Mahoney brace sees Slaney become the first side this season to do the double
Slaney became the first junior side to win a league and cup double as they overcame a young Kilree side. The newly crowned league champions would have thought that the opportunity to win two trophies and dominate Division One this season would never have come when they lost back to back matches against first Kilree and then Baltinglass which threatened to derail their season and their chances of winning the league trophy having gone the season unbeaten up to that point.
However, they showed great resilience with manager Dominic 'Wooly' Byrne citing the Carlow Cup Quarter-Final against Premier side St. Fiacc’s turning around a 2-0 deficit to progress through to the semi-final as the turning point in their season, showing character after their back to back defeats. Slaney had the toughest route to the final, having to beat a determined New Oak B side who were looking to get payback and prove themselves after an 8-0 drubbing at the hands of the Rathvilly side in the final game of the season which saw them clinch the league, and Baltinglass who were looking to get some kind of silverware from a season that has seen them lose just one league game all season.
Games between these two teams this season have always produced goals and this game was no exception. Kilree’s young guns put up a good challenge and for large parts of the game, held their own against the Rathvilly side. However, a spell before half-time where Slaney scored three unanswered goals to end the game as a contest cost the Bagenalstown side. Slaney just had more in the tank whilst Kilree’s young guns who for most of them were appearing in their first ever cup final, showed great promise for large periods but ultimately struggled under the pressure. To be fair, Kilree were struggling badly with injuries which overshadowed the game. The Bagenalstown side were relegated from the Premier Division last season and used this season to bring through some youngsters and undoubtedly they have a bright future ahead.
Slaney took the lead after five minutes when a throw-in on the right saw Dylan Mahoney who won the Division One Golden Boot this season get onto the end of a cross from the right and his looping header went into the back of the net as Slaney took an early lead.
A minute later, Alan Salter fired an effort over the bar.
Ashley Dallimore levelled things in spectacular fashion for Kilree as he spotted Slaney ‘keeper Regan Murphy off his line and from the halfway line attempted to chip him and successfully did so, seeing his ball land just under the crossbar, timing his shot beautifully.
Salter found himself in space down the right and played in Eric Salter Williams but he put his effort just wide on the left. Mahoney had an effort saved whilst Keith Curran’s effort needed a fingertip save from Matthew Cullen in the Kilree goal to keep it out.
Midway through the half, Slaney took the lead again as a Conor O’Brien volley was thundered in.
It was three just before the half hour mark as Mahoney swung in a cross and found Matthew Fisher who made no mistake in burying it past Cullen.
Just before half-time, Conor O’Brien saw his effort saved by Cullen with the rebound falling to Mahoney to score his 32nd goal of the season, or 36th if you count the goals he scored against Dolmen that got chalked off when the Carlow Town side withdrew from the league earlier in the year, slotting into the far bottom corner.
O’Brien swung in a corner from the right shortly after the break and Curran’s effort at the back post was cleared off the line by TJ Darcy. Darcy went close with an effort from the right but his effort was deflected wide on the far side.
Just before the hour mark, Dallimore pulled a goal back for the Bagenalstown side as he curled in an effort from the right that was probably more designed as a cross dipped in under the bar.
With 20 minutes to go, a Mahoney free was hit off the wall whilst Player of the Match, Robbie Ryan had an effort saved.
In stoppage time, Luke Byrne added the icing on the cake for Slaney with their fifth and final goal.
Regan Murphy; Kyle Byrne; Keith Slye; Robert O’Neill; Adam Byrne; Conor O’Brien; Matthew Fisher; Robert Ryan; Dylan Mahoney; Keith Curran; Jake Elliott.
Kyle Lawlor, Daniel O’Brien, Luke Byrne, Adrian Bidos, Adam Lawlor, Cormac Byrne, Brian Goulding.
Matthew Cullen; TJ Darcy; Adam Walsh; Eamonn Nolan; David Reddy; Shane Tobin; Alan Salter; Fionn Power; Eric Salter Williams; Frankie Dowling; Ashley Victor Dallimore.
Sebastion Jerome McKeon, Eoin Monahan, Stephen Salter, TJ Ahmed Geoghegan, Niall Townsend, Mark McDonald, Darragh O’Meara.
Michael Murphy assisted by Phil Neenan and Shane Farrell
