League Cup Final Match Report

Clonmany Shamrocks           3clubman

Glengad United                     1

Clonmany Shamrocks recorded their first cup win since 2008-9 with an upset over five in a row seeking Glengad at Maginn Park on Saturday night.

Clonmany started well and a superb Mark McLaughlin cross from the right was swept behind by James McKinney at the expense of a corner. Glengad assumed control dominating possession but for some reason they seemed to lack their usual fluency and Matthew Byrne curled a free kick just over the angle on 8 minutes. A superb Stephen McLaughlin pass found Terence Doherty who came across a defender but fired just over from sixteen yards before Doherty got on the end of a Byrne cross but his loping header was easily claimed by Patrick Harkin.On 26 minutes a superb run by Doherty through the heart of the clonmany defence was stoppe d by an excellent Paddy Doherty tackle. Clonmany responded when Jason Devlin fed McLaughlin on the edge of the area and when his effort was blocked by two defenders McLaughlin sustained a foot injury which led to him being replaced at the break. The Shamrocks made the break through on 32 minutes after a long range free was flicked on by Jamie Coyle into the path of Mikey Friel and the fifteen year old calmly finished past the advancing Kevin McLaughlin. Clonmany gained confidence from this and before the break McLaughlin went close with an audacious effort from wide on the right. Everyone expected Glengad to come out firing on all cylinders but Clonmany doubled their lead on 53 minutes with a stunning move. They broke up a Glengad attack and substitute Dessie Doherty broke on the right before feeding Paddy Doherty who ran at the centre of the Glengad defence before slipping  a pass to Jamie Coyle and he slide the ball low past McLaughlin from sixteen yards.Another break five minutes later saw Dessie Doherty free inside the area and his low  effort was brilliantly blocked by the outstretched leg of McLaughlin but the ball fell to Friel who fired home from the edge of the area. Glengad tried desperately to get back into the game and on 70 minutes Nigel McMonagle fed Doherty on the right and he cut inside a defender but Harkin advancing blocked with his body. Minutes later substitute Michael Byrne had an effort parried behind and when the corner fell to Shane Canning he fired over from the edge of the area. Their best effort came on 75 minutes after good work by McMonagle on the right saw him pick out substitute Seamus Doherty but well placed he fired straight at Harkin. They did get a consolation on the stroke of full time when John G McLaughlin fired home after a Stephen McLaughlin corner.

 

MAN OF THE MATCH.

Unusually for Glengad too many of their players had an off day but Terence Doherty was always a threat while for Clonmany  Ferghal Harkin, Brendan Doherty and Paddy Doherty all had excellent games. But the old saying of goals win games  comes to mind and the award goes to young Mikey Friel who worked tirelessly all night and took both his goals very well and deserves the award.