This article is from page 62 of the 2011-05-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 62 JPG
Avenue United 2 – Bridge United B 0 at The County Grounds, Doora
GERRY Sexton, who was the resident County Grounds DJ for the day cranked up the volume of ‘Gonna Fly’ – the famous Rocky theme tune as the teams paraded out onto the field.
The precursor for the knockout blow, no doubt, but unlike the first instalment of the Rocky series it wasn’t delivered by the underdog – never looked likely either.
Yes, heavyweights Avenue United bossed this game from the word go, cruising to their landmark tenth Clare Cup success, delivering two knockout blows along the way to put a game, but limited Bridge team out of their misery.
Two goals, but it could have been more from a rampant Avenue side that used the central midfield dominance carved out by David McCarthy and Pa Wilson in the first half to take the initiative that they never looked like surrendering.
The goals, a thundering drive from McCarthy after 26 minutes and a brilliantly angled header into the top corner by Con Collins after 64 minutes, gave Avenue that comfortable cushion, but truth is that it was even easier than the scoreline suggests.
It wasn’t until the 91st minute that Bridge forced their first corner – Avenue alone had seven in the first half as they laid siege on Barry Deasy’s goal.
Bridge never managed a shot on John Healy in the Avenue goal – they were too busy defending their own where only the heroics of Albert Finnan at the centre of the defence prevented more goals.
The repeat of last year’s decider was a tetchy affair at times, with the verbals and some tough tackling on the field also moving to the sideline where fourth official Frankie Coote had words with management and supporters alike.
Red cards were shown to Avenue’s David Smythe and Bridge’s Dominic Murphy – Smythe for a dive in the penalty area and then dissent after 59 minutes; Murphy for taking down Mikey Mahoney as he tore down the right flank in the 63rd minute.
Mahoney hobbled off with an ankle injury a few minutes later, but his work was done. The centre-forward was central to both goals, providing the final flick pass to David McCarthy for the first, while the second came directly from the free awarded after the Dominic Murphy tackle on Mahoney.
Avenue had goals on their mind from the opening minutes of this final – the club’s 17th final appearance between draws and replays in the last 25 years.
That’s tradition; that’s a club in a Clare Cup class of their own; that’s what they were on this day as they piled the misery on Bridge United for the second successive year.
Con Collins had a half chance as early as the second minute when he flashed a left-footed effort wide. Corner after corner then came Avenue’s way, but a combination of poor deliveries and a well-marshalled Bridge defence ensured they came to nothing.
However, the problems were further out the field for Bridge. David McCarthy was conducting things for Avenue and Pa Wilson was his able lieutenant, while David Herlihy and Colin Smythe looked dangerous down the flanks.
The constant pressure yielded the inevitable goal and when it came it was worthy of winning a cup final. David McCarthy picked up possession just inside the Bridge have and with space and time he darted forward ten yards, slipped a ground pass to Mikey Mahoney on the edge of the area, took the return pass and then flashed a low drive into the bottom right corner of the net.
That’s how it remained at the break, after Avenue spurned a number of chances, the best of which fell to Mikey Mahoney on 34 minutes when he got in behind the defence from a Pa Wilson ball, but was foiled at point blank range by Barry Deasy.
David McCarthy could have had a hat-trick in the half, going close on 36 minutes when he got on the end of a Mattie Nugent cross, while only a brilliant block from Albert Fin- nan prevented a goal on the stroke of half-time.
Bridge did have wind assistance in the second half, but any notion that Avenue might be put under the cosh was dispelled as early as the tenth second when opportunity knocked for McCarthy once more after David Smythe threaded the ball into his path in the area.
McCarthy’s shot was deflected wide, but in a sense Bridge were only delaying the inevitable, with Con Collins, a cup winner with Bunratty seven years ago, deciding the issue when he brilliantly headed home Pa Wilson’s free-kick in the 64th mintue.
By then Bridge were emptying their bench in a effort to turn things around; Avenue soon followed as this largely disappointing final ground down to its inevitable conclusion.
Gerry Sexton could have livened things up by cranking up the volume long before the end.
Avenue United
John Healy (7), Simon Cuddihy (7), Colin Smyth (8), Matty Nugent (7), David Russell (7), David Herlihy (7), Pa Wilson (7), David McCarthy (9), Con Collin (7), David Smyth (7), Mkey Mahoney (8)
Subs
Alan Roche (7) for Herlihy, Barry Nugent (7) for Mahoney, Gary Flynn for McCarthy, Dylan Casey (6) for Wilson, Jack Walshe (6) for Cuddihy
Bridge United
Barry Deasy (7), Kevin Meehan (6), Dan Larkin (6),Albert Finnin (7), Dominic Murphy (6),Alan Mulready (6), Damien Murphy (6), Robert Conlon (6), Brendan Murphy (6), Gavin Downes (6), Jamie O’Gorman (6)
Subs
Paul Corbett (6) for O’Gorman, Mark Lonergan (6) for Larkin, Padraig Flannery (6) for Murphy, Darragh Fitzgerald (6) for Meehan,
Man of the Match
Albert Finnan (Bridge United)