CLONAKILTY SC 4
DRINAGH RANGERS 2
MATTHEW HURLEY REPORTS
TAKE a bow, Clonakilty Soccer Club. The quadruple is complete. What a team, what a season, and what a way to defend their PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier Division title.
Clonakilty Soccer Club sealed back-to-back Premier Division crowns in devastating fashion at Canon Crowley Park – the home of their biggest rival, Drinagh Rangers – on Sunday morning.
Add their Beamish Cup, Premier Division Cup and Michael Cronin Cup successes this season, and Clonakilty have had a season to savour. Wait, there’s more – they are unbeaten in the league, winning 12 of their 14 games. Their only domestic loss came in the Parkway Hotel-Maybury Coaches Cup.
Also, Clonakilty finished the league with a plus 41 scoring difference. They scored 50 goals, conceded just nine. This Clon team has been the most consistent team in the league, and proved their dominance in this league clincher. When they needed to go up in gears, they did so.
Drinagh Rangers, two points behind Clon before kick-off, had to win to take the title race to the final day, but John Leahy’s side was not found wanting, winning the title in their rivals’ back yard.
The Clonakilty Soccer Club team celebrates after winning the PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier Division title on Sunday morning. (Photos: Paddy Feen)
‘This is brilliant. Absolutely fantastic,’ Leahy told The Southern Star.
‘That was a hard battle. Drinagh didn’t give up. It was the icing on the cake to win the title in Drinagh.’
Clonakilty wasted no time in getting their title party underway. Ten minutes in, Rob Downey was fouled just outside the box, and up stepped Chris ‘Flash’ Collins to curl a textbook free-kick beyond Shane Connolly to give them the perfect start. This was Collins' 17th goal of the league season and 32nd in all competitions.
Drinagh Rangers didn’t lie down and had a few close efforts, including a Tom McQueen free-kick that was deflected past the post. A cross into the Clon box caused consternation on 17 minutes when Barry O’Driscoll (H) went down, but no penalty was awarded however despite big protests from the Rangers’ sideline.
Clonakilty Soccer Club's Odhran Bancroft takes on Drinagh Rangers' Tom McQueen.
To rub more salt in the Drinagh wounds, Clon got their second goal three minutes later. Joe Edmead battled with the Drinagh defence after a dangerous ball into the box before Jack O’Crowley was there to pounce and double their lead. It was a first quarter that Leahy was pleased with.
‘The fast start was key because we knew they were going to come at us and it was going to be a big task. Two goals up, they got a goal back again and it could have been deja-vú when we let the lead slip in Darrara. Look, credit to the lads. They kept at it: some great finishes,’ the Clon boss said.
The game Leahy referenced was Clonakilty’s first league draw of the campaign, where they were 3-1 up with five minutes to go against Drinagh but drew 4-4. They were determined not to let that happen again but when Rangers pulled one back through Michael Hennigan on 33 minutes, Clon were forced to dig deep. Hennigan found space to shoot at the edge of the box before burying it.
Drinagh could have equalised when Keith Jagoe almost got on the end of a long ball and they had the better of the closing first-half exchanges. Clon took a 2-1 lead into the break, knowing they had a job on their hands.
Half-time came at the right time for the victors who started the second spell brightest. Collins and Edmead went close before the former hit the crossbar with a rasper. They were close calls but eventually, the Drinagh resolve was broken.
Drinagh Rangers' Michael Hennigan battling with Mark Irwin of Clonakilty Soccer Club.
Edmead burst past a challenge before squaring it to onrushing substitute James Calnan on 66 minutes and he made no mistake. 3-1.
With so little time left, Drinagh’s hopes were slipping or so we thought. Rangers didn’t die and within a matter of seconds Barry O’Driscoll (H) headed it home after a cross from his namesake Barry O’Driscoll (T). At 3-2, it was game on.
Clonakilty’s name wasn’t on the trophy just yet but they made sure of the win and the title on 77 minutes. Good work from Ethan Draper in the middle of the park gave Collins the chance to score his 33rd goal of the season. He duly obliged with a screamer into the top corner. Game. Set. Match.
‘The second goal was absolutely class. Chris is unbelievable. He has close to 35 goals this season, that is crazy scoring like. It is fantastic for him to do it and I’m delighted for all the lads, especially the lads behind the scenes,’ a thrilled Leahy added.
The rest of the game was about managing it and Clon kept it simple. Robbie McQueen received his marching orders with eight minutes to go after a second bookable offence, rounding off a tough day for the home side.
The final whistle sparked celebrations in the Clon end. They had done it. Unbeaten. Quadruple. Winning the league away to your biggest challengers – there was no better way to seal the deal.
Clonakilty Soccer Club: Iain O’Driscoll; Odhran Bancroft, Ethan Draper, Paul Daly, Reuben Henry (captain); Rob Downey, Liam Anthony White, Mark Irwin; Chris Collins, Jack O’Crowley, Joe Edmead.
Subs: Eoin Hartnett, Cal O’Mahony, James Calnan, Alan Ward, Darren Nolan, Mark Shorten, Ben McCarthy Shields.
Drinagh Rangers: Shane Connolly; Seán Calnan, Barry O’Driscoll (T), Donal O’Donovan; Gearoid White, Tom McQueen, Barry O’Driscoll (H), Robbie McQueen (captain), Michael Hennigan; Keith Jagoe, Eoin Hurley.
Subs: Padraic Hegarty, Daniel McCarthy.
Referee: Niall O’Donovan.
