Jason Gibson toasts a sixth Cup as Bonagee boss

When Jason Gibson arrived at Dry Arch Park in the summer of 2018, Bonagee United’s successes in the Ulster Senior League were minimal.

Bonagee had won the USL League Cup in 2003 and added a Knockalla Caravans Ulster Senior Cup in 2012. They were beaten in League Cup finals in 1992 and 2015, but those were their sole visits to the cup final stage.

Enter Gibson: Sunday’s USL League Cup final win over Cockhill Celtic was Bonagee’s sixth slice of silverware in the intermediate grade in the four seasons since Gibons’s appointment as Tony O’Carroll’s successor.

“When you see what it means to the people here, it makes it worthwhile,” Gibson said after a 4-3 win over FAI Intermediate Cup runners-up Cockhill at Maginn Park.

Black double fires Bonagee to USL League Cup glory against Cockhill

In a seven-goal thriller at Maginn Park, Bonagee United had the edge on Cockhill Celtic in the Donegal News USL League Cup final

“I’m proud to be a manager of a club like this. For years, Bonagee focussed on developing facilities. The people are delighted now to have a team to be proud of.”

A brace by Conor Black, a Deano Larkin header and a Tony McNamee penalty had Bonagee 4-1 in front, but Cockhill hit back to make for a gripping finale in front of a big crowd.

“We never seem to do things the easy way,” Gibson said. “I’m just glad for the boys. There aren’t too many trophies up for grabs every season.

“People don’t realise what goes into a season. The way the players have applied themselves all season has been brilliant.

“We all know the problems that we have in the USL, so for the players to apply themselves how they did is excellent. It’s great for them to have something to show for the season.”

Michael Funston on the attack for Bonagee United

Black opened the scoring and Bonagee were in dreamland when Larkin flicked a header past Daniel Houghton late in the first half. In the early moments of part two, McNamee tucked home a penalty, but it was far from the game’s checkmate move.

Gibson said: “We just told them not to sit. We weren’t going out to contain. We wanted to get the next goal - and we did. We gave away a silly penalty and, although the margin was the same at 3-1 as it was at 2-0, their tails were up.”

Bonagee still have a mathematical chance of winning the USL, but with their League programme completed and Cockhill having Derry City Reserves and Finn Harps Under-21s to play, Gibson concedes that a ten-in-a-row for Cockhill is inevitable following their 2-1 win over Bonagee earlier this month.

“The pressure was off a wee bit today,” he said.

“Maybe we overemphasised that last League game a bit. We just need to go and play because we’re a footballing team.

“When you’ve Tony McNamee up top, you have to play through him, We played with a bit of freedom there.”

The Manor man, who previously guided his native Lagan Harps and Swilly Rovers to success, knows that the immediate future of the USL is on icy ground. So thin, indeed, that Sunday’s final might well have been Bonagee United’s final game at intermediate level with serious question marks over whether or not the USL will see a 2023/24 season.

Gibson said: “It’s very possible that this could be it. When you look at the spectacle between these two teams, who have a great rivalry now, it makes you wonder. Cockhill were close to winning an Intermediate Cup, we pushed them close in the League.

“This level should stay. The powers that be have to do something. There is an intermediate level of a footballer in Donegal and I’d love to see it stay, but it’s out of our hands now.