Feature Game

J & K Plastering Division 3 Cup Final. 

(By Jamie Connolly)

Dunlavin AFC 2 Suncroft AFC 1

Last season’s beaten finalists Suncroft arrived aiming to go one better this year, but it was Dunlavin AFC who claimed cup glory following an intensely contested final.

The opening five minutes were played at a blistering tempo, with Dunlavin settling into their rhythm far quicker.  Their early enterprise paid immediate dividends in the fifth minute when an inviting cross found Aaron Phelan, who expertly headed home to give his side an early lead.

Suncroft battled bravely to establish a foothold, but several stray passes allowed Dunlavin to sustain relentless pressure.  Wingers Tomas Lawlor and Aaron Geoghegan caused constant problems out wide for Dunlavin, engaging in fierce duels with Suncroft wing-backs Stuart Hanley and Sean Gavagan. 

While both sides exchanged long-range efforts that failed to trouble either goalkeeper, Dunlavin nearly doubled their tally on 31 minutes when Phelan connected with Lawlor’s delivery on the half-volley, only to be denied by a smart stop from Dean Walsh. Eoin Fisher covered huge ground in the middle of the park for Suncroft, working tirelessly to launch attacks and help his side retain possession. 

However, Dunlavin delivered a hammer blow just before the interval. In the 43rd minute, another dangerous cross into the area saw Robert Lee burst through the lines to arrive first and fire past the keeper, making it 2–0 at the break.

The second half developed into an uncompromising midfield battle. Suncroft substitute Steven Dillon joined Fisher in fighting for every loose ball against Dunlavin's central pairing of Lee and Paraic Carmody.  Suncroft began to ask questions from set-pieces, with substitute Kelvin McNally coming agonisingly close to pulling one back.  At the other end, Walsh produced a superb save to deny Lee's venomous strike from distance. Suncroft set up a grandstand finish in the 82nd minute when Aaron Sinnott found the net past Nicholas Byrne, cutting the deficit in half and injecting real tension into the closing stages. 

To Dunlavin's credit, they held their nerve impeccably, seeing out the final ten minutes without putting a foot wrong to lift the cup. Man of the match honours went to Dunlavin's Robert Lee, who was ably supported on the day by standout performers Vinny Byrne, Tomas Lawlor, and Aaron Geoghegan.  Sean Gavagan, Adam Sweeney, and the tireless Eoin Fisher performed best for a gallant Suncroft side.

Additional Game

Leinster Football Association Under 19 Cup (Round 1)

(By Trevor McLoughlin)

Coill Dubh AFC 4 McKelvey Celtic FC 3

Coill Dubh advance to the last 16 after seven-goal thriller

Coill Dubh booked their place in the last 16 of the LFA U19 Cup with a thrilling 4–3 victory over McKelvey Celtic at Cusack Park.

McKelvey Celtic made the long journey from Finglas boasting an impressive unbeaten run in the LFL U19 Division 1. They started the brighter of the two sides and settled into the game quicker than their hosts, who were without five players, four through injury and Will Carroll, who was ineligible for the LFA U19 Cup.

McKelvey took the lead on nine minutes when Halligan made a brilliant run before cutting inside from the edge of the box onto his left foot and unleashing a firecracker of a shot past Coill Dubh goalkeeper Joe Crotty. The early setback sparked Coill Dubh into life, and they were soon back on level terms. Lennon O'Shaughnessy played a superb pass to Noah Mulligan before continuing his run into the box. Mulligan found Jamie Mooney, who spotted O'Shaughnessy's excellent run, and the midfielder unleashed a thunderbolt with his weaker left foot to bring the sides level.

Coill Dubh were now gaining a real foothold in the game, and their growing dominance was reflected on the scoreboard just after the half-hour mark. Jamie Mooney once again turned provider, this time setting up Mulligan, who took the pass in his stride, glided past the last defender and coolly slotted home to put the Dubh 2–1 ahead. However, Coill Dubh's lead disappeared in the 39th minute. Danny McGrath did brilliantly to get his head to a McKelvey cross but appeared stunned by the power of the delivery. The referee called for the Coill Dubh physio and, under the newly introduced rules, McGrath had to leave the field of play.

With McGrath's aerial presence temporarily missing, Coill Dubh were unable to deal with the resulting corner, and McKelvey centre-half O'Toole powered home a header to bring his side level. Coill Dubh refused to let the setback affect them and regained the lead in the fourth minute of first-half injury time. McKelvey launched a long kick-out, but McGrath, showing no signs of his earlier head injury, won a crucial header in midfield and found his midfield partner O'Shaughnessy.

O'Shaughnessy then produced a sublime pass to Mulligan, who once again found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The young striker showed ice-cold composure to finish brilliantly, evoking memories of the touch and finishing ability that the late TJ Moore brought to Coill Dubh in years gone by.

The opening exchanges of the second half were a cagey affair, with both defences on top. Coill Dubh threatened to extend their lead through a pair of free-kicks from around 20 yards. John McLoughlin was first to test McKelvey goalkeeper Byrne, before Cillian Casey tried his luck. On both occasions, Byrne displayed excellent handling to make the saves look straightforward.

McKelvey were handed a lifeline on 68 minutes when a long-range free-kick caused problems for Crotty in the Coill Dubh goal. Misjudging the flight of the ball, Crotty collided with the onrushing Harry Byrne as the forward attempted to flick the delivery goalwards. Referee Joe Kennedy had little choice but to point to the penalty spot. Three minutes passed as Byrne received treatment from his club physio. During that time, Crotty had an opportunity to compose himself, and the Coill Dubh goalkeeper made amends for conceding the penalty in spectacular fashion. Guessing correctly, he dived to his right to claw away the spot-kick. The rebound fell kindly to Tom Greene, who cleared the danger.

The penalty save appeared to knock the wind out of McKelvey, and within two minutes Coill Dubh had extended their lead to 4–2. Ryan Lenehan produced a terrific run before pulling the ball back to Cillian Casey. Casey's cross was misjudged by Byrne in the McKelvey goal, and the loose ball fell perfectly for Mulligan, who turned away in celebration after completing a superb hat-trick. With nothing to lose, McKelvey pushed forward at every opportunity in search of a way back into the game. However, they were repeatedly thwarted by the defensive efforts of McLoughlin and Mangan in the centre of defence, ably supported by Greene, Brereton and Bagnall.

Just as Coill Dubh looked set to see out a 4–2 victory, stoppage time brought one final twist. With nine McKelvey players crowded into the penalty area amid a scramble and plenty of confusion, substitute Aaron Farrelly finished brilliantly at the back post to give the visitors renewed hope. The score was now 4–3, and there was still time for a few anxious moments among the Coill Dubh faithful. However, the relief was palpable in the red shirts when referee Joe Kennedy finally blew the full-time whistle.

Standout Performers ; Noah Mulligan was the headline act for Coill Dubh, helping himself to a superb hat-trick, while Danny McGrath delivered a commanding performance. However, Man of the Match went to Lennon O'Shaughnessy, last season's KDFL Young Player of the Year. O'Shaughnessy covered every blade of grass at Cusack Park, contributed brilliantly to Coill Dubh's attacking play and, for the third time this season, found himself on the scoresheet.

Halligan and Leech were the standout performers for McKelvey Celtic. It was a tremendous cup tie, full of quality goals, drama and late tension. Coill Dubh showed character to recover from an early setback, resilience to regain the lead before half-time and composure to withstand McKelvey's late pressure. The reward is a place in the last 16 of the LFA Cup. Coill Dubh march on!