Munster's DCT triumph to take Business League Second Division title
Business League: Munster’s DCT celebrate winning the Grandon’s Toyota Second Division title. Picture: Finbarr Buckley.
Munster’s DCT were crowned Grandon’s Toyota Second Division champions after coming out on top in the winner-takes-all Game of the Week encounter at Conna Community Park.
The hosts went into their last fixture two points ahead of their opponents with a match more played. With little to separate the teams in a competitive opening half hour, three goals inside seven minutes turned the game on its head.
First, Man of the Match, Michael Mitchell sent Dean Farrissey scampering down the right flank. The tricky winger shook off the challenge of Tadhg Clancy to cut in along the endline and fire the ball across the dive of Jayden O’Connor into the far corner. Within four minutes, Mitchell sent up poacher-supreme Robbie Burke following a corner to plant a second into the opposite corner with O’Connor again at full stretch.
With Valley wondering what hit them, Mitchell’s corner was powerfully headed in by Nikita Zigunovs three minutes later. Valley coach Eoin Doyle rallied his charges to take the game to their opponents in the second half and was rewarded when younger brother Cian fired in off the underside of the crossbar within five minutes of the resumption.
However, the visitors always looked dangerous on the break and at the final whistle the spoils deservedly went to coaches Chris Higgins and Nigel Keating and their talented squad.
The highlight of ePower’s win over the Tigers at Mayfield Park last Friday night was a first-half salvo of four goals from the impressive Ryan Murray which brought his total for the season to 17.
Joshua Halpin's seventh-minute opener was followed by Murray’s four before Aaron Walsh and Dean Molina netted further goals in the second 45. Sami El Fellah got in for a consolation for the visitors with a minute remaining.
AI FC went into their final three matches of the league season hoping to finish in the top four. They fell behind to a Luke Kelly 29th-minute opener for Carrigaline before two goals inside a minute early in the second half from Emmanuel Abubakar and Dylan Nchankea handed the initiative to the visitors.
After Kelly forced an equaliser within five minutes of Nchankea’s second, an own goal and a fourth from Victor Ewuzie with five minutes remaining secured AI’s 12th win of the campaign.
Cian Power registered Council’s goal in the late Sunday night kick-off at Leeside Park.
Despite Ken O’Brien giving the hosts a 20th-minute lead, Celtic’s magnificent unbeaten league run continued to gather momentum going into their final fixture next Saturday afternoon against OBS at Gortnaglough Community Park (3pm), after goals from Ryan Constan (4), Musa Moxamed (2) and Tadgh Shanahan saw off the challenge of Here’s Health at Mayfield Park.
Abbey maintained the push for automatic promotion at Corinthians Park courtesy of goals from John McLoughlin (6), twenty-four in total for the campaign, Patrick Scully, David Crotty and Cian Lucey. Jamie Torpey completed the scoring with a late consolation for the visitors.
Paudie Cotter’s 13th of the campaign, scored in the 70th minute, wasn’t enough to garner all three points from the visit of DoMa to James Kenneally Sports Centre. Adriano rescued a point for the visitors when he equalised seven minutes later.
Last season’s champions Doolan’s Cow fought off the challenge of basement club MHS, who went in front early through Tomás Sheehan, to remain on course to finish runners-up behind Helio Inter Cork.
The division’s top marksman Jamie Murphy again came up trumps at Ringmahon Park last Sunday morning when he scored twice in the 49th and 55th minutes to give the Cow a fifth win in six.
Relegation threatened Cork Hospitals failed to repeat their earlier win over Helio at Gortnaglough Community Park.
First-half goals from Joao Martins, Alejandro Perez and Martin Da Silva were countered by Rob Hughes’ opener for Hospitals in the 68th minute. Gabriel Da Silva got in for a fourth with twenty minutes left of clock to preserve the champions' 10-point lead at the top.
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