Cocks crow in extra time as Dowling double secures Division 3 title
The Fighting Cocks captain Liam Sheppard lifts the Carlow Credit Union Division 3 trophy.
They needed extra time to do it, but the Fighting Cocks were crowned Carlow Credit Union Football League Division 3 Champions on Saturday night after a hard-fought battle with Mount Leinster Rangers in Netwatch Cullen Park.
Rangers had a free to kill the game off at the end of normal time, but the chance slipped through their fingers and sent the decider into extra time where it was the Cocks who left headquarters with the silverware.
Rangers came through a difficult semi-final with a five-point victory against Rathvilly, while Cocks raised four green flags in a nine-point win over Eire Og - but the final proved to be a more guarded affair, with neither side wanted to open up too much.
It was a cagey start to the game, with only two points apiece on the board after the opening ten minutes. Emmet Moran broke the deadlock for Cocks before Rangers hit back through Eoin Doyle and Gary Kelly, with Liam Sheppard slotting a second for Cocks.
Aaron Dowling and Jack Joyce then traded scores - each a beauty - before Cocks hit a double midway through the half from Cian O'Byrne and a second from the captain, Liam Sheppard.
Rangers came storming back with a curled effort from Kelly before a peach of a strike from Joey Dalton brought the sides level with just over 20 minutes gone.
The Fighting Cocks looked the more lively of the two as the half progressed, with Billy Nolan putting them back in front before the game's opening goal came with 28 minutes on the clock. A speculative effort from O'Byrne came back off the upright and into the grateful hands of Matthew English-Hayden, who atoned for an earlier miss by smashing the ball beyond Tomás Joyce to send Cocks four points up.
Mount Leinster Rangers kicked the first free of the game courtesy of Conaill Fitzpatrick right at the end of the half to leave his side trailing by three at the break, down 1-6 to 0-6 going into the changing rooms.
The second half burst into life, with Cocks getting off to the dream start when Aaron Dowling played in Jack McDonald who flicked the ball past Tomás Joyce and into the net. The Rangers goalkeeper should have done better and will be disappointed not to have made it more difficult for McDonald.
But that goal was wiped out only a few minutes later when Cocks failed to clear their lines allowing Eoin Coleman to to flick the ball into an empty from close range.
Rangers' Eoin Doyle and Cocks' Cian O'Byrne swapped scores, but neither side was able to stamp their authority on this closely contested final in Cullen Park.
The fourth quarter began with three points separating the sides, although there was a chance for Rangers to take the lead, with a pair of two-point efforts dropping short and into the safety of James Hogan's gloves.
But Rangers were indeed level in the 48th minute when Jack Joyce and James Bible combined for the former to raise a green flag and leave it all square at 2-7 apiece.
Rangers then took the lead when Eoin Doyle showed tremendous perseverance and tenacity to wrestle the ball away from the Cocks defenders before firing over a beauty into the scoreboard end.
O'Byrne kicked the Cocks level once more, but that was quickly cancelled out by a sublime left-footed curler from Dalton before the drama continued with a levelling free from Matthew English-Hayden.
Joey Dalton had a close-range free to win the game for Rangers, but he fired his shot well wide of the upright as the second consecutive final of the day was sent into extra time.
A free from William Kelly and a two-point free from Alex Gordon had the Cocks two points ahead going into the second period where they stretched the advantage to four points.
Eoin Coleman then won a penalty for Rangers, with Jack Joyce expertly picking out the top corner. But Cocks wrapped up the title courtesy of two late scores from Aaron Dowling as last year's Junior Football Championship winners added another trophy to their collection.
M English-Hayden 1-1, A Dowling 0-4, J McDonald 1-0, C O'Byrne and A Gordon (1tpf) 0-3 each, L Sheppard 0-2, E Moran, B Nolan and W Kelly (f) 0-1 each.
J Joyce 2-2 (1-0 pen), E Coleman 1-0, E Doyle 0-3, G Kelly and J Dalton 0-2 each, C Fitzpatrick 0-1 (f).
Tames Hogan; Padhraig Eustace, Moling English-Hayden, Dylan Ruane; Alex Gordon, William Kelly, Emmet Moran; Billy Nolan, Sam Meyler; Liam Sheppard, Jack McDonald, Matthew English-Hayden; Niall Fitzpatrick, Aaron Dowling, Cian O'Byrne.
Michael Shanahan for Meyler (37), Eoin O'Byrne for Fitzpatrick (49), Eoin Smithers for C O'Byrne (70).
Tomás Joyce; MJ Doran, Jamie Nolan, Karl Lawlor; Jack Griffith, Conaill Fitzpatrick, Tim Brennan; Joey Dalton, Eoin Doyle; Mark Dundon, Gary Kelly, Kyle Nolan; Jack Joyce, James Bible, Eoin Coleman.
Barry Coleman for Lawlor (58).
Eoghan Evesson.
