New oak maintained their unbeaten record in domestic cups and won the domestic treble after a one nil win over Crettyard on Saturday evening with the Cody Mulhall goal given New Oak their seventh Consecutive title.
Good things come in threes for New Oak
By Harry Shorthose
New Oak Boys 1
Crettyard United 0
Keating Memorial Premier Cup Final
As the old saying goes, good things come in threes and New Oak’s fairytale story continued on Saturday night as they claimed their third trophy of the season, winning their third Keating Memorial Premier Cup in a row, narrowly beating old rivals Crettyard. For large periods, in the first half especially, New Oak dominated and it required a mammoth defensive effort from Crettyard to keep them out. Up until the New Oak goal though, it was anybody’s game. Crettyard had their chances, but they were their own undoing, not being clinical enough. Same could be said for New Oak though who struggled at times to make the most of their possession. This was the seventh trophy of the Gavin Dowling era and with a rematch between the two sides in the semi-final of the Carlow Cup ahead tomorrow [Wednesday], they will have their eyes on doing the clean sweep once again.
The early stages were a barrage of New Oak attacks which Crettyard had to survive. With three minutes gone, Lee Walker and Cody Mulhall linked up well down the left which led to a Mulhall cross into the box which was cleared. Five minutes later, a McGrath free from the right was cleared, Ryan Byrne broke down the left for Crettyard but it was dealt with by New Oak who in turn broke with a shot being hit wide. A McGrath free was cleared before a Harmon free on the edge of the box was looped to the right hand side where Mulhall hit it wide. Crettyard grew into the game and with 13 minutes gone, a Craig Comerford corner from the right was cleared before Mikey Byrne attempted a long range effort but found it saved. Two minutes later, a corner saw Michael Walsh hit a bicycle kick which was saved before Jack Brady hit a free off the wall just after 20 minutes. Mulhall struck an effort from distance but it was palmed away by John Dunphy. With 20 minutes to go until half-time a Jordan Harmon effort from the right just outside the box was hit wide across the face of the box. Just short of the half hour mark, Byrne broke down the right and tried a shot but Craig Kearney in the New Oak goal saved. A Gearoid Cuddihy corner from the left was headed wide by Walsh at the back post. With ten minutes to go in the half, Mulhall down the left turned and beat his marker, cut into the middle and laid it off to the right where the effort was blocked and the ball cleared. A long range effort was hit well over the bar. Two minutes later, Lee Walker found himself through on goal but couldn’t control his effort, allowing Mark Lyons to clear. With four minutes to go, a Cian Cleary cross found Mulhall and Walker in the middle but it was cleared by the Crettyard defence. With a minute to go, Brady went close from the left, hitting his effort into Kearney whilst in stoppage time, Walker hit an effort over the bar as it was honours even.
New Oak started off the second half the way they ended the first and tested Dunphy from the off. Anthony FitzPatrick went close for Crettyard too as his effort just inside the box was saved. Ten minutes into the second half, a Cuddihy corner from the left was cleared, played back to Cuddihy who tried an effort but couldn’t get it on target. A couple of minutes later, Mulhall broke down the left and hit the ball past the oncoming Dunphy to give New Oak a big lead. Just after the hour mark, a Cian Dowling effort from the left was saved before Jordan Harmon’s corner from the right was cleared. A long ball to Mulhall down the left was cleared by Dunphy. Crettyard went close via Ryan Byrne down the right who tried to square the ball into the box but found his effort cleared whilst Cuddihy went close through a free but hit his effort towards Kearney. With 20 minutes to go, Brady went close from the right, shooting wide. A McGrath free three minutes later from the left was hit over the bar. With 15 minutes to go, Cuddihy’s free from the right was saved. Pressure was put on Kearney but he kept strong. With ten minutes to go, any slim hope Crettyard had of winning was extinguished when Dunphy saw red for taking out Mulhall outside the box. Mulhall’s resulting free from the left was hit off the post and cleared. Walker went close with a free a minute later but could only blast his effort over the bar. With three minutes to go, a Jamie Murphy long range effort was saved. In the final minutes a long free from Comerford was cleared whilst Cuddihy shot across the face of the goal.
Teams:
New Oak: Craig Kearney, James McGrath, Cian Dowling, Cathal Gaffney, Owen McCormack, Jamie Murphy, Conor Byrne, Jordan Harmon, Cody Mulhall, Cian Cleary, Lee Walker. Subs: Luke Ramsbottom, Zak Yongram, Lee Gordon, Will Hayes, Lee Murphy.
Crettyard United: John Dunphy, Niall Purcell, Craig Comerford, Mark Lyons, Mick Walsh, James Rothwell, Mikey Byrne, Jack Brady, Ryan Byrne, Gearoid Cuddihy, Anthony FitzPatrick. Subs: Seamus Dowling, Luke Maher, Farrell Cuddihy.