Bridge United B back in cup final

Bridge Utd B 2  Burren Utd 2
(After extra time Bridge won 5-4 on penalties)

THE Clare Soccer League’s Junior Cup final will be a repeat of last season’s decider between Avenue United A (holders) and Bridge United B.
In the second of this year’s semi-finals, played at the County Grounds in Doora on Sunday evening, Bridge United B accounted for Burren United who, just four days earlier, had won promotion to the Premier Division for next season.
For the second week in succession, a penalty shoot-out was required to decide who would go through to the final. Last week, Avenue A and Tulla A failed to score in normal and extra time before Avenue scraped through on penalties, which went to sudden death.
This week’s semi-final was a livelier affair and produced four goals in normal time. The eventual winners came from behind twice to keep their dream alive.
Sunday evening’s game was played in difficult weather conditions with the players having to contend with a strong wind and heavy rain.
Newly promoted Burren got off to a dream start with a goal after only three minutes.
An Ian McInerney corner was added to by Mark McCarthy and the North Clare men were in front. They held this lead until a minute from half-time when Gavin Downes scored a great equaliser, which left the sides level at 1-1 at the break.
It was still 1-1 with three minutes left to play. Then Burren took the lead again and it seemed they were on the way to the final thanks to an Evan Talty strike which crept under the body of Bridge goalkeeper, Barry Deasy.
Bridge Utd didn’t panic and with the game in the last minute, they levelled when Brendan Murphy scored after a Barry Downes pass.
The first period of extra time was scoreless. Five minutes from the end of the extra period, Burren took the lead again but, to their dismay, Mark McCarthy’s goal was disallowed as the linesman Dave McCarthy raised the offside flag.
In the penalty shoot-out, Evan Talty scored first for Burren before Albert Finnan levelled for the Bridge. Mark McCarthy was next up for Burren but his effort was saved by Barry Deasy, which gave the advantage to the eventual winners. Gavin Downes then gave them the lead.
Ghat Marine (Burren) and Robert Conlon were both on target as were Martin McDonagh (Burren) and Jamie O’Gorman, leaving Bridge Utd 4-3 in front with one penalty each remaining.
Liam Keane scored for the North Clare side, which meant that Barry Downes had to convert for Bridge to seal their place in the final and he duly found the target.

Bridge United B: Barry Deasy; Dan Larkin, Kevin Meehan, Albert Finnan, Dominick Murphy, Damian Murray, Robert Conlon, Brendan Murphy, Paul Corbett, Gavin Downes, Jamie O’Gorman.
Subs: Alan Mulready for Corbett; Barry Downes for Meehan; Dara Fitzgerald for Murphy.
Burren United: Craig Flanagan; Daniel Carey, Enda Coughlan, Ian McInerney, Mikey Keating, Evan Talty, Ghat Marine, Noel Downes, Danny Burke, Martin McDonagh, Mark McCarthy.
Sub: Liam Keane for Burke.