MSL soccer: Ringmahon Rangers retain junior premier title after dramatic win over Carrigaline United

Carrigaline United 2

Ringmahon Rangers 3

RINGMAHON RANGERS retained their Beamish Stout Junior Premier Division title in dramatic fashion at Ballea Park on Friday.

Ringmahon and Carrigaline went into their final game of the season sharing top spot in a winner-takes-all encounter, and Carrigaline had one hand on the trophy when they led 2-1 heading into injury-time.

However, a quickfire two-goal salvo from substitute Iain Aherne turned the game on its head as the city side snatched a win from the jaws of defeat.

A huge error by Ringmahon goalkeeper Cian O’Connor had earlier handed Carrigaline the initiative, but in truth, Ringmahon deserved at least a shot of a play-off at that point and when Aherne headed a 92nd-minute equaliser it appeared they had got what they deserved.

But there was more to come as Aherne pounced again moments later to help his side to a deserved title win.

Ringmahon’s path to retaining their crown has been quite remarkable; four games into the campaign they had amassed just four points but went on an incredible run that saw them win 13 of their next 14 league games, only dropping points in the 3-3 draw with Everton last month.

Carrigaline had been league leaders for much of the season; they had beaten Ringmahon 1-0 on the opening day of the campaign and also got the better of them in the Donal Linehan Trophy on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The home side took the lead here with just six minutes played; Luke Boyle picked Ringmahon’s Dylan O’Regan-Forde pocket and released Cian O’Flaherty who headed goalwards before firing past O’Connor from the edge of the penalty area.

Ringmahon responded well to falling behind and created several chances; Dean McCarthy drove the ball over after a cross in from the left on 13 minutes, while they had two decent opportunities in the space of a couple of minutes just before the half-hour mark when Alan Higgins had a header downwards strike the bar, and a Jordan Delurey cross found Humberto Januario who lifted his effort over from inside the penalty area.

A minute later at the other end, Kieran Kavanagh got a touch from a corner on the right at the near post, but O’Connor turned the ball away for another corner.

Late in the half Carrigaline’s centre-back James McSweeney had to clear the ball off the line after Delurey’s free kick inside his own half on the right was headed goalwards, ensuring his side went in at half-time in front.

Ringmahon upped their game in the second half and enjoyed good spells of possession with some neat passing moves. Lively winger Kalem Cashman came close to an equaliser five minutes in; he did well to control a high delivery in from the left but scooped his shot over the crossbar at the far post.

Five minutes later another Delurey cross from the left found Higgins, but his close-range header went narrowly over.

Just after the hour mark, Ringmahon got their just reward. O’Regan played a nice pass from midfield out right to full-back Darragh O’Shea; he fed Cashman on the overlap and his low cross was met by Januario whose first attempt was blocked by keeper Niall O’Leary, but he made sure with his second effort.

Ringmahon were on top at this point and looked the more likely of the two to score next, but it was Carrigaline who took the lead when, after a harmless ball back to O’Connor, the keeper completely missed his clearance and O’Flaherty ran in behind to roll the ball into an empty net.

Carrigaline had the momentum now and two minutes later were in again when Boyle raced on to O’Flaherty’s through ball, but O’Connor was out to make a good save for a throw-in.

Ringmahon pressed for an equaliser and had a lot of possession, but with no real end product.

Januario had a goalbound shot blocked with seven minutes remaining, but it seemed that time was running out for Mahon outfit.

However, in injury-time they won a corner and Delurey’s delivery was headed powerfully past O’Leary by Aherne to level the tie.

Aherne had been brought on 12 minutes earlier and it appeared he had done enough to force the title battle to a play-off and another meeting between the two sides.

There was more to come though, and a minute later Januario turned the ball into the danger area from the left and Aherne got ahead of his man to touch it home at the near post past O’Leary.

Carrigaline were stunned as they saw the title slip from their grasp, confirmed by referee Alan Belmajoub’s final whistle shortly afterward which sparked wild celebrations from Ringmahon players, officials, and supporters as they retained their league title, adding to their league cup final win over Blarney United earlier in the season, and the third division title that their second junior team had won in Bandon the night before.

CARRIGALINE UNITED: Niall O’Leary, Kieran Kavanagh, Ian Drinan, Tom O’Connell, James McSweeney, Conor O’Farrell, Luke Boyle, Andrew Kingston, Cian O’Flaherty, Caleb O’Connell, Derry Howard.

Subs: Luke Campbell Brookes for O’Leary (ht), Jack Turner for Kingston (57), Caran Kearney for O’Connell (88).

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

Subs: Jakub Gaup for Aidan O’Shea (40), Iain Aherne and Brian O’Neill for Gaup and Cashman (both 82)

Jakub Gaup, Iain Aherne, Dylin Burke, Brian O’Neill, Roy Collins, Derek O’Sullivan, Jayden O’Leary.

Referee: Alan Belmajoub, John Paul Grey, Tom McCarthy.