Carbury suffer in Champions Cup as Salthill Devon win with style
Big defeat at Solar 21 Park ends Carbury FC’s hopes of earning a third Connacht FA Champions Cup success Connacht FA Men’s Champions Cup Final Carbury FC 1 Salthill Devon (Galway) 4
CARBURY FC have excelled in big games in the Connacht Football Association Men’s Champions Cup, having twice won the competition (2018 and 2019). But this certainly wasn’t one of those days.
With the provincial competition up and running for the first time since 2019, Carbury had a tilt at a hat-trick of titles but they were firmly shut down by Salthill Devon’s excellence in last Sunday’s final at Solar 21 Park (Milebush) in Castlebar, Co. Mayo. The Galway club, who had a former Sligo Rovers striker in their ranks, Vinny Faherty, were decisive winners on a cold, overcast day, scoring twice in each half.
Carbury halved the deficit after 55 minutes when a well-flighted corner
STARTING FORCE: The Carbury FC starting team for last Sunday’s Connacht FA Men’s Champions Cup final against Salthill Devon. Back row, Ryan McManus, Rian Gorman, Mark McGoldrick, Johnny Lynch, Malachy Spratt, Lee Conway. Niall Brennan, Gary Finan, Christopher Kelly (c), Aaron Murrin, Mark Hannon. from full-back Aaron Murrin went into the Salthill Devon net via what appeared to be a touch at the near post from Murrin’s team-mate Mark McGoldrick. But a third goal from Salthill Devon seven minutes later ruined Carbury’s dream. While Carbury wil regret that they underperformed against a quality side, one can only wonder what might have happened had a 26th minute ‘goal’ not been chalked off for offside. Mark McGoldrick head the ball goalwards from a Malachy Spratt cross and Niall Brennan got the final touch to put the ball into Salthill Devon’s net but this goal was ruled out. Salthill Devon went ahead four minutes later. Carbury’s loss here will intrigue their rivals in the Sligo Southern Hotel Super League, as their domestic opponents will look for further chinks in the armour of a team previously untouchable, but the club’s aura was
already punctured last season when they lost the title race to their Sligo town rivals MCR FC. Still, such was Salthill Devon’s prowess that they would have been too powerful for any side from Sligo-Leitrim’s top tier. A recent extra-time defeat of MCR in the semi-final of this competition gave Damien Dunleavy’s side a boost in a campaign where they’ve had to reshuffle their pack and introduce new players.
Striker Jason Lyons, who regularly terrorised defenders, is no longer at the club and at the other end of the pitch Carbury have been juggling their goalkeeper options due to injuries and unavailability.
Johnny Lynch, a reliable and experienced defender, was between the sticks last Sunday, with management obviously thinking that his Gaelic football skills (gleaned from years playing for St Mary’s) would be an
The number of times that Carbury FC have won the Connacht FA Men’s Champions Cup (2018 & 2019). asset. The opening half an hour or so was relatively even – Carbury’s back four was dealing with most of what came at them. Ominously, Salthill Devon were beginning to carve out several decent opportunities.
Vinny Faherty guided a header wide, Michael Gallagher lashed a volley over and the excellent Matthew Barrett, who would later be chosen as the Connacht FA Player of the Match, sent a skimming shot on target that Johnny Lynch gathered.
Niall Brennan was already getting busy as Carbury’s playmaker, with Gary Finan and Christopher Kelly working hard in central midfield. Malachy Spratt, a tidy front player, had Carbury’s first effort on target after 17 minutes.
Salthill Devon were edging closer to a breakthrough, however, and thought they had it but Gary Finan cleared a goalbound header off his own goal-line.
Buoyed by that offside call that denied Carbury the game’s opener, Salthill Devon took the lead after 30 minutes. A corner wasn’t cleared and the ball broke for centre-back Jackson Da Silva, who netted with an outrageous finish.
Five minutes later Niall Brennan went close to an equaliser with a sumptuous curling effort, from a Christopher Kelly pass, and James Egan, the Salthill Devon goalkeeper, somehow managed to put the ball out for a corner.
Johnny Lynch was then called on to deal with a zinger from Salthill Devon’s number 10, Darren Darcy. Salthill Devon doubled their lead in the 39th minute when Matthew Barrett confidently slotted home from a Timmy Molloy pass.
The Galway club almost scored again – team captain Shane O’Rourke slid in to convert a cross but jabbed the ball the wrong side of the post – and in stoppage time a Johnny Lynch save followed by a Christopher Kelly goalline clearance kept it at 2-0.
Carbury were not giving up and when matters resumed Mark Hannon had a shot that was blocked and then a clever set-piece delivery from Aaron Murrin halved the deficit.
Then Salthill Devon combined for the game’s best goal and one that put this game to bed. Darren Darcy’s scooped pass released Matthew Barrett and his tempting ball across the face of Carbury’s goal was gobbled up by Vinny Faherty.
Carbury, who moved
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