Vale retain cup title with back to back wins

Vale crowned champions two years in a row

By Harry Shorthose

Vale Wanderers B 2

Killeshin B 0

Whites Pharmacy Division Two Cup Final

Vale were crowned champions for the second year in a row as they comfortably beat Killeshin in a cup final that few would have expected. Vale dominated for large periods with Lee Conran in particular a constant threat up top. Killeshin defended well at times and for periods it seemed like they might take it all the way like they did against Fiacc’s last week but Vale’s experience won out in the end.

Both sides went close with opportunities early on. With five minutes gone, Lee Conran’s effort was saved by Pierce Bregazzi, forcing a corner from the left which was palmed away by Bregazzi. Six minutes later, Lorcan Galvin’s free was hit at Bregazzi. Killeshin went close after 16 minutes when a loose ball around the Vale box wasn’t cleared properly and James Brennan pounced on it. He couldn’t quite convert his opportunity though as Vale cleared. Midway through the half, Vale squandered a glorious opportunity to go ahead as Darren O’Keeffe got the ball down the left and crossed into the box, Ceilum Darcy tried to get onto the end of the ball but couldn’t. He got it back and tried to knock it in with a scramble in the box leading to a handball on the line by a Vale player who tried to knock it in. Just after the half hour mark, an O’Keeffe corner was cleared whilst minutes later, Conran turned his marker in the box and shot. His effort was saved. With seven minutes to go until half-time an O’Keeffe effort from the left was punched away by Bregazzi who again was in top form in the goal. With five minutes to go, a Jack Milton effort for Killeshin from the left was saved. Four minutes later, a Lee Nolan long throw-in found James Brennan down the right left but his effort was saved.

Three minutes into the second half, a Milton corner from the right was cleared initially with Shane O’Keeffe collecting and trying an effort from long distance which was hit well over the bar. Two minutes later, a Galvin corner from the left was blasted wide by Conran. Darcy went close from the right just outside the box but his effort was hit over the bar. Vale went ahead just before the half hour mark as Kieran Casey bundled an effort in. Not long after, a Kealan Brennan free from the left was saved. His corner from the left was cleared. A Nolan corner found O’Keeffe for Killeshin but his effort was saved. With 20 minutes to go, a Brennan corner from the left was palmed away by Bregazzi. Shortly after, Tommy Cummins made an immediate impact from the bench as he broke down the right hand corner and shot towards goal. Bregazzi initially saved the effort but spilled it as it went between his legs. Kaelum Hand went close for Killeshin but his effort was saved. With eight minutes to go, a Hand free on the edge of the box was hit just over the bar. Five minutes later, a Hand free was saved. Evan Askins hit the rebound into the side netting. With a minute to go, an Aidan Byrne effort from the left was hit over Bregazzi but was hit just wide on the far side, just short of the far post.

Teams:

Vale Wanderers: Kasper Gorniak, PJ Haughney, Jordan Doyle, Dean Collins, Geoffrey Doran, Kealan Brennan, Darren O’Keeffe, Kieran Casey, Lee Conran, Lorcan Galvin, Ceilum Darcy. Subs: Tommy Cummins, Kacper Gniedziesko, Aidan Byrne, Paul FitzGerald, Mark FitzGerald, Pat Meaney, Darragh Ryan.

Killeshin: Pierce Bregazzi, Jack Hynes, Chris FitzGerald, Orrie Doran, Lee Nolan, Bryan Lawlor, James Brennan, Cathal Dooley, Jack Milton, Shane O’Keeffe, Adam O’Grady. Subs: Adam Brennan, Kaelum Hand, Josh Bienko, Dylan Regan, Evan Askins, Tim O’Brien, Shane Whelan.