Glory for Glynn-Barntown
Fantastic Forth effort foiled as new name added to cup
GLYNN BARNTOWN A FORTH CELTIC B
A NEW name was added to the Jack’s Mini World Cup roll of honour for the third year running before a large crowd in sun-soaked Kennedy Park on Sunday when a polished Glynn Barntown outfit followed in the footsteps of New Ross Town in 2016, and Curracloe United last year, by winning this prestigious schoolboys title for the first time.
However, this was far from an easy exercise for the pre-match favourites, as they were pushed all the way by a superbly-organised Forth Celtic B team, the surprise packets who had lit up another memorable competition with their positive passing football and tight defence.
Glynn Barntown took out a fellow big-hitter at the quarter-final stage on Bank Holiday Monday when New Ross Town departed at their hands, and they improved even further on that performance in Wednesday’s semi-final when they put seven goals past North End United.
They needed plenty of patience before breaking the deadlock in this very entertaining final though, with the generally younger and smaller Forth Celtic boys playing out of their skins.
Impressive captain Rian O’Grady directed a dangerous ball across goal in the first minute, before Glynn Barntown settled as a Cian Donovan shot was blocked and Oscar Ramsey fired over after their first corner.
A lovely crossfield pass by O’Grady from left to right gave Jamie Stafford-Doyle time to get a shot away for Forth in the seventh minute, and he only cleared the bar by a matter of inches.
The next Glynn Barntown corner almost led to the opening goal in the eighth minute, as a low piledriver by Rory Goff was cleared off the line before Oscar Ramsey shot too high from the rebound.
Goff and Alfie Whelan had further attempts blocked, with Jamie Stafford-Doyle swinging one across goal at the other end before Glynn Barntown took the lead in spectacular fashion in the 14th minute.
It was always going to take something special to unlock such a well-drilled Forth defence, and it duly arrived when Billy Martin passed on the right to Rory Goff who lofted the ball into the far top corner of the net with a clinical and
Glynn Barntown. Back (from left): Rúairí Corley, Oscar Ramsey (capt.), Colin Carley, Oisín McDonagh, Billy Walsh. Front (from left): Rory Goff, Billy Martin, Callum Kennedy, Alfie Whelan, Cian Donovan.
composed finish.
It remained 1-0 up to half-time, with Glynn Barntown having the better of the exchanges after that cracking goal.
Alfie Whelan and Colin Carley had attempts to increase the lead before Billy Martin’s shot was cleared off the line by the outstanding Alex Norval, one of the finest footballers to grace this tournament in many years.
Martin shot high and wide from a Rory Goff cross during that period of pressure, with the only respite for Forth arriving when Rian O’Grady’s free-kick from distance was saved by Callum Kennedy.
Martin intercepted a kick-out and nearly made it two, while his volley from Goff’s cross on the restart hinted that there was more to come from Glynn Barntown.
Team captain Oscar Ramsey made a vital block on a Rian O’Grady shot, while Ben Corish did likewise at the other end to deny the industrious Cian Donovan, whose passing was first rate.
That second goal arrived just under four minutes into the second-half from a throw-in on the right, with the ball arriving on the edge of the box for Billy Walsh who first-timed a low shot into the left corner of the net.
That marked the start of a prolonged period of Glynn Barntown pressure, but they were denied time and time again by the heroics of these Forth Celtic players who won the hearts of neutrals with their refusal to give in.
Colin Carley had a shot saved by Rory Lambert before Forth captain Rian O’Grady shot to the right and wide from a free-kick.
Less than three minutes later he was back on his own line to deny Carley a goal, while a Billy Martin volley had been well saved in between before he also cleared the bar from a Carley cross.
Netminder Lambert tipped a Carley effort from distance out for a corner, while he got down well at this near post to save when Cian Donovan tried to release Alfie Whelan.
Forth Celtic pushed the electric Alex Norval further forward in a bid to unlock a strong defence marshalled by two giants in the form of Oscar Ramsey and Colin Carley.
And his good play released Charlie Mullan, scorer of a wonder goal from distance in the semi-final, but on this occasion he couldn’t keep his shot down.
Netminder Callum Kennedy cut out a Norval cross, with Glynn Barntown managing to weather that brief storm to add a third goal before the end.
It arrived in the 39th minute when captain Oscar Ramsey finished Alfie Whelan’s corner from the left to the net, leaving the boys in blue and green to celebrate on a day when key squad member Oisín McDonagh was absent owing to holidays.
Members of the Carthy family were on hand to present the cup to Ramsey, while the Wexford People player of the match award went to Glynn Barntown’s Cian Donovan.
And there was one major consolation for Forth Celtic, as their speedy and skilful number six, Alex Norval, was a most popular winner of the overall player of the tournament award.
Damien Roche of Mini World Cup sponsors, Roche Logistics Group, was on hand to present the players with their trophies and medals, with assistance from Cllr. Frank Staples who represented the local authority at the finals.
Aisling Broaders was a very capable M.C. for the presentation ceremony, with great credit also due to club Chairperson Linda Dempsey, chief organiser Martin Kirby, loyal referees Ger Morris, Jimmy Kelly and Sam O’Neill, and photographer Mick Harpur.
Now that this 47th annual competition is over, the players and mentors can settle down and watch the ‘real’ World Cup, although something tells me the action in Russia won’t be a patch on the thrills and spills spectators had the privilege of witnessing at the Albion grounds in the past fortnight!
Everyone involved ought to take a bow for the parts they played in a wonderful two weeks of sportsmanship and quality football, played in ever-present sunshine.
Glynn Barntown A: Callum Kennedy, Oscar Ramsey (capt.), Colin Carley, Rory Goff, Cian Donovan, Alfie Whelan, Billy Martin, Billy Walsh, Rúairí Corley, also Oisín McDonagh.
Forth Celtic B: Rory Lambert, Ben Corish, Alex Norval, Charlie Mullan, Jamie Stafford-Doyle, Rian O’Grady (capt.), Alfie Elmes, Craig Kelly, Killian Conway.
Referee: Ger Morris.