Cockhill Celtic endure shoot-out heartbreak in Intermediate Cup final

Agony. Sheer, undiluted agony. Cockhill Celtic suffered penalty shoot-out heartbreak in Sunday’s FAI Intermediate Cup final.

Cockhill Celtic 1 Rockmount AFC 1
(after extra time, Rockmound win 4-3 on penalties)

Rockmount retained their title as the Cork side held their never to win 4-3 after sudden death penalties.

Beneath Ben Bulben, Garbhan Friel, Peter Doherty and Stephen Duffy all scored in the opening five for Cockhill while ‘keeper Harry Doherty saved from Eoin Murphy and Martin Connolly.

Christy McLaughlin was thwarted by Brendan O’Connell and Corey McBride had a chance to win it for Cockhill, but he shot over the top.

Cian Murphy pulled the chips to Rockmount’s side of the table and the jackpot was their’s when Cockhill captain Jimmy Bradley saw his penalty clip the crossbar on its way over.

In normal time, Lee McColgan maintained his sequence of having scored in every round when he dispatched a 22nd minute penalty to level things up after Adam Crowley broke the deadlock just five minutes earlier.

The sides wouldn’t be separated over two hours of a cup tie that hung on the blade of a knife throughout and while Cockhill looked like possible winners at times, Rockmount - the home club of Roy Keane - added to their successes from 1999, 2008 and 2022.

Only twice before had a Donegal side won the Intermediate Cup - Fanad United in 1988 and 1995. Fanad United lost the 1996 decider while Swilly Rovers in 1979 and Letterkenny Rovers in 2016 were the only other Donegal representatives to grace this stage.

The magnitude of it all certainly wasn’t lost on those who filled a fleet of coaches that departed Inishowen on Sunday morning and they made for a raucous atmosphere.

Cockhill survived a scare in the sixth minute as Luke Casey show low and just wide of the post after getting on the end of a Cian Leonard knock-down.

At the other end, Luke Rudden shot into the arms of Rockmount ‘keeper O’Connell after McBride wormed his way in on the bye-line.

Rockmount, four-time winners of this competition, hit the front in the 17th minute as centre-back Crowley ghosted in to connect with a teasing Eoin Murphy free and side-foot past Harry Doherty.

Cockhill might’ve been shell-shocked, but they shook the heads clear and were level soon after. McColgan, a carpenter by trade, fired a penalty in off the woodwork after Rudden was fouled by Jason Sexton.

McColgan had been an injury doubt in the build-up, but he stepped up to convert his seventh goal - the fifth from the penally spot - of this Intermediate Cup campaign, beating his Irish amateur international team-mate O’Connell from 12 yards.

O’Connell has been capped 70 times at amateur international level and stands as an imposing presence in the Rockmount goal.  A hush fell over the venue as McColgan addressed the ball but soon the huge Cockhill support were in raptures.

McColgan had scored twice in a 2-0 win over Bonagee United in the opening round and followed up with goals against Liffey Wanderers, Avondale United, Drumcondra and Ringmahon Rangers as Cockhill reached their first final.

Sub Ian Mylod, who replaced the injured Sexton late in the first half, had a chance to rock Cockhill back on their heels in the final minute of the opening verse. Having seized a loose ball just outside the penalty box, Mylod’s left footed effort was well of the far post.

The hour had passed and the margins still wafer thin when Doherty was called on to beat away Nathan Broderick’s 25-yarder while Murphy was well over when he tried his luck from a similar distance.

In the first period of extra time, McLaughlin was thwarted by O’Connell and Duffy worked his way into position to see his attempt blocked away for a corner as Cockhill began to turn the screw.

O’Connell showed all of his class to save superbly from Duffy again and, as the time inched its way towards penalties, Luke Casey whizzed a free-kick wide of the target.

It was all down to the dreaded penalties and Cockhill will look back at this one with a pang of regret for quite some time.

Cockhill Celtic: Harry Doherty; Lee McLaughlin, Oisin McColgan, Peter Doherty, Lee McColgan (Jason Breslin 90); Jimmy Bradley, Adam McCarron (Stephen Duffy 100); Luke Rudden (Adam McLaughlin 87 (Daniel Doherty 95)), Corey McBride, Fionn McClure (Christy Fildara McLaughlin 60); Garbhan Friel.

Rockmount AFC: Brendan O’Connell; Jack O’Sullivan, Adam Crowley, Jason Sexton (Ian Mylod 39), Cian Murphy; Danny Ahern, Hughie O’Donovan; Eoin Murphy, Nathan Broderick (Jake Courtney 73 (Martin Connolly 117)), Luke Casey; Cian Leonard (Bradley Walsh 78).

Referee: John McCarthy (Leinster).