Late Double Seals the Mick Mooney Cup for Jay Bazz

Jay Bazz 3 – 1 Healy O’Connor Solicitors

Man of the Match: David Dunlea

Jay Bazz were crowned as the 24/25 Cork Business League Mick Mooney Challenge cup Champions as they defeated Healy O’Connor Solicitors 3-1 in Turner’s Cross, writes Donncha Noonan.

It only took three minutes for the first big action of the match, as Jay Bazz’s Eric Fitzgerald was bundled over inside the box following a free kick. The ref blew for a penalty with Sam Heffernan the man who stepped up to take it, but he sent his effort high over the bar to keep the game scoreless.

Despite the miss, Jay Bazz continued to dominate possession and eventually took the lead in the thirteenth minute. Aaron Kemp swung a free kick low into the box. The ball took a deflection off a defender before falling to the feet of Darren Nugent, who tucked a low shot into the bottom right corner to give his side the lead.

Healy O’Connor Solicitors found themselves level in the twenty ninth minute. Francis O’Callaghan went up for a header in the box and clashed heads with a Jay Bazz defender. After much deliberation, a penalty was given by the referee and his linesmen. O’Callaghan took it himself and buried it into the bottom left corner to bring his side level in the final.

That would be the last major chance of the half as both teams headed into the break with a goal apiece.

Jay Bazz picked up where they left off and had a chance seven minutes into the second half. David Dunlea picked up a long ball forward and played a good one-two with Aaron Kemp down the right hand side. Dunlea cut inside onto his left foot and hit a curling shot from the edge of the box, but his effort went just over the bar.

Jay Bazz went close yet again in the sixty fifth minute with a brilliant chance. A corner swung towards the back post was lofted back across goal by Brandon Downey, where it found Sam Heffernan who sent an audacious bicycle kick crashing off of the crossbar from the penalty spot, before the ball was subsequently cleared.

Healy O’Connor Solicitors had chances of their own and went marginally close to taking the lead with fourteen minutes to play. Joseph Ryan got down the left hand side and found Kieran O’Driscoll open in the box. O’Driscoll’s shot beat the keeper, but saw his effort cleared off the line by Rory Murphy to keep the game all square.

The game began to open up and Jay Bazz came back with a chance of their own five minutes later. Sam Heffernan released David Dunlea over the top of the defence. Dunlea allowed the ball to bounce before hitting it on the half volley but it was the post this time that denied Jay Bazz that illustrious second goal.

With two minutes to play, they managed to finally find the second goal. David Dunlea got down the right wing and sent a low cross towards the back post, where it found Kyle McNamara who controlled it and tucked it away to give his side the late advantage.

Their victory was secured deep into additional time. A backpass from a free kick was intercepted by Jesse Ryan. Ryan rolled it across goal to Jamie O’Driscoll, who tapped the ball into the empty net to secure their much deserved cup final victory.

The full time whistle was blown a minute later and Jay Bazz were crowned this season’s Mick Mooney Cup winners. They had the majority of the possession in the game and constantly were a threat. Their lives were made very difficult by Healy O’Connor Solicitors, but they kept at it and found two late goals to bring home the cup. Congratulations to everyone involved with Jay Bazz.

Jay Bazz: A. Hosford, A. Kemp, R. Murphy, E. Fitzgerald, D. McGrath, J. Ryan, D. Nugent, A. Smith, B. Downey, S. Heffernan, D. Dunlea, R. O’Gorman, D. O’Connell, J. O’Driscoll, K. McNamara, D. O’Gorman, A. Lordan, C. Ryan

Healy O’Connor Solicitors: B. Kent, S. O’Donovan, J. Ryan, D. O’Connell, N. Murphy, I. Wycherley, F. O’Callaghan, S. Murphy, J. McLaughlin, K. O’Driscoll, C. Lucey, C. Philpott, M. Sullivan, J. Machado, R. Sherman, E. Hayes, C. Ross, M. Sheehan