ISF Ballyphehane Celtic and Abbey Business power into First Division Cup final
Marlboro Trust who made it through to the final of the Shandon Cup Final following their penalty shoot-out win over ePower at Mayfield Park last Saturday
ISF Ballyphehane Celtic and Abbey Business will contest this season’s Frank Linehan First Division Cup Final after last weekend’s wins over Co Council and champions Sabor Brazil Giants.
Player-manager James Corcoran’s Celtic put the disappointment of losing out on promotion to the top flight by putting Council to the sword at the Regional Park last Saturday morning.
A blistering start by the visitors produced four goals inside the opening half hour courtesy of Craig Williams, Jamie Thompson, Shane Keating and Tadhg Shanahan. After Rob Susek pulled one back for the hosts in the 42nd minute, Celtic went on the rampage in the second 45 with Thompson (2), Keating, Corcoran, Matias Ayala, Ollie O’Sullivan and Anthony Moynihan adding further goals.
Veteran striker Francis O’Callaghan netted the first on the hour mark before Ronan Twomey scored a late second to propel Abbey Business to their first decider at the expense of recently crowned league champions Sabor Brazil Giants at Corinthians Park last Saturday afternoon.
O’Callaghan will be hoping it be third time lucky in finals after being on the receiving end with Healy O’Connor Solicitors in last season’s Mooney Cup Final loss to Jay Bazz Barbers and a Jackie O’Driscoll Cup Final defeat to Doolan’s Cow back in 2018.
Cian Doyle’s 20th-minute strike from Ivan Ohrin’s cross gives the visitors the advantage at half-time. Lee Maher’s deft flick on at the far post was headed in by Rory Buckley for the equaliser in the 74th minute.
Despite being guilty of missing from the penalty spot with two minutes remaining, OBS triumphed in the shoot-out to set up a much-anticipated showdown with long-time rivals Marlboro Trust in the decider.
After the unlucky Conor Byrne put through his own goal in the ninth minute to give the visitors an early lead, Ryan Murray restored parity from the penalty spot in the 26th minute. The evergreen Daniel Del Blanco edged Trust ahead again in the 72nd minute only for Peadar Gilroy to supply Josh Dempsey to the opportunity to equalise four minutes later.
A further 20 minutes of extra time failed to separate the teams leaving Marlboro to win through 4-1 on penalties. After Trust’s Deividas and ePower’s Darragh Hartnett exchanged successful opening penalties, Marlboro keeper Thiago Rodrigues’s save from Gilroy and Murrey’s miss handed the initiative to the visitors leaving Daniel Jaouhari to convert the decisive fourth.
It’s over 11 years since Marlboro contested a final, winning the Jackie O’Driscoll Premier Cup when they triumphed over Cork Eagles, 2-1, at Turner’s Cross on Thursday, May 22, 2014.
On that occasion, current manager Tom Frawley, then team captain, won the man-of-the-match award with current right-back Brian Gilhooley playing in the centre of defence alongside Joe O’Sullivan.
An unused sub from last Saturday’s line-out, Pat McSweeney, scored two first-half goals inside the opening 24 minutes. Tomek Bajkowski’s 80th-minute header wasn’t enough to deny Aidan Kelleher’s charges on that occasion.
MHS were left clinging to Premier Division survival after coming away from James Kenneally Sports Centre without a point from their defeat to Arc Rovers last Saturday morning.
The visitors stood two points ahead of Jay Bazz Barbers with a match in hand at the start of play. It took until the 52nd minute for the deadlock to be broken. David McGuire did well to turn on the edge of the area and set up Raúl Martínez to find the bottom corner of the net.
Paudie Cotter assisted Jack D’Arcy to score a second in the 71st minute before sub Alex Kelly added a third in added time.
Helio had too much for an understrength Grangevale in their second meeting of the season at Mayfield Park. With Corey Harris deputising in goal and Colin McKeon as a sub, Ivan Milicevic shot the hosts in front in 14th minute only for Billy Tabb to chip an equaliser seven minutes before the break.
Having spurned a chance to go ahead for the first time shortly afterwards, it was Helio who would lead at half-time through Erik Pohlmann.
Harris did well to deny Ruben Sarasa early in the second 45 but could do nothing to prevent Sergio Castano Cailla and Juan De Villa from adding further goals as the Vale tired in the final quarter.
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