Magnificent Muirhevna’ retain their Cup crown
TULLY BOOKMAKERS CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
SPURRED by the loss of their year long unbeaten record, Muirhevnamor gained swift and sweet compensation on Sunday over being denied the title by their opponents and the opportunity to complete the double in the North East interim league.
The clash between the two immediate past holders of the trophy had a distinct edge in what was an ill tempered, niggling encounter and that there was no love lost between the sides was clear after the final whistle as Muirhevnamor instantly celebrated only for a mass melee on the field to develop at the league headquarters.
The decider won’t be remembered for the quality of football, but for the winners it went a long way to erase the deep disappointment of falling at the final hurdle and the relish that Trim took from that 4-2 victory a few days prior at the same venue.
Three players were sent off in the league title decider and it was perhaps natural there was a carry over needle in the exchanges with the teams dead set on crowning their season with some glory.
The tight pitch wasn’t conducive to free-flowing expansive football, and with space hard to find it was mainly a hard,
Muirhevnamor Trim Celtic 3 2
physical battle with a lot of aerial tussles. It was mostly in the air way that the teams worked the ball into the respective penalty boxes.
Tellingly it was also the route, three from set pieces, by which all the goals bar the winner was fashioned, with clear openings very limited, and the goalkeepers were seldom called upon to make saves.
Muirhevnamor dominated territorially the opening phase of the game, with the play concentrated in the Trim half, and it yielded the opening goal. Nathan Murphy swung in a free-kick from near half way and Mickey O’Hare got in between a hesitant defence and advancing goalkeeper inside the penalty box and got a touch with his head for the ball to end up in the net.
Trim worked their way into the game, and as the half progressed they forced the issue, and struck a psychological blow right on the stroke of half-time. Again it was from a free-kick swung in from the right by Dean Courtney inside the Muirhevnamor half that Eoin O’Connor equalised for Trim. He likewise escaped from the defence to head past the exposed Michael Cooney.
It became even more significant when eight minutes into the second-half the dangerous Courtney crossed as James Goggins caught the holders on the hop as he quickly rolled a free kick to him near the touchline not far away from the 18 yard box. Brian Faulkner set up Aaron Williams to find the top of the net to make it 2-1 for Trim.
A big irony in the game was that Williams was withdrawn not long after as four of the five goalscorers were replaced, with Robbie Dillon taken on at the interval for Eoin O’Connor for his side.
Then after Martin Smith barely two minutes later restored parity as he found room in the Trim penalty box to head Adrian Rafferty’s long delivery under the crossbar, he made way for Gary Clarke seven minutes later.
Matchwinner Billy Smith also didn’t last the 90 minutes. He notched the decisive goal in the 68 minutes when substitute Brendan Hughes’s pass from the left found a gap in the centre of the Trim defence and his colleague in a yard or two space advanced from his marker to plant his shot low inside the post.
The holders had a few chances to seal victory. Instead they were indebted to Jimmy Cooney’s for his clearance off his line to hold onto their lead and the trophy. The ball came off O’Kane a couple of yards out with their defence in a terrible tangle five minutes from time and only for Cooney extra-time would likely have resulted.
MUIRHEVNAMOR: Michael Cooney, Brian Begley, Jimmy Cooney, Adrian Rafferty, Nathan Murphy (Chris Caulfield 87), Cody Magill (Colin Finan 76), Thomas McShane (Brendan Hughes 56), Philip Duffy, Mickey O’Kane, Billy Smith (Tiernan Mulvenna 86), Martin Smith (Gary Clarke 62). Other subs Sean Dixon, Niall Hearty, Vinny Smith. Managers, Sean Maguire, Paudie Hearty, Sean Dixon.
TRIM CELTIC: Rob Westphal Mark Leavy, James Goggins, Eoin O’Connor (Robbie Dillon 45), Sean Fitzpatrick, Brian Faulkner, Killian Corcoran (Derek Donohoe 84), Conor Walsh, Colm Carney, Aaron Williams (Luke Mahon 61), Dean Courtney. Other subs Anthony Burke, Ciaran O’Connell, Paul Munnelly, Scott O’Leary. Manager, Alan Murphy. Assistants, Jimmy Hyland, Bruce McCreary.
REFEREE, Simon Mahon. Assistants, Peter Burns jnr, Mike Brien, Ken Ennis.