Sports Gear Direct CBL Shield Final Match Report: Doolan’s Cow Bar 6 – 0 Martin Harvey Solicitors
Doolan’s Cow Bar retained the Sports Gear Direct Cork Business League Shield for a third consecutive season following a scintillating performance at a wet and windy St. Colman’s Park. last Saturday afternoon, writes Finbarr Buckley.
In the process, the champions equaled the record of the great Postal Workers’ team of the eighties of appearing in six finals in-a-row, winning four and losing two.
Following a bright opening half hour by both teams, Aaron Hennessy went close for Doolan’s when his shot came off the top of the crossbar and Harvey’s’ commanding centre-back Eoin Murphy headed narrowly wide. The deadlock was broken in the 36th minute after a Harvey’s’ corner led to a quick counter attack. Jamie Murphy’s incisive pass split the defence for James Cotter, who still had plenty to do, to round Mark McGrath and coolly slot the ball into the back of the net.
Almost immediately Murphy broke down the right to send over a dangerous cross which narrowly missed the heads of Cotter and Aaron Hennessy. After Murphy shot over two minutes after the resumption, Harvey’s were dealt a hammer blow when influential centre-back Eoin Murphy was red carded after earlier being booked for a body check.
With Harvey’s struggling to stem the tide, the tie was settled within a ten minutes spell between the 60th and 70th minutes by man-of-the match Jamie Murphy who fired home three penalties after rash tackles in the area. Murphy again was the instigated in setting up the fifth for Cotter before Damien O’Mahony played a shot corner to fellow sub Liam Horgan who belted the ball through a crowd of legs into the bottom corner with virtually the last kick of the game.
Referee Denis Cronin’s final whistle brought the curtain down on another remarkable Doolan’s performance which surely heralds the northside club among the best to have ever played in the league.
Doolan’s Cow: Edward Scanlon, Stephen O’Leary (Roy McCarthy), Stephen McCarthy; Brian Harris (James O’Shea), Craig Keegan, Luke Byrne, Dylan O’Donoghue (Wayne Buckley), Aaron Hennessy (Damien O’Mahony),Tony O’Reilly (Captain) (Liam Horgan), James Cotter, Jamie Murphy,
Martin Harvey Solicitors: Mark McGrath, Stephen Hawkes, Chris O’Sullivan, Liam Coleman (Ian O’Riordan), Eoin Murphy; Luke McGee (Alan O’Driscoll), Chris O’Connell, James Delaney (Aaron Dineen), Dave O’Leary, Dean Buckley (Ken St Ledger), Edward Dooherty.
Referee: Denis Cronin Assistant Referees: Eric O’Driscoll & Paul Kavanagh 4th Official: Tomas Coughlan.
