Cockhill Celtic’s Jay Bradley strikes late to break Fanad United hearts

Jay Bradley was the matchwinner for Cockhill Celtic on Sunday, his injury-time strike breaking Fanad United hearts and sending the 2024 FAI Junior Cup champions into the third round.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between in this tie between two of the most decorated clubs in Inishowen and Donegal soccer. Cockhill started strongly, but Fanad held their ground and gradually grew into the contest.

It was late in the second half before either team mustered a shot on target. Fanad substitute Eoin Logue produced his side’s first effort on target on 70 minutes after cutting in from the left and running across the 18-yard line, but Harry Doherty saved with his feet.

At the other end, Cockhill substitute Nathan McDaid rose highest to meet Damian Duffy’s dangerously delivered free-kick, but his header was straight at Mark McConigley.

Fanad might have stolen a late winner themselves on 85 minutes, but Doherty spread himself well to save Logue’s close-range header.

Just as the game seemed destined for extra time, up stepped Bradley to squeeze a left-footed shot from the edge of the area beyond the full-length dive of McConigley.

“Oh, what a feeling,” the winger beamed afterwards. “I’d been going down the outside and putting in crosses, but this time I cut in onto my left and hit it. Thank God it went in. I’d have been shot if it didn’t!”

While it was a wonderful way for Cockhill to win it, it was cruel on Fanad, and their misery was compounded when manager Arthur Lynch - who had been booked in the first half - was shown a red card by referee Eddie McNamee after the final whistle.

Read more: Manager Gavin Cullen sets out Cockhill's FAI Junior Cup target

Cockhill wrapped up the Inishowen Premier Division title seven days earlier and afterwards manager Gavin Cullen made it clear that a deep run in the FAI Junior Cup was a major focus as the club prepares to leave the junior ranks and move into the new League of Ireland third tier in the autumn.

Fanad too harboured well-founded national cup ambitions and hoped to replicate - and even improve on - last season’s run to the quarter-finals.

It set up an intriguing tie at the Charlie O’Donnell Sportsgrounds.

Cockhill dominated possession early and created the better chances, although without testing Fanad goalkeeper McConigley. Fanad sat deep and looked to play on the counter-attack.

The home side’s first chance fell to Garbhan Friel in the third minute. The striker ran onto a ball over the top and struck it cleanly in his stride, but dragged it across the face of goal and wide.

Luke Rudden then spurned two half-chances - the first blocked by Keelin McElwaine, the second hitting the side netting from a Bradley cross.

Fanad’s only real chance of the first half came after ten minutes when Peter Carr, who was a thorn in Cockhill’s side throughout, blasted high and wide from six yards line after Paddy Carr had crossed from the left.

Rudden had another opportunity in the 21st minute. Benny McLaughlin’s deep cross was turned back across goal by Bradley, but the Fanad defence shut him down and he fired wide.

Having withstood that early pressure, Fanad grew increasingly comfortable and, while mostly confined to their own half, they blunted the Cockhill attack.

Read more: Ulster squad selected for FAI interprovincials

The final 20 minutes of the half were scrappy, with only a couple of yellow cards apiece - Adam Duffy and Rudden for separate challenges on Peter Carr for Cockhill, and Seamie Friel and manager Lynch for Fanad - to report.

The teams continued to cancel one another out in the opening 20 minutes of the second half. The only half-chance in that spell fell to Rudden after Bradley again made progress down the right and delivered a dangerous ball into the area, but the Fanad defence quickly closed down the space and cleared.

Both goalkeepers had fairly routine afternoons until the final 20 minutes when the introduction of substitutes stretched defences and finally gave them some saves to make.

Doherty was called upon to twice deny Logue, and as the clock moved beyond 90 minutes Fanad were finally thwarted when Bradley collected the ball to the right of the area, shifted onto his left and curled a low finish inside McConigley’s right-hand post.

Cockhill, then, waltz on in their last dance in the FAI Junior Cup.

Cockhill Celtic: Harry Doherty; Lee McLaughlin, Lee McColgan (Kieran McElroy 76 mins), Jason Breslin, Brendan McLaughlin; Luke Rudden (Nathan McDaid 70 mins), Adam Duffy, Tiernan Ruddy (Daniel Doherty 90+1 mins), Jay Bradley; Conor Graham (Damian Duffy 80 mins), Garbhan Friel.

Fanad United: Mark McConigley; Keelin McElwaine, Seamus Friel, D McGlone; Caolan McElwaine; Daibhid Lynch, Ronan Gallagher (Eoin Logue 56 mins), Paddy Carr, Darren McElwaine; Edward O’Reilly, Peter Carr (Adam Carr 75 mins).

Referee: Eddie McNamee.