McQueen brace fires league champions Drinagh to Premier Division Cup glory

DRINAGH RANGERS 4

CLONAKILTY SC 3

(after extra time)

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

DRINAGH Rangers retained the Gareth O’Driscoll West Cork League Premier Division Cup in Lyre.

The recently-crowned three-in-a-row Premier Division title winners overcame a Clonakilty Soccer Club side they defeated for the same trophy (7-4) in last year’s decider.

This season’s final proved just as entertaining with Drinagh coming from 1-0 down to move 2-1, 3-2 and finally, 4-3 ahead. Adding the Premier Cup to the Premier Division league title was the perfect end to another positive campaign.

‘We thought we had won that final about three different times,’ Drinagh Rangers co-manager Don Hurley told The Southern Star.

‘Clonakilty played really well and kept getting a goal back. It was a great game. Sometimes, finals played at this time of the year can be very entertaining but maybe the defending isn’t the best. We will take it though. It would have been a downer to lose after winning the league the week before. It is an important cup and one we want to win every year.’

Clonakilty Soccer Club has another chance at lifting some silverware. A Parkway Hotel/Maybury Coaches Cup final appearance against Dunmanway Town is scheduled for Sunday, May 28th.

Joe Edmead had the first sight of goal, forcing a point-blank save inside two minutes. Seamus O’Brien parried a cross only for Barry O’Driscoll (H) to flick the rebound over the crossbar at the opposite end.

Frantic at times, the early pace of an end-to-end encounter made for few clear-cut chances. Both centre-back pairings, Clon’s Shane Buttimer and Reuben Henry plus Rangers’ Barry O’Driscoll (T) and JJ Collins, gave nothing away and the score remained unchanged until the quarter-hour.

King Iyalla and Joe Edmead were afforded little space until the former split Drinagh’s defence with a lofted pass. Edmead raced clear, beat the Rangers goalkeeper and flicked the ball into an empty net.

Drinagh immediately pressed higher up the pitch and Seamus O’Brien did well to prevent a Robbie McQueen shot from hitting the net. McQueen was not to be denied however, as the young playmaker curled home a marvellous free-kick after 25 minutes. It remained 1-1 at the break.

The Ballyvackey side enjoyed their best spell during the third quarter with Sean Lawless, Eoin Hartnett and Alan Murphy’s introductions having a positive effect. Murphy volleyed over but it was a Drinagh substitute who would make the bigger impact.

Sean Calnan was on the field less than two minutes before flicking home a Barry O’Driscoll (T) corner with his first touch.

Two-one down, Clonakilty equalised courtesy of a fantastic goal. Rangers’ failure to clear a corner was punished by Joe Edmead who volleyed in a terrific first-time effort after 70 minutes. There were late chances, most notably a Reuben Henry header that scraped the Drinagh crossbar, but an even final finished 2-2.

In extra time, Rangers restarted in confident fashion and retook the lead midway through the first period of extra-time.

Barry O’Driscoll (H) headed in a rebound after Robbie McQueen’s long-range attempt came back off the Clonakilty crossbar.

Clonakilty kept pressing and were rewarded with a second equaliser. Shane Buttimer connected with an in-swinging corner to make it 3-3 just eight minutes from the end.

Both sidelines were preparing for a penalty shootout when Robbie McQueen arrowed a venomous shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards. It was a quality strike and a fitting ending to a memorable cup final.

Drinagh Rangers: Jack Payne-Murphy, Gearoid White (captain), Barry O’Driscoll (T), JJ Collins, Donal O’Donovan, Tom McQueen, Robbie McQueen, Ciarán O’Regan, Harry Carey, Barry O’Driscoll (H), Eoin Hurley.

Subs: Mark Grace, Sean Calnan, Rob Oldham, Shane Connolly.

Clonakilty Soccer Club: Seamus O’Brien, Paul Daly, Shane Buttimer, Reuben Henry, James Horan, Conor McKahey, Rob Downey, Chris Collins (captain), Gearoid Calnan, King Iyalla, Joe Edmead.

Subs: Sean Lawless, Eoin Hartnett, Alan Murphy, Thomas Battersby, Ferdia McCarthy, Eoin Ryan.

Referee: Colin Clancy.