Karina Donnelly Senior Cup
Coill Dubh AFC 0 Clonmullion FC 3
This Senior Division Cup Final was played in the fantastic surrounds of Clane United in blustery cold
conditions but still served up an entertaining contest. The early exchanges saw chances for both
sides. With the first falling to Clonmullion after Cody Mulhall slipped Danny Thompson in on goal but
he crashed his effort off the crossbar. Coill Dubh attacked almost immediately when keeper Luke
Anderson picked out Ryan Murran with a quick kick out but he lifted his effort over the bar. The game
ebbed and flowed until the nineteenth minute when Nathan Robinson put a brilliant pass into the path
of Danny Thompson who ran at full back Conor Brady before checking back onto his right foot and
rolled the ball to Mulhall who fired home from ten yards out.
The same player almost doubled the lead two minutes later when keeper Michael Lawless hit a
pinpoint kick out to Jodie Dillon whose first touch to kill the ball was immaculate and his cross to
Mulhall was well saved by Anderson. The Mull continued to dominate with Robinson and Garry
Comerford orchestrating things in midfield and Thompson always an outlet on the left and he put
Dillon in on the half hour mark but his left footed effort was easily dealt with by Anderson. Five
minutes later Johnny Fennel took a quick throw in to Comerford who whipped in a fine ball to the back
post where Keane Cully had overlapped but he just failed to convert.
In the forty first minute Dubh went close from an Aenaes Murphy free kick from twenty yards out but
Lawless tipped the shot over the bar. With a minute left in the half came the move of the match when
Fennel and Thompson played some great one two's in a tight area close to the sideline before
releasing Comerford down the left. He whipped in a brilliant cross which was just slightly behind Dillon
but he adjusted his body to swivel beautifully to back heel the ball on the half volley to the back of the
net. An outrageous piece of skill that surely qualifies for goal of the season.
The second half started with Clonmullion on the front foot and Mulhall took on and beat three
defenders and was just about to shoot when Brady slid in with a last ditch tackle to avert the danger.
Up the other end Noah Byrne made a great run down the right and his driven cross was missed by
the Clonmullion defence and Murran arrived unchallenged at the back post but fired over from close
range. Murran again raided out wide a few minutes later and cut inside but his shot was blocked by
Cully which fell to Jack O Brien whose effort was well blocked by Mark Hughes who cleared the
danger. With twenty five minutes left Mulhall and Dillon combined again with the latter firing a shot
across goals but Anderson dived full length to tip it around the post. Anderson was called into action
again in the seventy fifth minute when he got down to his right to make a great save from a Hughes
free kick. Thompson then had three well taken corner kicks in a row, one of which was cleared off the
line by Mark Grace. Dubh never stopped trying to pull one back and Grace raided down the right and
flighted in a ball to O Brien but as he stretched he only managed to put his effort over the bar. With
two minutes remaining they almost got one back but Lawless reacted the quickest to a short back
pass and with Conor Brady bearing down on him he was happy to clear his lines. With Coill Dubh
pressing it left them bare at the back and a brilliant interception and pass by the classy Timmy Doyle
set up Lee Doyle to run from his own half before passing to Lee Foley who still had a lot to do but he
kept his cool and finished expertly past the advancing Anderson to make it 3 nil.
A historic day for Clonmullion as they become the first side in the 28-year history of the KDFL to
complete the elusive treble of Senior Division League, Senior Division Cup and Lumsden League Cup
Champions. But also to achieve this by going unbeaten all season is an unbelievable feat. On such an
occasion and with such a team performance today it's not possible to pick out individuals in what has
been a collective effort by the players and management of Clonmullion F.C.
Best for Coill Dubh were the terrific Anderson in goals, Conor Brady and Trevor McDonald at the
back, Noah Byrne and Ryan Murran in midfield and Barry Noone up top.