There’s no stopping ‘Mor boys in cup final
Muirhevnamor 5 Shamrocks 2
THE rain teemed down at the start of the season’s final showdown but the fireworks exploded in the final ten minutes as Billy Smith broke the resistance of his doughty former side with the completion of a match winning hat-trick to make it ten triumphs in a row for Muirhevnamor in the McConville Cup.
Jimmy Cooney appeared like he was going to be the star turn in this final as he pulled his side back level after twice falling behind, playing an important part in one goal and scoring the other from the penalty spot.
But Smith, the league’s outstanding striker, cast off the shackles in the second half after a subdued opening period to regain the lead for his side five minutes after the interval with a bullet-like finish from inside the penalty box.
Then as his side took a stranglehold on the play after Cooney had cancelled out that goal, he showed the lethal qualities in the penalty box that has yielded him something like 35 goals over the course of another all conquering campaign and a third clean sweep of the main trophies in four seasons for Muirhevnamor.
The switch of Mickey O’Kane to partner Smith from mid-field after he started in the heart of defence was crucial in carving out the lead for the holders for the third and decisive time eight minutes from time. He pounced on a mis-kick by a Shamrocks player some 30 yards from goal, and sped into the box to fire a shot against the butt of the post. Smith was quickest to re-act to blast the rebound high into the roof of the empty net.
Shamrocks were under the cosh from Cooney’s leveller on the hour, but could have equalised again when the ball grazed off Cooney’s head at the back post with the goal gaping after a great run and cross from the left by Gaffey.
However, Smith brilliantly clinched victory making his side’s fourth goal as he raced clear into the box for Padraig Gorham to save but the ball broke free and Gary Clarke headed over the line from a few yards, capitalising on indecision a minute from time.
Fittingly Smith crowned his heroics with a magnificent overhead kick that flew low into the bottom corner of the net from near the penalty spot a minute into stoppage time.
A slide rule pass by Connor Mulvenna from just inside his opponents half split open the centre of Shamrocks defence for Brendan Hughes to guide the ball past the advancing Padraig Gorham for the opening goal after 19 minutes. .
As the half progressed Shamrocks who lost manager Anto Reilly a minute prior to going behind, grew into the game. Jimmy Cooney’s switch from left back into mid field gave them more of an attacking thrust and found joy down the left flank.
Centre-half Derek Rogers put Cooney free on the left edge of the box with a chipped pass from half way, but the latter fluffed his shot and didn’t trouble the goalkeeper.
The goalkeeper then produced a great one handed save from his namesake as Jimmy slipped Mickey O’Kane on the left and raced free into the left side of the box.
The best move of the game produced the equaliser a minute from the break. That man Cooney won the ball in an uncompromising tussle on the left touchline on half way for Robbie Macken to flick a pass inside for Dean Browne to win a race with the advancing goalkeeper and rounded him to steer the ball inside the near post from a tight angle.
Billy Smith’s tour de force began when the ball was played low into his feet in the penalty box and marker Ciaran Clarke was helpless as he fired home in the 54th minute .
But Cooney levelled the score again. He controlled a high pass into the box by Connor Mack- in and beat substi- tute Paul Mallon. As Cooney raced in along the by-line the substitute sent him tumbling only five minutes after his introduction.
The referee pointed to the spot and Cooney placed his curling kick beyond the full stretch of Cooney, whose fingers might have touched the ball but he couldn’t keep it out.
Brian Begley stabbed a shot against the butt of the post with Gorham beaten and the rebound was cleared, but Shamrocks wilted under the firepower of Smith in the last ten minutes. MUIRHEVNAMOR: David Cooney, Andy Gray, Craig Dixon, Mickey O’Kane, Sean Dixon, Gary Clarke, Brendan Hughes, Connor Mulvenna (Paul Mallon 55), Brian Begley, Billy Smith, Damien Ralph (Adrian Rafferty 77).
SHAMROCKS: Padraig Gorham, Jimmy Cooney, Ciaran Clarke, Derek Rogers, Connor Mackin, Anto McLaughlin, Owen Armstrong, Gavin Gaffey(Liam Gray 90), Robbie Mackin, Dean Browne, Anto Reilly. Manager, Anto Reilly (Sean Matthews 18)
REFEREE Charlie Pierce.