Byrne the shootout hero gives Crettyard sixth Division One trophy
Crettyard United celebrate becoming Division One O35's Cup champions for a sixth time
Dinny Byrne was the hero for Crettyard, saving two penalties in the shootout, as they picked up their sixth Division One Cup title on Wednesday night. On so many occasions this season, Crettyard have had to go to games with ten men, so this is a great reward for those who stuck with the team and kept going through the tough times this season for the team that finished second from bottom in the league. Having accounted for league champions Hanover in the semi-final, they faced another challenge in Bagenalstown who had the league in their hands but lost to Killeshin in the second last game. It was a tale of two halves almost with Crettyard dominating the first half and Bagenalstown coming back into it in the second half and fighting back having not been in the game at all in the first half. However, it was a game of few chances.
Crettyard went closest early on as Niall Purcell hit an effort from distance wide on the left. Two minutes later, James Sherwood went close with an effort from the left, hitting it at the ‘keeper. Bagenalstown went closest after 12 minutes when they hit an effort off the post. Crettyard took the lead after 16 minutes when Cristoir Maher played a long ball over the top for James Brennan, who slotted in just inside the box, beating John Gladney in the Bagenalstown goal who had come out of the goal to try and deal with the threat. Three minutes later, a Willie Kavanagh effort from the right was saved. Midway through the half a Maher long ball found Sherwood down the left who hit his effort wide as he couldn't control his effort. Maher hit a free over the bar with three minutes to go. In stoppage time, Bremnan went close with an effort but it was palmed over the bar. The resulting corner from the left was played short.
Bagenalstown came out fighting after the break. James Hickey fired a free over the bar before a cross from the left found John Doyle whose diving header was saved by Byrne to deny Bagenalstown an easy tap in. 15 minutes in, a Maher free from the edge of the box was hit just over the top right hand corner. A minute later, a Trevor Nolan header was hit wide on the left. With 20 minutes gone, the Division One Golden Boot winner, Craig Doyle dispatched a penalty to draw level. Five minutes later, a Mark Tuite free from the left was cleared. Kavanagh went close for Crettyard as he broke down the left and cut in and tried a shot from the left but couldn't hit it across the Bagenalstown ‘keeper and instead hit it straight at him and it was palmed away. The resulting corner from the left was headed in by Blain Dwyer. With three minutes to go, a Tuite corner from the right was headed towards goal by Dwyer. In stoppage time, a Kavanagh corner from the right was hit wide on the far side with nobody on the end of it. With the last action of the game, a Maher effort from the right was saved and played back in where Eddie O’Reilly at the back post put the ball on a plate for Willie Kavanagh to knock it in to level the game and send it to penalties.
In the shootout, Bagenalstown went first and Craig Doyle and Trevor Nolan both had efforts saved by Byrne in the Crettyard goal. O’Reilly converted the winning fourth penalty for Crettyard.
