COCKHILL CELTIC CLAIMED their second piece of silverware this week when they defeated Glengad United in the Knockalla Caravans Cup final.
Cockhill Celtic 3 Glengad United 0
A brace of goals from Ronan ‘Ollie’ Doherty after Malachy McDermott’s opener gave Gavin Cullen’s team a deserved win.
Cockhill had just been crowned Ulster Senior League champions for the fourth year in succession on Wednesday night when they drew 2-2 with Derry City.
With a League Cup final against Letterkenny Rovers still to come, The Hoops are on course for a treble after putting brave Glengad – the defending Inishowen League champions, who go to war with Clonmany in title decider next Sunday at Shamrock Park – to the sword.
[adrotate group=”37″]McDermott and Doherty had the USL side in control with goals from the first half and their third didn’t arrive until the 75th minute.
Garbhan Friel’s persistence made the goal. He chased a long ball, held it up, beat several defenders in the box. The ball broke away, but Friel acrobatically fired an overhead volley against the post and Doherty tucked in the rebound to seal the isuse.
Such was the searing heat of the Maginn sun, referee Packie Coll permitted the sides to take a water break midway through the first half and again 18 minutes from the end of the second.
[adrotate group=”46″]Cockhill hit the front in the 24th minute when McDermott got on the end of a long ball forward, out-muscled John G McLaughlin in the box and curled a lovely finish beyond the Glengad goalkeeper, Kevin McLaughlin.
Reeling from that concession, Glengad were stunned further when, just nine minutes later, Cockhill doubled their lead.
Gerry Gill rolled a free-kick, some 35 yards from goal, to Doherty on the left-hand side of the penalty box. Doherty stepped inside two tackles and his finish was wonderful, finding a spot in the Glengad net that was just inside the far post.
Glengad had fashioned the first chance of the game. Just two minutes before they fell a goal behind, Stephen McLaughlin’s fine run ended in a one-two with Terence Doherty, but Cullen made the save.
Glengad had a couple of good openings at the end of the opening half, with Terence Doherty firing wide of the mark while Christy Fildara blasted over from an angle after taking a cross from Nigel McMonagle.
[adrotate group=”62″]Garbhan Friel might have turned the screw in the final minute of the half, but he dragged his shot wide after intercepting a loose pass by Stephen McLaughlin.
[adrotate group=”43″]McLaughlin denied Jimmy Bradley early in the second half as his snapshot from 18 yards tested the ‘keeper while Bradley turned provider for Derek Doherty a little later but he too saw a header saved by the Glengad netminder.
Doherty volleyed over a Friel cross soon after, but the killer third did arrive 15 minutes from time as Cockhill put paid to any hopes of an upset by Glengad.
Cockhill Celtic: Gavin Cullen; Kieran McLaughlin, Peter Doherty, William O’Connor, Jason Breslin (Ronan Doherty (N) 63); Derek Doherty (Paul McKinney 80), James Bradley, Malachy McDermott, Ronan Doherty (O); Garbhan Friel (Gerard McLaughlin 85), Gerry Gill.
Glengad United: Kevin McLaughlin; Stephen McLaughlinm John G McLaughlin, Jason Doherty, Matthew Byrne; Christy Fildara (James McKinney 80), Seamus Doherty (Ryan Green 85), Michael Byrne, Nigel McMonagle (Adam Byrne 72); Terence Doherty, Paddy McDermott.
Referee: Packie Coll.
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