Clifford
14/05/2006, 7:57 PM
Congrats to Avondale, it's a huge achievement, enjoy it one and all. Unlucky Blarney, your day will come I'm sure.
From fai.ie
Avondale United 1, Blarney United 0
O'Driscoll 60 mins
EOIN O'Driscoll, Avondale's Kenmare-born striker was the goal hero as John
Caulfield's side won the Carlsberg FAI Intermediate Cup for the first time
in almost 30 years with a one-goal win over unlucky Blarney United at
Turner's Cross.
The match-winning goal arrived on cue after an hour's play when a defensive
error allowed O'Driscoll a run on goal and his shot bounced slowly into the
far corner of the net after 'keeper Paul Collins got a hand to the ball.
The fates decreed that it was not to be Blarney's day, competing in their first ever final after winning promotion just two years ago. Three times they looked sure of a goal and three times they were denied by the woodwork.
Blarney's first crack at goal was after just 30 seconds as they tipped off
and Jeremy O'Sullivan's 25 yard drive beat Dave O'Keeffe but came back into
play off the upright.
Dave Moynihan took the ball off-the-line in added time in the first half
when he cleared David Spratt's effort as Avondale came close to a
breakthrough goal.
It was 0-0 at the break and it was Avondale who made the first, important breakthrough with O’Driscoll’s opportunist strike in the 60th minute.
Blarney were denied an equaliser when Stephen Jennings' header
from O'Sullivan's cross came back off the butt of the upright after 75
minutes of action that had thrilled the 1,500 plus crowd.
Avondale were close to a second goal ten minutes from the end of the first
all-Cork final in 20 years when Collins saved one-handed from O'Driscoll's
low shot and Spratt was unable to turn the rebound home.
Avondale's John Ward cracked a 25-yard free of the crossbar five minutes
from the end before Blarney, for the third time in the match, were denied a
goal yet again when Dermot Crowley's header in the 92nd minute agonisingly hit the post
again.
Avondale last won the Intermediate Cup back in 1977 when they beat AIB 3-1
at St. Colman's Park, Cobh and several of that Cup-winning team were at
the game to support their successors.
Teams:
Avondale United (4-4-2) - O'Keeffe; Hughes, Costine, Hartigan, Ward;
Kiernan, Giltenan (capt), Bruton, O'Sullivan; O'Driscoll, Spratt.
Subs. Cotter for Bruton (injured 20 mins), Knowles for Kiernan (57 mins),
O'Connell for Spratt (92 mins), Goulding & O'Donovan (not used).
Blarney United (4-4-2) - Collins; Jennings, Hayes, Fitton, J. Hogan;
Crowley, Moynihan, O'Leary (capt), McCann; Corkery, O'Sullivan.
Subs. Goggin for Moynihan (55 mins), O'Riordan for McCann (66 mins), Healy
for Corkery (82 mins), Byrne & Holland (not used).
Referee: Mr. F. Murphy (Cork)
From fai.ie
Avondale United 1, Blarney United 0
O'Driscoll 60 mins
EOIN O'Driscoll, Avondale's Kenmare-born striker was the goal hero as John
Caulfield's side won the Carlsberg FAI Intermediate Cup for the first time
in almost 30 years with a one-goal win over unlucky Blarney United at
Turner's Cross.
The match-winning goal arrived on cue after an hour's play when a defensive
error allowed O'Driscoll a run on goal and his shot bounced slowly into the
far corner of the net after 'keeper Paul Collins got a hand to the ball.
The fates decreed that it was not to be Blarney's day, competing in their first ever final after winning promotion just two years ago. Three times they looked sure of a goal and three times they were denied by the woodwork.
Blarney's first crack at goal was after just 30 seconds as they tipped off
and Jeremy O'Sullivan's 25 yard drive beat Dave O'Keeffe but came back into
play off the upright.
Dave Moynihan took the ball off-the-line in added time in the first half
when he cleared David Spratt's effort as Avondale came close to a
breakthrough goal.
It was 0-0 at the break and it was Avondale who made the first, important breakthrough with O’Driscoll’s opportunist strike in the 60th minute.
Blarney were denied an equaliser when Stephen Jennings' header
from O'Sullivan's cross came back off the butt of the upright after 75
minutes of action that had thrilled the 1,500 plus crowd.
Avondale were close to a second goal ten minutes from the end of the first
all-Cork final in 20 years when Collins saved one-handed from O'Driscoll's
low shot and Spratt was unable to turn the rebound home.
Avondale's John Ward cracked a 25-yard free of the crossbar five minutes
from the end before Blarney, for the third time in the match, were denied a
goal yet again when Dermot Crowley's header in the 92nd minute agonisingly hit the post
again.
Avondale last won the Intermediate Cup back in 1977 when they beat AIB 3-1
at St. Colman's Park, Cobh and several of that Cup-winning team were at
the game to support their successors.
Teams:
Avondale United (4-4-2) - O'Keeffe; Hughes, Costine, Hartigan, Ward;
Kiernan, Giltenan (capt), Bruton, O'Sullivan; O'Driscoll, Spratt.
Subs. Cotter for Bruton (injured 20 mins), Knowles for Kiernan (57 mins),
O'Connell for Spratt (92 mins), Goulding & O'Donovan (not used).
Blarney United (4-4-2) - Collins; Jennings, Hayes, Fitton, J. Hogan;
Crowley, Moynihan, O'Leary (capt), McCann; Corkery, O'Sullivan.
Subs. Goggin for Moynihan (55 mins), O'Riordan for McCann (66 mins), Healy
for Corkery (82 mins), Byrne & Holland (not used).
Referee: Mr. F. Murphy (Cork)