ValueCabs South Antrim Beringer Cup final
Gort Na Mona 3-12-2-08 St Johns
By Kevin Herron from Coláiste Feirste
Gort Na Mona were crowned ValueCab Beringer Cup champions for 2018 after a 3-12-2-08 victory over local rivals St Johns at Coláiste Feirste on Wednesday evening.
Leading 0-06-0-03 at the break the Turf Lodge men were under the cosh in the opening exchanges of the second-half as Donal Moran rifled to the net to edge St John’s in front with further points giving the Johnnies at 1-06-0-06 lead.
Gort levelled however through a goal from Sean Campbell before substitute Gary Doyle edged his side 2-07-1-06 ahead.
Gort appeared to have the game wrapped up – but five minutes from time referee Sean Moyes spotted a foot block and awarded a penalty which was converted by Niall McCallin to give his side a glimmer of hope.
That hope was extinguished on the hour mark as Dermot McVeigh was upended and Moyes again signalled for a penalty – which was coolly converted by Niall Melaney to ensure that the Beringer Cup was destined for Enright Park.
Gort were instilled as pre-match favourites though trailed to an early CJ McKenna point after a smart pass from Sean Wilson – however Dermot McVeigh combined with Conor Healy who levelled the game and Niall Melaney converted a free to give Gort a 0-02-0-01 advantage.
In between the two scores McVeigh and Healy almost combined for the opening goal – but Healy rifled a matter of inches wide of the post.
Ruairi Galbraith converted a free at the other end to level at 0-02-0-02 after ten minutes – though Thomas McGoran burst forward and popped over the bar to restore his sides lead at the midway point in the half and Conor Healy’s shot sailed between the posts to double his sides advantage.
Joe-Joe Garland would reduce the deficit to the minimum after Declan McComb’s kick-out was turned over by Kevin McGlinchy in midfield and CJ McKenna slipped in Garland.
But it was Gort Na Mona who ended the half on the front foot with back to back scores – Niall Melaney watched in frustration as he rifled inches wide through a congested penalty area, though atoned for his miss with a high shot that dropped over the bar.
On the stroke of half-time the best score of the half arrived off the boot of Dermot McVeigh – a sensational point that had his side 0-06-0-03 ahead at the interval.
Upon the resumption St John’s reduced the deficit through a Gerard Cunningham point and five minutes into the second-half edged ahead for just the second time in the game.
A high hanging ball into the Gort Na Mona area dropped loose and Declan McComb failed to gather as Donal Moran shot through a crowd of bodies and hit the net to give St John’s a 1-04-0-06 lead.
Buoyed and rejuvenated further scores followed – CJ McKenna showed composure and landed a terrific score and McKenna combined with Sean Wilson to land another and ensure a goal was the deficit after 37 minutes of play.
Though within sixty-seconds of increasing their lead the Johnnies were pegged back – Paddy Mulvenna interchanged the ball with Thomas McGoran who popped the ball into the path of Sean Campbell who curled the ball into the corner of the net past Matthew Leydon to level the scores at 1-06 apiece.
CJ McKenna conjured up his third point of the evening with a confident shot that restored his sides lead – though by the 41st minute Gort were back in control of proceedings.
Dermot McVeigh played a one-two and saw his shot blocked – but McVeigh had the presence of mind to spot Gary Doyle un-marked and Doyle side footed into an empty net to edge the Gort’s 2-06-1-07 in front.
Sean Campbell put a goal between the sides with a fine score sixty seconds later and the Turf Lodge men almost had their third goal in the space of five minutes – Dermot McVeigh bustled through and saw his low shot turned away by Matthew Leydon, who had to react quickly to keep out Brendan Corr from the follow-up.
St John’s introduced semi-final hero Joe Hand with thirteen minutes remaining and Hand capitalised on some unease in the Gort Na Mona area and shot high over the bar – only for Niall Melaney to convert a free and leave three the difference with less than ten minutes to play, 2-08-1-08.
The Gort’s put themselves in a commanding position with five minutes remaining as Conor Healy struck either side of a Niall Melaney’s second point from play to increase the lead to six.
However, St John’s set-up a grandstand finish at Coláiste Feirste – Joe Hand played the ball into the path of fellow substitute Niall McCallin whose shot was adjudged to have been blocked by a Gort Na Mona foot in the area and referee Sean Moyes held his arms outright to signal for a penalty.
McCallin took responsibility for the resulting spot-kick and confidently beat Declan McComb to make it 2-08-1-11.
On the stroke of full-time Gort were afforded the opportunity to restore their six-point advantage as Dermot McVeigh was brought down in the area and Moyes had no choice but to signal for a second penalty.
Niall Melaney confidently shot down the middle past Matthew Leydon to wrap up victory for Gort Na Mona.
Substitute Brendan Corr broke at pace in injury-time with a little help from Thomas McGoran and shot over the bar to seal a 3-12-2-08 win for Gort Na Mona who clinched a South Antrim double in the process – having won the Martin cup with a victory over Ardoyne back in August.
Gort Na Mona: D McComb, C Connolly, D Hughes, S McStravick, P Mulvenna, P McHugh, B Burns, T Kennan, D McVeigh (0-01), S Campbell (1-01), N Melaney (1-04, 1-02f), A McDonagh, D Boyd, T McGoran (0-01), C Healy (0-04). Subs: B Corr (0-01) for T Keenan (39 mins).
St Johns: M Leydon, B Moore, C Hanna, D McCallin, A McMahon, JJ Garland (0-01), O Donnelly, K McGlinchy, B McFall, S Wilson (0-01), G Cunningham (0-01), CJ McKenna (0-03), E McKenna, D Moran (1-00), R Galbraith (0-01f). Subs: N McCallin (1-00f) for G Cunningham (41 mins), J Hand (0-01) for R Galbraith (47 mins), C McFall for B Moore (52 mins).
Referee: Sean Moyes (Ardoyne)