TWO GOALS IN the space of 90 seconds in the first half secured Colin Breslin Cup glory for Swilly Rovers on Friday evening.
Swilly Rovers 2 Drumkeen United 1
Just before the half-hour, Matthew Sweeney and Mark Wilson netted the goals that takes the Cup to Ramelton after a gripping, edgy and anxious final at The Diamond Park.
Those goals kept Swilly at arm’s length, but their supporters were looking through the gaps in their fingers during the closing exchanges against 10-man Drumkeen.
When Eoghan Kennedy fired a stunning 71st minute effort high into the Swilly net, it was game on.
[adrotate group=”37″]Drumkeen beat all before them in the League, winning eight-from-eight on their way to winning the Dick Duffy Memorial Cup, taking a crown that had been worn by the head of Letterkenny Rovers in each of the previous four seasons.
Picture caption: Swilly Rovers celebrate after winning the Colin Breslin Cup. Picture by Stephen Doherty.
Shaun Gallagher’s team had a glorious chance of levelling it eleven minutes from the end but substitute Conor Patton somehow steered wide with the goal yawning before him after Dylan McNamee beat Swilly goalkeeper Dane Dunworth to a dropping ball on the edge of the six-yard box.
In these moments, Drumkeen looked the more likely, but when left-back Paddy Dolan was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 83rd minute, their hopes took a considerable nosedive.
Swilly had lost the final of this competition last year to derby rivals Letterkenny Rovers, but it was the Lennonsiders who hit the front after 27 minutes.
Sweeney rose to meet Marty Doyle’s corner and, despite being in one of those typically-claustrophobic penalty box scenarios, wonderfully steered his header beyond the goalkeeper, Carl Dunnion.
Just two minutes later, another Doyle corner provided the assist, this time Mark Wilson flicking to the net past a stunned Dunnion.
Drumkeen had been forced into an early change when attacker Kevin Bonner left the field on a stretcher after pulling up on the edge of the Swilly box.
Swilly fashioned a promising opening in the 15th minute, but Drumkeen defender Keelan Kelly took the ball off the toe of Shaun Crossan after he’d been teed up by Mark Wilson just inside the penalty box.
It took a strong save by Swilly ‘keeper Dane Dunworth to prevent Drumkeen from pulling one back with what was their first attack of real purpose in the 42nd minute.
Dunworth turned Dolan’s effort from the left side of the penalty box around for a corner and a driven shot by Jerome Duffy was blocked as Swilly held firm for the changeover.
Seven minutes into the second half, Ryan Flood came to Swilly’s rescue. Anthony Bogle whipped a cracking free kick across the Swilly goal and, with Dunworth seemingly beaten, Flood headed clear at the vital moment.
Soon after, Flood went close at the other end. There seemed little danger when Mick Lagan, the referee, awarded Swilly a free kick 35 yards from goal, but Flood’s thumping effort careered off the top of the crossbar.
Another Flood free, this one from a little closer, was touched over by Dunnion as Swilly sought a means of killing the tie.
[adrotate group=”43″]Dunworth denied Lee Kennedy with a smart save after the Drumkeen midfielder got space in the area for a first-time shot after a dangerous ball across the area from Patton.
Eoghan Kennedy teed up a grandstand finish with a magnificent effort from outside the box that flew past the helpless Dunworth, but Swilly held on.
Swilly Rovers: Dane Dunworth; Matthew Sweeney, Adam Salhi, Derek Edwards, Marty Doyle; Oran Higgins, Caolan Murray (Duncan Patterson 64), Ryan Flood, Matthew Stewart; Mark Wilson (Stephen Gallagher 76), Shaun Crossan.
Drumkeen United: Carl Dunnion; Jonny Black, Jerome Duffy, Keelan Kelly, Paddy Dolan; Conor Rodgers, Eoghan Kennedy, Lee Kennedy, Michael Guthrie (Conor Patton 64); Anthony Bogle (Sean Peoples 64), Kevin Bonner (Dylan McNamee 9).
Referee: Mick Lagan.
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