A 92ND MINUTE goal from Peter McNamee was enough to win the Saturday League Cup final for Drumkeen United against Glencar Celtic at Dry Arch Park this afternoon.
Drumkeen United 2-1 Glencar Celtic
From a half-cleared corner, Ryan Kettle put the ball into the area a second time and McNamee showed great composure to work an angle before driving the winning goal into the bottom corner.
Photo caption: The Drumkeen United squad and management celebrate with the Saturday League Cup following their victory over Glencar Celtic at Dry Arch Park in Bonagee this afternoon
[adrotate group=”37″]The side from St Patrick’s Park had taken the lead through a wonder goal from full-back Kevin Boyle on 68 minutes before Junior Russell and Garvan Grieve’s Glencar levelled through an Anthony Doherty header six minutes from time.
After McNamee’s late goal, Drumkeen managed to keep their noses in front thanks to a wonderful save from goalkeeper Michael Gibson, who turned a Mark Forde header onto the crossbar in the fourth minute of time added on.
The game was something of a slow burner. Drumkeen edged the first 45 minutes having gone close on nine minutes when the best move of the half saw Kettle play Aaron Doherty down the right and his first time cross was met by a header by the incoming Anthony Browne, who just couldn’t keep the header down.
Aaron Doherty went close on 23 minutes when he fizzed a show just wide of Dominic Friel’s goal after Browne’s show had deflected into his path.
Eight minutes before the break, a fantastic effort from Peter Brannigan forced Friel to make a top drawer save from the dropping ball.
Glencar, who had beaten Drumkeen 6-0 in the Old Orchard Saturday Division, weren’t finding their upper gears but almost nicked a half-time lead when Anthony Dohery headed off the crossbar from the Grieve corner.
Glencar Celtic
Chances were few and far between in the third quarter but the game burst into life 22 minutes from the finish when Kettle’s pull-back was met by Boyle, whose fantastic half-volley from all of 30 yards flew past Friel.
Glencar were getting tetchy and had Eugene Sullivan and Anthony Doherty yellow-carded for dissent by Michael Mulhern, the match referee.
But a goal down well into the final quarter, Glencar started to perform with an impetus that had been absent until that point.
From a cross by Rory Gallagher, the ball just took too long to drop for substitute Matthew McColgan and that enabled Gibson to come from his line and block.
The Drumkeen netminder then made saves from a Sullivan header and Cathal Gallagher’s shot.
With just six minutes to go, Glencar managed to make it 1-1 through a bullet header from right-back Anthony Doherty from a Grieve corner.
And at that stage, they looked to be the one most likely. However, with extra-time looming McNamee popped up to make sure it was Drumkeen United’s name who will be the first on the new trophy.
For Glencar, there’s still a chance to make something of their season when they face Glenea United Reserves in the final of the Voodoo Venue Cup the weekend after next.
Drumkeen United: Michael Gibson; Kevin Boyle, Michael Patton, John Rodgers, Chris Kyle; Aaron Doherty, Liam McGill (Ronan Carlin 89), Anthony Browne, Ryan Kettle; Peter Branigan (Justin Deasley 86), Peter McNamee.
Glencar Celtic: Dominic Friel; Anthony Doherty, Mark Forde, Paddy O’Kane, Rory Gallagher; Mark Graham, Eugene Sullivan, Garvan Grieve, Michael Molloy; Kieran Doherty (Matthew McColgan 87), Cathal Gallagher.
Referee: Michael Mulhern.
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