CHRISTY FILDARA’S EXTRA-TIME strike landed Carndonagh Community School the Bank of Ireland FAI Schools Dr.Tony O’Neill National Senior cup in Dublin.
Cardonagh Community School 2 Presentation Brothers College, Cork 1
after extra time
BY DAVE HOOPER AT HOME FARM
Fildara’s strike four minutes into extra-time saw a deserved victory for the Carndonagh who looked most dangerous throughout and showed more fitness then their Cork counterparts.
The Donegal men settled quicker and had the better of the first half chances and their fitness told as the cup avoided Presentation Brothers College in their first senior cup final.
The Cork men were unhappy to go behind to a 22nd minute penalty, Bryan Cotter adjudged to have fouled Evan Tweed after impressive full back’s James McKinney’s cross.
Cathal Farren gave Eoin O’Sullivan no chance from the spot, blasting his penalty high into the right corner of his net.
The goal spurned Presentation brothers into action, who had yet to test the Carndonagh keeper in the opening quarter of the game, the big Donegal defence winning the aerial battle.
Eoin Davis snap shot sailed wide of the post, while busy captain David Grant O’Sullivan pulled his shot wide, both attempts inside 60 seconds of one other, Presentations first efforts on goal.
Presentation went in level at half time, somewhat against the run of play, Douwe Van Sinderen levelling just moment’s the break.
David Barry’s free kick was swung at Mark Cunningham, Houghton pushing the ball to his right, the return ball saw Houghton produce an excellent stop from Cunningham’s header.
Van Sinderen was quickest to react to the loose ball and headed past the on rushing Houghton to level the game and start mass celebrations in the large travelling support.
The Donegal men had the better of the second half chances, Presentation Brothers best second half chance coming just after the hour mark.
Van Sinderen firing his 25 yard free kick just wide of the post. Carndonagh however always looked the more likely to score and had the ball in the net on 65 minutes.
Cathal Farren’s shot was pushed away by Eoin O’Sullivan, Brandon Browne charged into the box, nicked it from the keeper and slotted into the net
Referee Dave Buckley surprisingly ruling it out for a foul on the goalkeeper, who really had been caught off guard.
Presentation College did well to fend off the pressure in the final moments of normal time, Bryan Mulcahy blocking Browne’s snap shot, O’Sullivan gathering Tweed’s return ball.
The Cork boys looked the most unhappy to be heading into extra-time with Grant O’Sullivan and David Dalton both going down with cramp at the end of the 90.
There was an inevitability about Carndonagh’s second goal and it arrived four minutes into extra-time, the additional time proving to be a too much for many of the Presentation team.
Tweed’s cross field ball was controlled beautifully by left winger Fildara n on the edge of the box who kept his shot low and across O’Sullivan into the corner of the net.
Substitute Eoghan O’Leary’s excellent volley produced an equally excellent save from Houghton in the second period of extra-time, with David Dalton volleying over moments later as it was Carndonagh’s day.
Presentation Brothers College: Eoin O’Sullivan, Fergal O’Brien, Bryan Mulachy, Bryan Cotter, Colin Maguire, Eoin Davis (Eoghan O’Leary 100), Mark Cunningham, David Grant O’Sullivan, Douwe Van Sinderen (Shane O’Brien 80) , David Dalton, David Barry
Carndonagh Community School: Daniel Houghton, James McKinney, Daragh Folan, Sam Todd, Brian McEleney, Keelan Doherty (Declan McLaughlin 58), Evan Tweed, Josha Lafferty, Christy Fildara, Cathal Farren, Brandon Browne (Fionn McClure 97)
Referee: Dave Buckley (Dublin)
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