Blast from the Past..Three cracking goals as Kinsale pip Park in 2008 AOH final.

Blast from the Past. 

Three cracking goals as Kinsale pip Park in 2008 AOH final.

Pics: 23.05.2008

AOH champions Kinsale

Full report below

Park's Ger O'Neill (left) tussles with Danny Searls and Colin Kilty (right). - 

Umbro rep Tom Tully (RIP) presents sets of gear to AOH final captains
Park's Paul Fanning (left) and Kinsale's Colin Kilty.

Kinsale's Jeremy O'Donovan (left) tackles Gary O'Connor.

Kinsale captain Colin Kilty receives the AOH from AUL Chairman Ted O'Mahony.

Park fought to the end

Man of the Match Jeremy O'Donovan (Kinsale)

Celebration for the new champs

Pat Murphy (left) and Derek McCarthy (2nd left) in control for Kinsale.

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Kinsale's Jeremy O'Donovan outjumps Ger O'Neill.

Kinsale's Flor Lynch stops Gary O'Connor.

Park's Ger O'Neill (right) outnumbered by Pat Murphy (centre) and Jeremy O'Donovan.

Swalek Zacknik on the ball as Kisnale's Jeremy O'Donovan closes in.

AOH CUP FINAL

Kinsale 2 Park United 1

Three cracking late goals were the highlights of last evening's Murphy's Stout AOH Cup final at Turner's Cross as Kinsale took their first AOH ever with a 2-1 win over never day die Park United.

Derek McCarthy fired in a gem to put Kinsale one up in the 79th minute and Derek Varian raced in to double the haul four minutes later. Park fought back and skipper Paul Fanning drove high into the net to ensure an anxious closing few minutes for the seasiders.

"It has been a long time coming and everyone in the club is elated," said Kinsale manager Barry McGovern after their historic victory. "I always said our quality would come through in the end and I thought full back Michael Bradfield, nothing fazes that young fellow, was outstanding this evening."

Park manager Gerry OíRiordan was disappointed that his team didn't get a spotter toward the end of the first half and reckoned that the second half would have been different had they benefitted. But he was proud of his troops: "The lads were fantastic. They ran and ran themselves into the ground and we played good football out there, I am proud of them."

It was a difficult story for the Kinsale scorers and colleague Richie Holland in the first half as they were regularly frustrated by an efficient Park offside trap and some aimless clearances by their own defenders. 

Still, they had their chances. Varian saw a drive deflected and Holland, having raced after a short back-pass was stopped by excellent keeper Brendan Hannon.

Park worked hard and got forward regularly but found it hard to create clear chances against a defence led by no nonsense Jeremy OíDonovan and in which left full Michael Bradfield excelled.

The Mitchelstown best effort came in the 33rd minute, following good work by Zacknik, but the 21 yard shot by Michael Maher was just off target as keeper Hurley dived to his left.

Their best chance came a few minutes later, following a Mark Kenny corner. The ball broke at the far post to Eamon O'Connor but his defender's finish wasn't at all convincing and ran wide.

Kinsale started the second half well. Manager McGovern switched Varian and Holland upfront but it was a McCarthy shot that almost surprised Hannon in the 48th minute. Hannon was again tested by Holland a few minutes later but again came up trumps.

The main threat was now coming from the seasiders and O'Connor was forced to concede a corner to stop Varian benefitting from the build-up between Holland and McCarthy and, midway through, McCarthy was close to touching home a Holland free at the far post.

Kinsale's quality is mainly upfront and it surfaced in the 79th minute. Holland outfoxed a couple at the corner of the box and let fly. His effort was half cleared. McCarthy latched onto it and drove a beauty into Hannon's left hand corner to open the scoring.

Varian had threatened a few times and finally broke through from the right, leaving his man foundering, before shooting past the exposed Hannon to double the Kinsale haul.

Park had lost the influential Dineen to injury between the goals and O'Connor was soon to join him. But Park hopes were raised when, following a corner, skipper Fanning drove high to the roof to the net.

Then, following a free, Maher shot for goal. It curled away and the stretching O'Neill came within inches of turning it in. But it was Kinsale who would finish the stronger.

Sub Cummins had a cross well held in the 89th minute. Hannon got down well to save from McCarthy in the 90th and, in injury time, made a brilliant save from Holland who had been played through by the influential McCarthy.

Kinsale: Brendan Hurley, Florence Lynch, Michael Bradfield, Daniel Searls, Colin Kilty captain, Pat Murphy, Jeremy O'Donovan, Derek McCarthy, Sean Prior, Richard Holland and Derek Varian. Subs: Eamon Jones, Gearoid Cummins, Michael Ahern, Sean Foran and Declan Ryan.

Park Utd: Brendan Hannon, Michael Maher, Eugene OíCallaghan, Eamonn OíConnor, John Paul Cotter, Paul Fanning captain, Dave Dineen, Gary O'Connor, Ger O'Neill, Mark Kenny and Swalek Zacknik. Subs: Eamon O'Sullvan, John O'Sullivan, Darren O'Grady, Kenneth Barry and Darren Lynch.

Referee: Damien O'Mahony. Assistants: Tom Tully and Stephen O'Connell. Fourth Official: Richie Murphy.

PREVIOUS AOH WINNERS AND RUNNERS UP:

 1952 Crosshaven (Abbey Rovers); 53 Wembley (Mallow); 54 Glasheen (Mallow); 55 Wembley (Fermoy; 56 St Mary's (Fermoy); 57 Wembley (Tower Rovers); 58 Churchvilla (Collins); 59 Albion (Castleview); 60 Ringmahon R. (Wembley); 61 Ringmahon R. (Castleview); 62 Castleview (Blackrock); 63 Castleview (Wembley); 64 St Michael's (Castleview); 65 Wembley (Everton); 66 St Mary's (Crosshaven); 67 Everton (Castleview); 68 Rockmount (Everton); 69 Castleview (Ringmahon); 70 Greenmount R. (St Mary's); 71 St Ml's, Tipperary (St Mary's); 72 Crosshaven (St Michael's, Tipperary); 73 St Mary's (Castleview); 74 Castleview (Ringmahon Rangers); 75 St Mary's (Killeagh); 76 Castleview (St Mary's); 77 St Mary's (Avondale Utd); 78 Casement Celtic (Mallow); 79 Grangevale (Northvilla); 80 St John Bosco's  (Greenmount R.); 81 St Mary's (Temple Utd); 82 Tramore Ath. (Temple Utd); 83 Central Rvrs (Ringmahon R.); 84 Douglas Hall (Wembley); 85 Carrigaline U.   (Temple Utd); 86 Ballincollig (Douglas Hall); 87 Wilton Utd (St J. Bosco's); 88 Wilton Utd (St J. Bosco's); 89 Temple Utd (Bandon); 90 St J. Bosco's    (Hibernians); 91 Villa Utd (Dunbar Cel.); 92 Bandon (Crescent Ath.); 93 Coachford (Passage); 94 Passage (Grattan Utd); 95 North End (Rockville); 96 Grattan Utd (Togher Rvrs); 97 Passage (Coachford); 98 Passage (Leeside); 99 Greenmount R. (Rockville); 2000 Blarney Utd (Leeside); 2001 Leeside (Blarney Utd); 2002 Greenmount Rangers (Villa Utd); 2003 Greenmount Rangers (Ballinhassig); 2004 Blarney United (Greenmount Rangers); 2005 Coachford (Mayfield Utd); 2006 Leeside (Coachford); 2007 Leeside (Coachford).