Youthful Bellurgan suffer final heartache
Boyne Harps 3 Bellurgan Utd 0
THE vastly experienced and much physically stronger Boyne Harps proved too strong for a young and only maturing Bellurgan who, on reflection, can only be pleased with a season in which they finished third in the league and were beaten in this Kilmessan Shield final.
The Peninsula side introduced a batch of new young players and the experience can only benefit them as they go forward. On this occasion they were outplayed, but they kept battling to the end.
They suffered a bad blow with an injury forcing Stephen Finnegan to retire early , and they were forced to chase the tie with Boyne cashing on their misfortune as an attempted clearance fell kindly to Manny Smith to put them ahead .
Bellurgan have an unenviable record of five final defeats in a row.
They were beaten 1-0 in the 2017 shield decider and they fared no better on Sunday against a more clinical Harps team. Bellurgan were hoping for their first piece of silverware since their 2015 Tully Cup victory but they went into Sunday’s game as very much the underdogs.
The Drogheda side got great purchase down the left wing from the start with Dale Harding and Roy Kierans combining to great effect. One such move led to a corner which Kierans whipped in from the right wing. Bellurgan headed to the edge of the box where Tadgh O’Connor shanked a clearance and the ball dropped to Manny Smith and the club captain took a touch before powering a low shot to the bottom corner. Defensively Bellurgan were poor with the defender gifted acres of space in which to get his shot off.
Harps should have doubled their lead as Martin Walsh’s delivery was headed just wide by Dale Harding.
Bellurgan’s only real threat came from their left sided winger Coran Lyndsay but his deliveries didn’t really trouble the Harps defence.
Walsh was enjoying running at the United defence and but for a strong Ray Finnegan challenge he would have been clean through on goal.
Harps had another gilt edged chance on 35 minutes when Harding crossed from the left and Paddy O’Boyle glanced his header just wide.
Killian Brennan was showing some of the signs which saw him well sought after by League of Ireland clubs as he pulled strings in the middle of the pitch. Ciaran Sheelan was playing right on the line and unfortunately for the striker he was caught offside several times, much to his frustration.
Harps second goal came courtesy of an excellent Kierans cross, the full back bent his pass right into the path of Walsh who struck the ball first time from the edge of the box and his effort powered past Padraig Gorham.
Kierans led his side into the dressing room at half-time on a cold but dry morning in Navan while the Dundalk side opted to congregate on their bench. Playing into a glaring sun, Bellurgan had their first shot on target in the 52nd minute when Ciaran Sheelan forced a save from Joe Hanigan.
Bellurgan enjoyed a purple patch, Lyndsay cut through the Harps defence but with Tadgh O’Connor screaming for the ball at the far post he took the wrong option and Harps snuffed out the danger.
Hanigan had to be alert as Daniel O’Connor chipped a pass through to Aoghan McGuinness but the Harps keeper was quick off his line to intercept.
The game, while physical throughout and with several yellow cards for either side never looked like boiling over despite some tough challenges going in.
With 15 minutes remaining Daniel McDonald’s corner was headed back out to the defender and his cross to the back post was marshalled behind by Sam Reilly. Bellurgan had been playing a high line for much of the second-half and they were caught on the counter with 10 minutes remaining.
Danny Coyle spread the ball wide right to Reilly and the full back squared a pass for Ryan Connor who sidefooted a low shot into the bottom corner to ensure the shield headed to Drogheda.
BOYNE Harps: Joe Hanigan, Sam Reilly, Paddy O’Boyle, Manny Smith, Roy Kierans, Darren McCann (Danny Coyle), Kevin Walsh (Kyle Molloy), Killian Brennan, Martin Walsh, Ryan Connor, Dale Harding (Rob Cashman)
BELLURGAN: Padraig Gorham, Aoghan McGuinness, Owen Traynor (Luke Higgins), Daniel McDonald, Ray Finnegan, Stephen Finnegan (Joe Needham), Coran Lyndsay, Owen Armstrong, Ciaran Sheelan, Daniel O’Connor, Tadgh O’Connor