BILLY BROWNE CUP FINAL Hat-trick hero Sinnott is the star for Cushinstown
SOCCER
NICKY SINNOTT will look back on this game with fondness after he delivered a superb hat-trick to inspire Cushinstown to retain the Billy Browne Cup at the expense of a young and impressive Wexford Albion outfit in this hugely entertaining final played at rainlashed Ferrycarrig Park on Sunday morning.
This was a precious game for Cushinstown, as they aimed to put cup victories back-to-back, but it was even more precious for Wexford Albion who just in their second season in adult soccer were contesting their first major final. And while defeat was their lot, they can feel hugely satisfied with the standard of football they produced over the 90 minutes.
Such was their fine second-half display of open, attacking football into the elements that they did not deserve to have gone down by a two-goal margin.
Wexford Albion were unable to match the physical strength and experience of their opponents.
They needed to do this to stand a real chance of victory but through the opening half hour they seemed somewhat overawed by the occasion, as they struggled to retain possession, while allowing their opponents far too much space in midfield which they utilised to their advantage.
Given the conditions ,possession was vital and it was Cushinstown who utilised the ball to their advantage as they attacked in waves, puting the Albion back four under periods of prolonged pressure.
But despite this it was Albion who came close to taking the lead after seven minutes.
Pierce Dooley made a lot of ground down the left wing and squared a delightful ball across the face of the goal, but Jonathan Murphy got back to deny Shane O’Connor with a last-gasp tackle at the expense of a fruitless corner-kick.
At the other end it was a different story three minutes later.
Having managed to win the hard ball in midfield, Seán McGrath played Jason Dunne clear down the right.
Dunne still had some work to do but managed to turn Dion Murphy, and his accurate ball across the edge of the box was neatly tucked away to the bottom right corner of the net by Tommy Quinn, giving ’keeper Nigel Donohoe no chance, and leaving it 1-0.
It was not the start that Albion needed. They were struggling to cope with the demands of the occasion but they managed to interrupt the Cushinstown flow with a quick counter-attack from the re-start, with Shane O’Connor forcing a corner-kick.
Kyle Mann over-hit his kick across goal, leaving the defence to clear to safety.
As the game was developing there was precious little between the sides.
Albion, as they began to play their way back into the game, were hit with a real killer blow after 17 minutes.
Cushinstown’s Jason Dunne forced a free-kick some 25 metres out in front of goal.
Nicky Sinnott drove a low shot to the edge of the wall, when everyone expected to him to attempt an effort over it, and his well-struck effort finished in the corner of the net beyond a clearly unsighted Nigel Donohoe in the Albion goal to make it 2-0, somewhat against the run of play.
Albion continued to pose a threat with their free-flowing football and they got their reward just on the break.
Pierce Dooley, as he had done so often, cut down the left flank before moving into the area, leaving him to square the ball across the face of the goal for Kyle Mann to apply a simple tap-in to an unguarded goal, leaving it 2-1 at the interval.
Cushinstown had played so well into the elements that one expected them to assume control on the resumption, but it was Albion who came out of the starting blocks with a new tempo to their game, as they began to control matters in midfield where Jamie Thomas and Eddie Pitman were beginning to apply themselves.
Through the opening 20 minutes of the second-half they sought out an equaliser, with both Shane O’Connor and Kyle Mann forcing saves out of ’keeper Brendan O’Neill, while the woodwork also came to Cushinstown’s rescue when a Mann effort rebounded back into play.
But the goal they needed failed to arrive despite their territorial advantage through this 20-minute spell.
Cushinstown must have been clearly worried but they somehow managed to keep their goal intact.
Then after 81 minutes they virtually killed off the game when Sinnott, having executed a short free-kick with Thomas Quinn, shot right-footed across the ’keeper into the opposite corner of the net, making it 3-1.
Not to be denied his hat-trick, eight minutes later Sinnott moved in from the right before delivering a superb right-footed shot across the ’keeper into the opposite corner of the net, a goal fitting to complete his treble, and giving his side a 4-1 lead in the process.
Wexford Albion, to their credit, launched an attack in additional time, with substitute Kenny Hunt forcing the ball home through a packed goalmouth, but it was too little to alter the end result. CUSHINSTOWN: Brendan O’Neill, Niall Gaffney, Ian Gaffney, Aaron Gaffney, Colin Whelan, Jonathan Murphy, Seán McGrath, Thomas Quinn, Nicholas Sinnott, Jason Dunne, James Whelan. Subs. - Robbie Corcoran for Murphy (80), Conor O’Neill for James Whelan (81), Luke O’Connor for Dunne (88), also Mark Connick, Declan Davitt. WEXFORD ALBION: Nigel Donohoe, Paddy O’Reilly, Harry Kavanagh, Jason Daly, Dion Murphy, Paul Dempsey, Jamie Thomas, Eddie Pitman, Shane O’Connor, Kyle Mann, Pierce Dooley. Subs. - Gary Cousins for Kavanagh (55), Liam O’Connor for Daly (75), Kenny Hunt for Dooley (77), also Shane Hall, Reece Doyle. REFEREE: John Diskin. Sunday, May 7 Wexford Volkswagen Wexford Cup semi-finals: Moyne Rangers v. Curracloe United at Ferrycarrig Park, 11.00 (D. Ennis/A. Tobin/J. O’Neill); Gorey Rangers v. North End United at Curracloe United 2.30 (N. Boland/S. Kelly/F. Sinnott). Premier Division: Kilmore United v. Courtown Hibs, 11.00 (J. Kelly/D. Campion/M. Kelly). Division 1: Bridge Rovers v. Corach Ramblers (M. Franklin); Wexford Bohs v. Tombrack United (D. Donovan). Division 3: Cushinstown v. Bunclody, 11.00 (M. Comiskey). FAI Oscar Traynor Trophy semi-final: Wexford Football League 0, Clare Football League 2. Billy Browne Cup final: Cushinstown 4, Wexford Albion 2. Division 1: Forth Celtic 2, Bridge Rovers 2; St. Joseph’s 4, Tombrack United 5. Youths Premier Division: Wexford Albion 4, Moyne Rangers 2. Youths Division 2: Wexford Albion 2, Shamrock Rovers 0. Youths Division 3: Forth Celtic 1, New Ross Town 2; New Ross Town 2, Campile United 2.