Kane double helps Bagenalstown end New Oak’s stranglehold on Premier Cup
Bagenalstown captain Andrew Kane and teammates celebrate after defeating New Oak in the final in Graiguecullen to get their hands on the Premier Cup.
On Saturday evening, Bagenalstown did something that no other team has done since 2017, when a brace from Robbie Kane and a goal from Charlie Nolan meant they were crowned Keating Memorial Premier Cup champions.
The Premier Division champions, New Oak, were aiming to win their sixth successive premier cup and go on to win their 15th trophy under Gavin Dowling, but Bagenalstown put an end to a half decade of dominance.
This time last season, Town only just stayed in the Premier Division; their transformation this season has been remarkable, finishing comfortably as runners-up in the league and picking up a trophy. What makes it even more remarkable is that they were only promoted from Division 1 in 2023. They were also out for cup redemption, having lost the 2024 decider at the hands of the Paupish in 2024.
Bagenalstown cruised through to the final, having scored eight goals across two matches. They beat Killeshin 4-2 in the first round and they went 4-0 up against Fiacc’s in the semi-final, who eventually pulled it back to 4-3.
New Oak edged past rivals St Pat’s in the quarter-final by virtue of a tense penalty shootout, before cruising to a 3-0 win over high-flyers Burrin Celtic in the semis.
Oak never troubled Sean Treacy in the Bagenalstown goal for much of the first half, as the Town centre-halves remaining stoic.
It was Town who looked most dangerous from the off, asking questions, capitalising on New Oak mistakes. Oak looked flat for large periods in the first half, unable to create many opportunities of note. They grew into the game, but Bagenalstown had too much for them in the end.
Town took the lead early on after David Keating tried to clear a ball; it was intercepted by Robbie Kane on the edge of the box. Kane, who joined his boyhood club again in January having left to go to North End, beat the New Oak defenders and drove into space before drilling his shot into the bottom right-hand corner.
New Oak went close to equalising through a Cian Dowling free, but his strike was deflected over the bar and the resulting corner was headed just wide at the back post by David Doyle. On the verge of half-time, a Kane free on the edge of the box was struck over the bar.
In stoppage time in the first half, another dead ball effort from Kane from the edge of the box was guided towards the bottom right-hand corner before bouncing up and over Corey Harmon in the goal to double Bagenalstown’s lead at the break.
New Oak threatened straight after the restart and showed flashes of what they were capable of when, three minutes in, Cian Dowling swung in a cross which was met by Dean Kelly, whose header ricocheted off the crossbar.
A minute later, a Luke Ramsbottom corner was headed in by Shane Barnes to give the Paupish a lifeline as they cut the gap to 2-1.
On the hour mark, Bagenalstown substitute Charlie Nolan had an effort palmed away by Harmon. Sean Smithers went close with an effort also, but just missed the bottom corner as New Oak held on.
With ten minutes to go, Shane Barnes was taken down right on the line of the box, prompting penalty calls from New Oak that fell on deaf ears.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Corey Harmon and Charlie Nolan went head-to-head in an altercation. In the end, it was only a free for New Oak and Jordan Harmon’s effort was hit straight at Sean Treacy in the Bagenalstown goal.
Danny Doyle should have made it 3-1 to the Town when he dragged an effort across the box, but narrowly missed the bottom corner.
With six minutes to go, Bagenalstown put the final nail in the coffin when a ball ricocheted off a New Oak defender; Nolan pounced on it and only had to tap the ball home with Harmon off his line to give the Town their third goal.
New Oak kept fighting until the end. Dean Kelly sent a through ball over the top to Keating in stoppage time, but he headed wide. At the death, a Ramsbottom corner was headed wide by Roy Byrne as they just could not reduce the arrears.
It was Andrew Kane, the Bagenalstown captain, who would go on to lift the Premier Cup when the final whistle went and not the familiar sight of David O’Shea, the New Oak captain. In his speech after the game, Kane explained that New Oak were the standard, saying that the Paupish were what Town aspired to be.
Corey Harmon, Cian Dowling, Luke Ramsbottom, David O’Shea, David Keating, Jordan Harmon, David Doyle, Dean Kelly, Sean Smithers, Shane Barnes, Cian Cleary.
James McGrath, Roy Byrne, Lee Murphy, Ben Lawler, TJ Brennan, Daryl Coleman, Craig Kearney.
Sean Treacy, James Hickey, Nathan Curran, Andrew Kane, Padraig Hynes, Cian Doyle, Eoghan Dowling, Tommy Bolger, Danny Doyle, Robbie Kane, Brian O’Rourke.
Charlie Nolan, Neil Martin, Aedan Byrne, Jake Doyle, Martin Bambrick, Roy O’Neill, Conor Lennon.
Pat O’Connor
