Abtran are Spot on After Ten Goal Thriller! Cork Business League Weekly Round-up!

✍? Finbarr Buckley

? CBSL News Room Reporter A.N. Other

Sports Gear Direct Shield – Group B

Abtran 5 – 5  Marlboro Trust  (Abtran won 4-3 on pens.)

ABTRAN qualified for the last eight of this season’s Sports Gear Direct Shield competition in the most dramatic fashion by knocking out twice winners Marlboro Trust after the teams had shared ten goals at Mayfield Community School last Sunday morning, writes Finbarr Buckley.

Not since Roches Stores (Pat Ring (2), Laurence Owens, Liam O’Callaghan, Anthony O’Reilly, Jim Cummins (pen.) toppled Naval Services (Gerard Warren (2), Ollie Carroll, Frank Doyle) 6-4 at Blackpool Pk. on Sunday, November 21st 1982 has the competition witnessed a goal fest as dramatic and absorbing. Mark Ronan poached the opener for Trust inside thirty seconds only for William Corcoran to level a minute. After Eoghan O’Sullivan put Abtran in front for the first time, Kevin O’Sullivan equalized on thirty-five minutes with  O’Sullivan going on to grab his second, again,  with his less-favoured left foot before half-time. Dale Dalton made it 4-2 on the resumption, Chris Coughlan for the third time setting up the decisive pass leaving  Mark Ronan to again keep the visitors in the tie with his second of the morning. Dalton put two between the teams again in the 80th minute but Trust’s resolve and magnificent cup pedigree was rewarded with a truly spectacular fourth from Daniel del Blanco and a last-ditch fifth from Mark O’Sullivan took the tie to penalties where keeper Gordon O’Connor emerged the hero with two fine saves paving the way for Corcoran to score the decisive winner. Dalton, Corcoran and centre-back John Murphy were superb for the home team.

Doolan’s Cow 8 – 1  SCS Crookstown Utd.

Doolan’s Cow put Crookstown to the sword to ease into the last eight for the fourth season in-a-row with goals from Tony O’Reilly (3), Jamie Murphy and Stephen McCarthy, two apiece, Ian McCarthy and Keith McCarthy. Aidan Deasy replied for the visitors who were rocked by six first-half goals and could never get into the contest as a result.

Sports Gear Direct Shield – Group A

Dell EMC 4 – 2  VoxPro

Two time finalists Dell EMC secured the win they needed to make it through to the last eight with Planet Entertainment (Cork) by inflicting a fourth defeat in the group on VoxPro when the teams met at EMC Pk. Steve Dwane opened the scoring for the hosts from a free-kick in the 25th minute with the long-serving Kieran Murphy bending in a second five minutes before half-time. Sean Holmes displayed neat skills to score a third from a lob over the keeper twenty minutes into the second 45 to look to have sealed the win. However, VoxPro rallied to pull two back through Kevin Rozon and Eoghan Kennedy only for Holmes again to put notch his second and his side’s fourth with ten minute remaining. JP Serres and Matthew Tiffany impressed for the winners.

Sports Gear Direct Shield – Group C

Janssen 3 – 2 Healy O’Connor Solicitors

Shane Healy opened the scoring for Healy’s from a penalty only for debutants Janssen to siege the initiative with three unanswered goals from Alan Murphy, James O’Sullivan and Eoghan Markey. Yasyn Essahel brought the score back to 3-2 but impressive performances from Rory O’Keeffe, Stephen Crowley and man-of-the-match, left-back, Pat Falvey denied the visitors the chance to take the tie to penalties.

Sports Gear Direct Shield – Group D

Satellite Taxis 5 – 1  Colso Celtic 1

The top two, who were already through, were playing for the right to top the group when the teams met at Deerpark Secondary School. A poor back pass lead to Gary O’Sullivan firing surprise package Colso Celtic into a 25th minute lead only for Aaron West to quickly level and set up Shane Dorgan for a second before half-time. West added his second on the resumption with Cormac Collins finding the net twice more to keep the champions, back to full strength, on track to retain the trophy for a third time in-a-row. O’Sullivan, Ryan Towler and Josh McKenzie caught the eye for the visitors.

Sports Gear Direct Premier Division

OBS 0 – 2 UCC Utd

2018 winners UCC secured all three points from their visit to Ballea Pk. last Friday night against OBS. Both teams failed to break the deadlock in the first-half until a clever backheel from Ali Ahmidat found Mo El Shouky in space, the striker going on to finish well. As the hosts went in search of an equalizer, Vadym Horobets struck for a second and was deprived a third by a smart save. Best for the winners included Horobets, Shouky and Odelli.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS: Next weekend, fifty years ago, five matches took place with performance of the weekend going to Postal Workers who defeated rivals Fords 4-2 in the FAI Junior Cup at Marina Pk. Dan Kenneally (2), Tom ‘The Guard’ Holland and Willie ‘The Scourge’ Goggin both scored for the Workers to set up a third-round tie with Togher. Also in the FAI Cup, AUL outfit Tonyville and Cork Shoe Company shared nine goals with the visitors coming out on top 5-4. In the Munster Junior Cup, St. Mary’s proved too strong for Doyles, winning 3-0, despite spirited performances from Pat Coughlan, ‘Janeboy’ McCarthy and Thomas Dennehy. In the shield, Aer Lingus came out on top 5-2 against Guys with goals from Noel Bradley (2), Dan Healy, Barry Murphy and Pat O’Connell. Lunhams looked impressive in their 4-1 over Cork Spinning Co. in the league.