other end, but his looping effort was clawed away by Foley.
The game really came to life following the interval, and after substitute Evan Kiely had shot across the face of goal in the 54th minute, seconds after being introduced, Conor Sutton showed his class at the other end, bursting through the heart of the defence and hitting a well-struck effort narrowly wide of the right post.
The breakthrough finally came with 56 minutes on the clock when Eoin Ryan sent in an inviting cross from the right, and Seán ‘Mini’ Ryan steered a header to the corner of the net.
St. Leonards were determined to strike while the iron was hot, and Adrian Flynn sent Eoin Ryan clear on the right before galloping forward to meet his cross with a header, but his effort was straight at the goalkeeper.
However, Curracloe were only behind for eight minutes as Colin Cleary’s ball forward flicked off a defender into the path of Graham Staples, and he squared for Conor Sutton, who turned the ball home.
Curracloe suddenly had a new lease of life, and Kerill and Conor Sutton linked up well to tee up Stephen McGuire, but the substitute directed a decent chance wide of the right post.
The seasiders did get their noses in front with just over five minutes remaining and they did so in considerable style.
Colin Cleary’s searching ball forward sent Conor Hearne on his way down the right, and with goalkeeper Micheál Ryan in no man’s land, the substitute lifted a sumptuous shot over his head from a tight angle.
It was game, set and match in the second minute of injury time as a neat Tomás Murphy pass put Cleary in the clear, but he still had plenty of work to do and he did it in style, arrowing a shot into the far corner of the net to kick-start the title celebrations.
CURRACLOE UNITED: Aodhán Foley; Colin Cleary, Robbie Staples, Gary Murphy, Ryan Donnelly; Graham Staples, Larry Stoute, Oisín Furlong, Conor Sutton, Mark O’Connor; Tomás Murphy. Subs. - Conor Hearne for O’Connor (57), Kerill Sutton for G. Murphy (57), Stephen McGuire for Furlong (66), Seán Keane-Carroll for McGuire, inj. (82), Barry Redmond (capt.) for T. Murphy (90+2), also Kyle Roche, Diarmuid Byrne.
ST. LEONARDS: Micheál Ryan; Jack Burford, Ken Cahill (capt.), Sam Wall, Jamie Cooney; Donal Kiely, Graeme Cullen, Mark Rossiter, Eoin Ryan; Seán Ryan, Adrian Flynn. Subs. - Evan Kiely for D. Kiely (53), Shane Ryan for E. Ryan (71), Ian Gaffney for Burford (84), Nicky Sinnott for Cullen (88), also Jack Culleton, Páraic Conway, Aran Murphy, Ben Whitty, Jason Dunne. REFEREE: Brian Fenlon.