Clonmany Shamrocks dethrone Cockhill Celtic to clinch Clubman Shirts League Cup

Clonmany Shamrocks clinched the League Cup at Maginn Park on Sunday with winger Aaron McLaughlin hitting the all-important goal late in the second half just as extra time was looming into sight.

The Shamrocks’ Terence Doherty had the best of the first half chances, but the game was scoreless at the break and Cockhill went on to dominate the second half with Lee McColgan almost giving them the lead through a 55th minute header that cracked off the crossbar.

But try as they might, Cockhill couldn’t find their way past the obdurate Clonmany defence where centre halves Conor and Gareth Bradley repelled attack after attack, and when the defence was breached goalkeeper Kieran Friel dealt with everything that was fired at him.

Cockhill paid the price for their wastefulness in the 77th minute when winger Aaron Porter latched onto a cross-cum-shot from Ryan McColgan and slotted it low under Harry Doherty – it was Clonmany’s first shot of the second half, but boy did they make it count.

Cockhill had called in reinforcements from the bench by then, with a triple substitution of Garbhan Friel, Jimmy Bradley and Brendan McLaughlin underlining their strength in depth, and they continued to play the game in the attacking third of the field but a goal would not come.
Adam Duffy, Luke Rudden, Jay Bradley and Corey McBride were all off target, with Garbhan Friel the only man to give keeper Friel something to think about but the Clonmany stopper saved his powerfully driven shot in the 89th minute.

Cockhill were playing with three up at the end and were almost hit for a second goal in injury time when Jamie Kinney made a lung-bursting run from inside his own half, but the Clonmany midfielder ran out of steam and scuffed his shot wide from just inside the box.
No matter. Porter’s goal was enough to secure the cup at the expense of last year’s champions.

READ MORE: How they got here - semi-final reports

The cup holders enjoyed more possession in that first half, but Clonmany created the better chances and Harry Doherty was the busier of the two keepers.
Jay Bradley, who was Cockhill’s best performer over the 90 minutes, had the first big opportunity of the game, but he headed over from a Stephen Duffy cross in the eighth minute. He showed his quality again on the quarter hour mark when he cut inside full back Matthew Brennan but his left-footed shot from just inside the penalty area was comfortably dealt with by Kieran Friel at his near post.

With Jamie McKinney and Paddy Doherty well on top at midfield, Clonmany were adept at soaking up Cockhill pressure and hitting them on the counter. The best chance of the first half came when Shane McCaul broke down the right and swung in a perfect cross to Terence Doherty by the penalty spot. Doherty might have been better leathering it first time, but he opted to take a touch and the ball bobbled away from him.

It was a huge let off for Cockhill, and Clonmany again went close to opening the scoring on the half hour when a mazy run from McCaul saw him slalom past defenders and to set up Terence Doherty who drew a fine diving save off Cockhill custodian Harry Doherty with Ryan McColgan’s header from the resulting corner kick on target but hacked away by the defence.

Scoreless at half time, Cockhill noticeably stepped up a gear in the second half as they pressed to find the opening goal.
Within two minutes of the restart, Luke Rudden saw his shot blocked and Damien Duffy had his follow up effort deflected out for a corner. Duffy sent in a good delivery that Jay Bradley leapt to meet, but his header flew over the bar.

That passage summed up Cockhill’s second half where Gavin Cullen’s team had no shortage of chances but lacked a cutting edge in front of the posts.

Clonmany were hemmed into their own half for much of the second period, their attempted clearances would invariably fall short, and they just couldn’t string together a period of possession. Instead, Cockhill would intercept and probe for gaps but none were to be found inside the penalty area and most of their shots were low-percentage long rangers from distance.

Lee McColgan was unlucky to see his header from a Damien Duffy corner kick crash off the crossbar in the 54th minute, and he was back to make a challenge on Terence Doherty at the other end moments later after a rare Clonmany breakout.

The only goal of the game came in the 77th minute. McKinney was involved in the build-up, spraying the ball out to the right where Ryan McColgan’s attempt on goal was something between a shot and a cross. The ball fell kindly to Aaron Porter who was lurking at the back post. He stayed calm, took a touch and rolled a composed finish under the advancing keeper to, as it turned out, win the cup for Clonmany.

The Shamrocks will make the most of their celebrations over the bank holiday weekend, and will get the chance to do it all over again when they meet Cockhill in the final of the Donegal Signs Cup at Maginn Park this Saturday afternoon. That game has a 4pm kick-off.

Clonmany Shamrocks: Kieran Friel; Ryan McColgan, Conor Bradley, Gareth Bradley, Matthew Brennan; Shane McCaul (Jamie Coyle 81 mins), Jamie McKinney, Paddy Doherty, Aaron Porter; Conor Doherty (Jason Devlin 49 mins), Terence Doherty (Alex McFadden 86 mins).

Cockhill Celtic: Harry Doherty; Lee McLaughlin, Peter Doherty, Lee McColgan, Fionn McClure (Brendan McLaughlin 66 mins); Jay Bradley, Jack Doherty, Adam Duffy, Stephen Duffy (Jimmy Bradley 66 mins); Damien Duffy (Garbhan Friel 66 mins), Luke Rudden. Also used: Corey McBride and Conor Graham

Referee: Patrick McElhinney.