“ABBEY SPOT ON FOR THE DOUBLE”
U/16 CUP FINAL
Abbeyfeale Utd (0) 1 Chris Smith
NCW Rovers (0) 1 Gavin Reidy
(aet, Abbeyfeale won 3-2 on pens)
Abbeyfeale Utd completed the league and cup double with a penalty shoot out win over Newcastle West Rovers in the sixteens cup final at a well laid out Clounreask last Sunday evening. In an overall context the Fealesiders deserved to win but were made to earn it against a very committed Rovers side and indeed had a few nervy moments at the end of normal time and again in extra time.
Rovers made the early running and James Guina was first to have a pop at goal but keeper Jack Madden was in the right place to make a comfortable save while moments later Madden tipped over a well struck free kick by Ryan Clancy. Abbeyfeales response saw Adam Barry take the ball on from midfield and when his pass wasn’t cut out by Gavin Reidy the ball came to Peter Maynard wide on the right but the Rovers defender recovered well to clear any possible danger. The Abbeyfeale striker fared a bit better soon after when he was able to get a shot away from the edge of the area after a quick throw but the end product went harmlessly wide of the right post. Tommy Enright who had a slow start now began to see more of the ball and on eleven minutes he played a slide rule pass out to Maynard wide on the left but good solid defending by AJ O’Connor ensured the tie remained scoreless. Abbeyfeale were starting to get on top now and next it was the turn of Tommy O’Keeffe to run at the Rovers defence but again they held firm with Shane Brosnan with a solid block. Rovers responded with a low shot by Jack McCarthy that Madden got right behind while Shane Stack then had an effort but it didn’t trouble the Abbeyfeale custodian. Excellent awareness by Chris Smith saw him intercept the ball on half way and he took the ball forward past two Rovers with gusto but when he got to the edge of the area he fouled a defender and that was relief for Rovers. Enright shortly after this started another move and he found O’Keeffe on the left whose cross came to Barry but the midfielder was quickly closed down by a combination of Eoin Murphy and Brosnan. Abbeyfeale were on top now and another surging run by Smith saw him skip past two Rovers players but Brosnan got a vital foot on the ball to take it away from the danger area. More pressure from Abbeyfeale saw Enright run at the opposing defence and he won a corner off O’Connor but the corner kick by Barry was disappointing as it drifted wide of the near post and that concluded the opening forty minutes.
Abbeyfeale started the second half as they ended the first and that was on the attack with Smith, O’Keeffe and Enright all involved before the ball came to Barry but with the Rovers defence closing him down he rushed his shot slightly and the ball skewed away to the left of the goal. The determination of both sides to win was evident throughout and this was epitomized by Barry when he won the ball off Rovers in the centre circle and then from Clancy then won the ball back with a well timed tackle. Rovers responded with Sean Darcy who took the ball down the right and won a corner off Dean Enright and when the corner was delivered the Abbeyfeale defence didn’t fully clear it and the ball came to Guina but the centre forward got too much elevation and saw his header go over the bar. Abbeyfeale then attacked and Darren Keane fed the ball to O’Keeffe but not for the first time Brosnan positioned himself well to deny the winger a shot on goal. Abbeyfeale did have the ball in the net on fifty four minutes when Maynard turned the ball into the net from a cross from the left by Barry but it was correctly ruled out for offside. Three minutes later Enright took on the Rovers defence and skipped past two tackles before his goal bound shot was deflected behind for a corner. Unfortunately for the Abbeyfeale player he was injured in the process and had to leave the action and was replaced by Gavin Dillon. When the corner was taken from the left by Barry it was well defended at the back post by Clancy. Twenty three minutes into the second half came the games opening goal. It began when Smith went on another trademark run past a number of players before finding O’Keeffe who in turn won a corner which was sent over by Dillon for Smith to fire Abbeyfeale ahead. Rovers had to come at Abbeyfeale now and they had a half chance when a Jack McCarthy cross from the left came to Guina who shot past the right post. Mark O’Brien was introduced at this stage for Abbeyfeale and he wasn’t on long when he slipped the ball into the path of Dillon coming in from the left but Ruddle stood tall and saved at his near post. As the eightieth minute approached it looked like the cup final was all over but Rovers struck late when Reidy, now playing up front, climbed highest to head the ball past Madden following a well delivered Guina free kick. Indeed Rovers nearly won it in stoppage time but Madden was off his line quickly to deny Shane Stack after a thorough ball by sub Martin Madden. Soon after referee Donie O’Gorman sounded his whistle to send the game to extra time.
At the start of extra time Abbeyfeale suffered a big blow when they lost influential midfielder Smith through injury and he was replaced by Steven Cahill. Abbeyfeale had the first opening in extra time when Dillon, like he did late in normal time, he cut in from the left but again Ruddle stood firm. Then on the opposite flank O’Brien tried his luck but super defending by O’Connor nullified that threat on that occasion. Dillon then got on the ball and on this occasion he crossed left footed but a super defensive header by Reidy cleared any potential danger. At the start of the second period of extra time Abbeyfeale left back TJ Lane got up in support of the attack and he picked out O’Brien but his effort from twenty yards was well over the bar. The final clear cut chance of extra time came Rovers way and it took a brilliant save from Madden to keep his side in it when he acrobatically tipped over a Reidy header from eight yards after O’Connor had floated in a free kick from the right. That concluded the chances and so it was on to the dreaded spot kicks.
First up were Rovers with AJ O’Connor converting as did Darren Keane for Abbeyfeale while the next two penalties didn’t find the net, Joey Healys effort being saved by Jack Madden while Adam Barry shot wide of the left post. Martin Madden then struck the left post while Andrew Ruddle saved well from Brian O’Connor so after six penalties we were tied at one each. The next two kicks were scored, James Guina and Mark O’Brien converting for their respective sides. Rovers last taker was Shane Stack and with Madden going the wrong way his kick thundered off the bar thus leaving Gavin Dillon with the chance to win it and for his team mates and supporters he didn’t disappoint as the ball rattled the net.
After the game League Chairman David Naughton presented the cup to Abbeyfeale captain Adam Barry. Player of the match Chris Smith.
Abbeyfeale Utd: Jack Madden, Brian O’Connor, TJ Lane, Keith Harnett, Dean Enright, Chris Smith, Darren Keane, Adam Barry, Tommy O’Keeffe, Peter Maynard, Tommy Enright. Subs used Steven Cahill, Gavin Dillon, Mark O’Brien. Also Peter Browne.
Newcastle West Rvs: Andrew Ruddle, AJ O’Connor, Shane Brosnan, Gavin Reidy, Eoin Murphy, Joey Healy, Jack McCarthy, Ryan Clancy, James Guina, Sean Darcy, Shane Stack.
Subs used Eoin Hurley, Martin Madden. Also Brian Sheehy, Darren Fitzgibbon, Edward Krachir, Eoghan Normoyle.
Referee: D O’Gorman, Assistant Referees: B Barry, L O’Connor