Ryan the penalty hero as Corinthians advance to Intermediate final with win over Douglas Hall
Goalkeeper Gavin Ryan was the man of the moment as College Corinthians sealed an FAI Intermediate Cup final clash with Ringmahon Rangers.
Corinthians advanced 3-0 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, with Ryan saving two Hall kicks in the shootout as well as a penalty in normal time.
It was a dramatic end to a contest that looked to be slipping beyond Douglas Hall after they fell 2-0 down in the second half, but they battled back and finished the 90 minutes the stronger.
The hosts had the first chance on goal eight minutes in when Michael Carroll picked up possession in midfield and unleashed a terrific shot that Ryan did well to tip on to his post before the ball was cleared for a throw.
Corinthians slowly got a grip on the contest, and they had their first opening just before the half-hour mark when they won a free kick 25 yards from goal. Ian Turner drove the ball low past the wall, forcing Hall keeper Daniel Moynihan to stretch and turn the ball around his post for a corner.
Turner played the flag kick short to Keelan Crowley and took the return pass, but he was again denied by Moynihan at his near post for a corner.
Five minutes later Corinthians broke the deadlock when a good move on the right saw Ross McCarthy and Turner combine for the latter to cross for Adam Walsh whose low drive inside the penalty area beat Moynihan at his right-hand post.
Corinthians were on top at this point and Turner was almost in for a second goal when a loose clearance by Moynihan fell to him close on the angle of the six-yard box on the right, but the keeper made amends when he blocked the Corinthians player’s shot at his near post.
Hall needed to up their game in the second half and they had a glorious chance to level the contest three minutes in when Cormac Kelly was fouled in the box, but Ryan saved Anthony Brothers’ penalty.
Things got worse for the home side when Corinthians doubled their tally eight minutes later; Killian Cooper got on the end of Crowley’s cross to guide the ball home from inside the penalty area.
At that point the visitors had one foot in the final, but their intensity levels dropped and Hall worked their way back into the game and began to put Corinthians under pressure.
They pulled a goal back on 70 minutes when Jonah Obode’s corner found Brian Holland whose powerful header beat Ryan.
The game opened up after that with Hall probing for the equaliser and Ryan had to make a brilliant save to deny a cracking Timmy O’Reilly shot from outside the penalty area.
O’Reilly wouldn’t be denied however; with five minutes remaining the Hall captain showed great skill on the angle of the penalty area to make space for the shot, another cracker that sailed over Ryan and into the net to send the game into extra-time.
Having played second fiddle for much of the second half, Corinthians raised their game in the added minutes and had the best chance of the half-hour when late in the first period Destiny Okonkwo did well to make space for a shot in the box but elected to pass to fellow sub Doue Van Sinderen in a better position in the six-yard box, but Moynihan made a terrific save.
The Hall keeper made another good block on an Okonkwo effort from a tight angle as the first half came to a close.
Corinthians had a couple of penalty pleas denied in the second period, but ultimately spot kicks would decide this contest with Hall missing three kicks, Ryan saving two of them, and Eric Cunningham, Cooper, and Donnellan providing the finishes for the Castletreasure side.
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