Ringmahon Rangers pip Blarney on penalties to win Junior League Cup

Blarney United 1

Ringmahon Rangers 1

Ringmahon won 5-3 on pens aet

RINGMAHON RANGERS capped a fantastic weekend for the club when they claimed the Beamish Stout Junior League Cup after a penalty shootout win over Blarney United following a 1-1 draw at Turner’s Cross on Monday.

Three days earlier Ringmahon’s senior team sealed their place in the FAI Intermediate Cup final following their 2-0 win over Rockmount, and junior captain and shootout hero Cian O’Connor made it a perfect Easter weekend when he lifted the junior league cup.

O’Connor saved Ben O’Connell’s penalty and player-manager Derek O’Sullivan, on as a sub in the dying seconds of extra-time, made no mistake with Ringmahon’s fifth kick.

Blarney had started the brighter of the two teams and O’Connor was called into action in the second minute when he batted away Jordan O’Connor’s shot from the just inside the penalty area on the right.

Ten minutes later, a good break by Jordan O’Connor on the right wing saw him dig out a cross near the endline to the far post where Shane O’Reilly got above his man two yards out but couldn’t get his head on the ball which went wide.

Blarney were in again two minutes later when O’Connor helped the ball into Dylan O’Sullivan’s path on the right of the penalty area; he hit a perfect strike towards the far post, but the ball went inches wide.

Blarney had the upper hand at that point, but Ringmahon came close to jumping in front on 21 minutes when Ciaran Kearney shook off his marker on the left, just outside of the penalty area, and hit a cracking shot that crashed off the crossbar with keeper Adam O’Regan well beaten.

The deadlock was broken two minutes when Blarney took the lead. O’Connor played a measured pass in behind Ringmahon's defence for O’Sullivan to run on to and he planted the ball past the advancing O’Connor from just outside penalty area.

Blarney were worth their lead at that point, but Ringmahon came more into the game after that and equalised just after the half-hour mark when Kalem Cashman got on the end of a delivery into the penalty area on the right; his attempted volley was mishit, but the ball flew across the penalty area to Humberto Januario who blasted it high into the net from close range.

The game was finely balanced at that point, but Blarney had a chance to go in at the break ahead when Jack Brady did well to control a cross from the left, beat his marker with some neat footwork before shooting from the edge of the box, but O’Connor made a brilliant stop for a corner.

Ringmahon had a half chance in injury-time after Januario released Cashman in space on the right side of the penalty area, but Blarney defender Oisin O’Brien got back to win possession.

One-one was a fair reflection of the first half and the game was up for grabs in the second period.

Nine minutes in Dylan O’Regan-Forde, who had a good game in midfield for the Mahon outfit, released Cashman wide on the right; he cut into penalty area and shot low from a tight angle, forcing O’Regan to cough up a corner.

From Jordan Delurey’s flag kick, the ball reached Alan Higgins and O’Regan had to make another good save for another corner.

Ringmahon were gradually getting on top and midway through the half James Morrissey’s delivery into the danger area from the right was missed by a Blarney defender, allowing Jacob Gaup to race in on the far side of the area, but again O’Regan made a good save for a corner.

Ringmahon then had a scrambled effort cleared off the line, while at the other end keeper O’Connor left his line quickly to head the ball clear as O’Sullivan threatened.

Time was ticking towards another 20 minutes of action, but both sides had a chance to win it in normal time.

Extra-time produced one good chance for each side to win it; in the first period Delurey did well on the left before driving the ball low into the danger area and Cashman slid in at the back post, but his effort went wide.

Blarney had an even better chance in the second half when Brady slipped the ball in behind the Ringmahon defence for O’Connor, but he blasted well over with only the keeper to beat, thereby sending the game into penalties.

Ciaran Kearney, James Morrissey, Delurey, and Higgins scored for Ringmahon, with David Murray, Sean McCarthy, and Shane Stewart replying for Blarney before O’Connor’s save and O’Sullivan’s decisive kick won it for Ringmahon.

BLARNEY UNITED: Adam O’Regan, Niall Cremin, David Murray, Oisin O’Brien, Sean McCarthy, Jack Brady, Alan Stewart, Eoghan Carroll, Jordan O’Connor, Dylan O’Sullivan, Shane O’Reilly.

Subs: Ben O’Connell for Carroll (56), Scott Forrest and Eddie Murphy for Alan Stewart and O’Reilly (both 64); Shane Steward for O’Connor (110).

RINGMAHON RANGERS: Cian O’Connor, James Morrissey, Jordan Delurey, Ian Fleming, Alan Higgins, Aidan O’Shea, Kalem Cashman, Dylan O’Regan-Forde, Ciaran Kearney, Dean McCarthy, Humberto Januario.

Subs: Jacob Gaup for Januario (59), Ben O’Neill for McCarthy (72), Derek O’Sullivan for Cashman (109).

Referee: Alan Martin, assistants, Tom McCarthy, JP Grey, fourth official, Ryan McCann.