Skeliga FC Overcome Island Bs in Division A Final

 

Denny Div 1A League Final: Skeliga FC 3     Castleisland B 1

Mike Rice reports on the replayed Greyhound Bar Cup final.
Mike Rice reports on the Division A final.

Castleisland AFC lost their second final in the space of a week when they went down to Skeliga FC in the Division A League Final at Mounthawk Park on Sunday.

Report: Mike Rice.
The islanders got off to a fantastic start scoring in the fourth minute of the game. They won a free kick on the sideline out near halfway.
It was floated into the box by Pierce Brosnan and with the Skeliga keeper a bit off his line it hopped over him and went all the way to the net.
Then Castleisland got a free kick on the verge of the box but Pierce Brosnan missed the target.
Skeliga put a good bit of pressure on forcing a corner kick and when the ball was handled in the box by Neil O’Sullivan referee Adrien Quirke pointed to the spot. He consulted with his assistant regarding the matter and issued a yellow card for the offender.
Sean Corunane put away the penalty in emphatic fashion low to the bottom corner.
Four minutes later, Skeliga went ahead after a magnificent through ball by Chris Farrelly put Sean Cournane through on goals and he applied a great finish.
Cournane was on the warpath again shortly afterwards and his shot from a tight angle went into the side netting.
Castleisland then forced two corner kicks and from the second Ray Huggard’s header was cleared by Stevie Boyle.
The game looked delicately balanced at half time but two minutes into second half Skeliga forged further ahead with a wonderful goal.
Sean Cournane was the provider for Rory Keating with a 30 yard sublime ball and he rounded the advancing keeper and rolled the ball into the empty net.
Castleisand began to use their bench after this and Pa O’Rouke had a shot from distance but it was well wide of the target.
Then Connie O’Rouke found Colin Mc Carthy with a great cross but he headed wide.
Sean Cournane was through on goals to compete his hat trick but he was ruled off-side – a decision Skeliga were very unhappy about..
In the 70th minute a foul on Martin Moriarty gave Castleisland a free kick in a very good position and earned Skeliga defender Brendan O’Sullivan a yellow card.
Pierce Brosnans shot was blocked by the wall and another foul took place which resulted in Brendan O’Sullivan getting a second yellow and he was sent off. Pierce Brosnan sent the free kick high and over the top.
With the extra man, Castleisland were now on top and when John Feehan was taken down in the box by Johnny Clifford Castleisland got a penalty kick.
Danny Feehan went low for the bottom corner but Skeliga keeper Ronan McCarthy dived full length to his right and made a fantastic save.
This knocked the stuffing out of Castleisland and while they continued to mount a significant amount of pressure they could find no way past a superb Skeliga defence where Stevie Boyle and Johnny Clifford were outstanding.
Skeliga FC: Ronan McCarthy, Johnny Clifford, Barry O’Sullivan, Stevie Boyle, Pa Cournane, (Jason O’Sullivan, 84), Chris Farrelly, Brendan O’Sullivan, Thomas Curran, Jimmy Stapleton, (Danny Curran 79), Sean Cournane, Rory Keating, (Kealan Moriarty 76), .
Castleisland AFC B: David Callahan, Ray Huggard, Niall Casey, Neil O’Sullivan, Mike Cahill, Martin Moriarty, Colin McCarthy, (John Feehan 65), Pierce Brosnan, Danny Feehan, Connie O’ Rourke, (Ethan O’Connor 66), Pa O’Rourke, (Eamon Mc Loughlin 69).
Referee Adrien Quirke