Glencormac riding a wave of success!
Kilmac men win Thomas Scott Cup
“DELIGHTED,” was the immediate reaction from Glencormac United manager Colm Mulligan following his side’s wonderful 2-0 victory over Arklow United in the final of the Thomas Scott Cup played in Pat O’Toole Park on Saturday afternoon last.
“The lads gave everything,” he added. “I mean, we were slight favourites coming into the game considering our form, but form goes out the window in finals like that. Very, very happy (with the win), the lads deserved it. We fought relegation two and a half years ago, we put everything into staying up. Last season was a good season after Christmas and this season we just took off. We’ve only lost one league game,” he added.
Mulligan’s men were the dominant force in this encounter played on a dry sod and in front of a decent and vocal crowd on a pleasant afternoon. The Glencormac United side welcomed the victory not alone in its own right but also as a timely boost ahead of their massive Wicklow Cup final clash with Newtown this Sunday in the Carlisle Grounds in Bray.
“It’s the treble now, that’s what we’re after, focus now on that. Enjoy tonight, back to work tomorrow (Monday) and that will be it, go at it again. It’s a big one (the Wicklow Cup final) and we’ve two big league games coming up as well, very important, we need four league points from those as well, so this club won’t be stopping. We’ll enjoy tonight but we’ll be going at it again tomorrow”.
The tie was decided by two goals, one in each half. The first was headed home with conviction by Nathan Watters and the second was helped to the back of the Arklow United net by the outstanding Simon Doyle. Colm Mulligan says every goal is a good goal and the instruction was to float the ball into the danger area and take it from there.
“A bit lucky (with the second one), we floated the balls in, he’s been told to put the balls into the danger area. Every goal is a good goal, doesn’t matter if it’s an OG,” laughed the man they affectionately call ‘Mull’.
One aspect of the Glencormac play on the day was the manner in which they conduct themselves on the field. This reporter can’t recall a bad word or an angry outburst by a player in blue over the 90-odd minutes. Mulligan says they are the nicest bunch of players you could ever meet.
“Respect, respect for me, for Damo, for anyone in the club, the nicest bunch of young lads you could meet. A lot of them lads are only 20 or 21, I have so much respect for them, for what they have achieved. I thought they might have frozen on the day, they’re brilliant, they’re good mannerly lads, we would never really get lads sent off, the referee’s decision is final. And well done to ‘Mouse’ (Michael Kennedy) today, too. He did very well and he’s a popular referee among all the players,” he added.
Arklow United brought plenty to the party in Pat O’Toole Park as well. They had fine servants in Niall Higgins, Zach Kilbride and Shane Roche but as the minutes ticked by you got the sense that it was going to be one of those days for the Arklow men.
Niall Higgins scared the bejaysus out of the Glencormac supporters when his sweetly struck free-kick blazed past the post after four minutes.
But Glencormac were looking threatening and when Sam Kerr’s swept in free-kick was met by the head of David O’Neill in the United box but not cleared away from danger there was Nathan Watters to head home to an empty net after Mark Harte had left his line to claim the free.
Arklow had plenty of chances in the opening half. David O’Neill, Zach Kilbride, Alan O’Neill and Niall Higgins all launched missiles at Gabor Radoczy’s goal but could only register wides.
Arklow attacked from the start of the second half but they were undone by another Glencormac free which flew in and came off Simon Doyle’s back and then David O’Neill before eventually trickling over the Arklow United line. In fairness, given their efforts all over the field, the Arklow men didn’t deserve to concede such a silly goal. But concede it they did with 49 on the clock.
The Arklow men did have the ball in the Glencormac net but Zach Kilbride was ruled offside by the linesman with 63 minutes on the clock.
Arklow threw everything at Glencormac but the Kilmac men stood firm and brought to an end 16 years of hurt as captain Ben O’Callaghan lifted the Thomas Scott Cup on a beautiful afternoon in Rathdrum.
Glencormac United: 1. Gabor Radoczy, 2. Stephen Kirwan, 3. Sam Kerr, 4. Luke O’Callaghan, 5. Mark Delahunty, 6. Dean McCormack, 7. Ben O’Callaghan, 8. Simon Doyle,
9. Sam Kerr, 10. Mathan Watters, 11. James Delahunty. Subs: 12. Owen Molloy, 13. Michael Rooney, 14. Daniel Hill, 15. Sean Holly, 16. Ian Devlin, 17. Cian McGoldrick.
Arklow United: 1. Mark Harte, 2. Alan O’Neill, 3. Josh O’Reilly, 4. Shane Connolly, 6. Niall Higgins, 7. Zach Kilbride, 8. David O’Neill, 9. Jonny Quinn, 10. Karl Kirwan, 11. Shane Roche. Subs: 12. Conor Blaney, 13. Ben Travers, 14. Steven McManus, 15. Tom Kavanagh, 16. Mark Wixted, 17. Darragh Walker, 18. Paul Lalor.