This article is from page 61 of the 2011-03-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 61 JPG
Bunratty 2 – Avenue 3 (after extra-time) at Bunratty
THIS was the tie of the round between two Premier Division bluebloods who have 13 Clare Cup titles between them over the past 25 years – The Avenue with nine titles, Bunratty with four.
And, it was the biggest meeting between the two sides since their final game shoot-out for the league title two years ago that went to penalties before Bunratty claimed the title.
This one threatened to go to penalties when it went to extra-time, but in the end Bunratty old boy Con Collins who won the day for Avenue, turning from villain to zero when he fired home the winner eight minutes into the first period of extra time.
It was an entertaining game that seemed to be going Avenue’s way when they lead 2-0 inside 20 minutes and created a glut of chances in the half.
The opener came seven minutes in when Mikey Mahony and David McCarthy combined to put David Smyth in the clear – he out-paced the Bunratty defence before coolly dispatching to the net past Fintan Quinn.
On 20 minutes Smyth’s corner found David McCarthy, who fed Gary Flynn inside the area and he drove to the net.
Avenue were on their way, but three minutes before half-time Con Collins spectacularly headed Christy Griffin’s cross into his own net when attempting to head the ball to safety.
Bunratty had a lifeline and they grabbed it when Avenue failed to put the game beyond reach in the second half, equalising with eight minutes remaining when Evan Glynn picked up the pieces after the champions failed to deal with a corner and fired through a forest of players to the net.
It brought the game to extra-time and with it the prospect of another penalty shoot-out, only for Collins to emerge as the hero against his old club. He played a one-two with David Smyth before firing home a great goal to the bottom corner of the net.
Out of respect to his old teammates he didn’t celebrate, a la Denis Law for Man City against United all those years ago.
At least from Bunratty’s point of view, they weren’t relegated.
Avenue United
John Healy, Con Collins, David Russell, Dylan Casey, Mattie Nugent, Gary Flynn
(Richie Lillis), Pa Wilson, Dave McCarthy (Simon Cuddy), David Herlihy, Mikey Mahony ((Eamon O’Reilly), David Smythe.
Bunratty
Fintan Quinn, David Hogan, Gearoid O’Connell Tadgh Keogh (John Ryan), Eoin Nash, Chris Griffin (Brendan Hughes), Ryan Kelly (Jamie Cullen), Evan Glynn, Sean McDonald, Diarmuid Nash, Daithi O’Connell
Man of the Match
David Russell (Avenue United)
Referee
Martin O’Brien