Blast from the Past. November 2004 at The Cross. Greenmount pip Kinsale on penalties in Linnane League Cup final

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Blast from the Past. November 2004 at The Cross.

Greenmount pip Kinsale on penalties in Linnane League Cup final

Date 26.11.2004

Greenmount take the shootout route to cup win

LINNANE LEAGUE CUP FINAL


Greenmount Rangers 1 Kinsale 1

(Greenmount won 4-2 on penalties)


Two shootout saves by Tommy Corcoran, one to his left, the other to his right, proved vital as Greenmount Rangers won the Murphy’s Stout Linnane League Cup for the third time with a 4-2 penalty count win over Kinsale after a thrilling 1-1 draw at Turner’s Cross last night.


The high pace of the opening exchanges was maintained for much of the game. Crucially, Kinsale lost right flanker Davy Barry through injury in the 81st minute. Derek McCarthy, their scorer and, like Barry, a current inter-league player, picked up a knock around the same time.


Corcoran began as he ended with a confident catch from an early cross. Greenmount failed to capitalise on a couple of early corners.


Kinsale midfielder Sean Foran fought with every ounce on the right to get in a 9th minute cross. The ball broke back to David O’Donovan but his side-footed effort was well off target. 

Kinsale pipped


Greenmount’s next attack saw John Harrington get in behind but a super tackle by Pat Murphy stopped him on the 18-yard line.


And Harrington had claims for a penalty rightly waved away by referee Willie Long in the 18th minute. The offending tackle was made just outside the box and Greenmount wasted the free.


Kinsale piled on the pressure about the half-hour mark. The hard working Sean Prior had a shot deflected for a corner. That broke to Derek McCarthy and his potent effort was pushed up and onto the bar by Corcoran. McCarthy took the resultant corner and Murphy jumped superbly but his header was blocked by the massed defence.

Corcoran saves to his left and, below, to his right.



Richie's Lead Goal

Greenmount took the lead in the 32nd minute. A long ball out by Chris Irwin sent centre-forward Richie Barry away, his marker close behind him, and his low finish, to the keeper’s left, found the back of the net.


Barry got in again in the 40th minute but this time keeper O’Callaghan did very well, advancing to the edge of the his box and beating the big striker to the ball.


The third quarter belonged to Kinsale. Barry fired in a couple of early crosses and one of them had Corcoran scrambling to the near post. The ball seemed to beat him but came back of the timber. 

Full stop. Kinsale's Dave O'Donovan (left) stops the run of Pat Tynan (2). League Cup final, Turner's Cross 26.11.04, Greenmount 1 Kinsale 1 (Greenmount 4-2 pens.), --- Billy Lyons


Then Derek McCarthy took the spotlight. In the 50th minute he crossed for Declan Ryan but the striker’s header was poorly angled. Two minutes later, McCarthy took a return pass from Prior and let fly but his low drive was too close to the confident keeper.


Dazzling Derek

McCarthy and Kinsale had their reward in the 63rd minute. Ryan, battling gallantly under pressure all match from superb centrebacks O'Leary and O’Neill, did very well to get the ball down from a long free and lay it back to McCarthy. The inter-league man displayed dazzling footwork on the 18 yard line before firing a beauty past Corcoran.


Greenmount got back into it in the final quarter and came very close in the 76th minute. A clearance by the excellent Gavin O’Leary fell to sub Darren Gubbins and he played Barry into the box. Barry got past his marker but found keeper O’Callaghan at his feet, chance gone.

Greenmount skipper Gearoid O'Leary takes on Sean Foran (left) at the Cross.
Linnane League Cup final, Turner's Cross 26.11.04


The passion, if not the pace, was still there in extra time but the standard was dropping as both teams began to tire. The best chance feel to Kinsale with just three minutes to go. McCarthy tried his close control on the 18-yard line. This time he lost the ball but midfielder Dave O’Donovan broke through and let fly but his shoulder height blast was well held by Corcoran.


Corcoran's Shootout Double

Corcoran, also a shootout hero in the semi-final win over Leeside, made his first save, diving to his right to deny Foran in the second exchange. In the next round, he saved from McCarthy and young Harrington’s fourth round conversion confirmed Rangers as the new champions.


Greenmount’s joint managers Ger Long and Anthony O'Neill had done their homework well. Subs Mickey O'Leary and Darren Gubbins were their number one and two penalty kick takers.


Greenmount Rangers: Thomas Corcoran, Pat Tynan, Shane McSweeney, Gavin O’Leary, Damien O’Neill, Chris Irwin, Kevin O’Neill, Donal O’Shea, Richard Barry, John Harrington and Gearoid O’Leary (captain). Subs used: Darren Gubbins for Irwin (49 minute, injured) and Michael O’Leary for Barry (89, injured).

Kinsale: David O’Callaghan, Gearoid Cummins, Florence Lynch, David O’Donovan, Sean Foran, Pat Murphy (captain), Jeremy O’Donovan, Derek McCarthy, Sean Prior, Declan Ryan and Dave Barry. Subs used: Gary O’Sullivan for Barry (81, injured) and Danny Searls for Prior (90 + 19).

Referee: Willie Long

Matchcard. Greenmount on the left.





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