Connacht Junior Cup Final – Sunday, 27th May
Mervue United 1–1 Carbury FC (AET)
Mervue United win 7-6 on penalties
Mervue United are Connacht Junior Champions after they came through a penalty shoot-out on Sunday (27th May) in Sligo’s Showgrounds.
Introduced just one minute before extra-time concluded, Peter Healy was the hero saving Carbury’s seventh penalty from Gary Finan.
It was an excellent display of penalty shooting that followed a 120-minute stalemate after Mervue made the perfect start.
Enda Curran was on the end of a cross from the left for the Galway outfit to score after just three minutes.
Cross from the left headed home by @EndaCurran1 great start after just 3 minutes, and Curran shoots just past the post a minute later
— Mervue United A.F.C. (@MervueUnitedAFC) May 27, 2018
It was a lead Mervue held for most of the first half. Curran came close on another couple of occasions while Finan and Mark McGoldrick nearly opened Carbury’s account.
But the Sligo team were on par before the break. A corner was Steve Feeney perfectly placed for the touch and the sides were level at 1-1 at half-time.
And they remained deadlocked until the finish. Mervue hit the crossbar in normal time and Barry Moran came close. But Carbury were disappointed not to seal the victory as Barry O’Mahoney and Aaron Murrin had chances and Finan was denied by a Colm Power save on 104 minutes.
Power was sacrificed before the extra time concluded to allow Healy his opportunity. But Mervue’s supporters were kept waiting for victory as the first 10 strikers found the target leaving it 5-5.
Jason Molloy, Stephen Larkin, Eoin Concannon, Simon Walsh and Moran all beat keeper Mark Rooney. But Carbury responded each time through Gareth and Christopher Kelly, Murrin, Ross McLoughlin and O’Mahoney.
Captain Aaron Finnerty converted the sixth but Daniel Smith kept this provincial final on a knife edge. Substitute Paul Healy made it 7-6 but Gary Finan was expected to keep the contest alive. However, Peter Healy made the block and Mervue United were crowned Connacht Junior Cup Champions!
Scorers:
Mervue United – Enda Curran 3′
Carbury FC – Steve Feeney – 43′
Mervue United: Colm Power; Aaron Finnerty, Tommy Walsh, Keith McHugh, Eric Browne; Jason Molloy, Mark Griffin, Stephen Larkin, Eoin Concannon; Barry Moran, Enda Curran.
Carbury FC: Mark Rooney; Colm Jinks, Steve Feeney, John Lynch, Aaron Murrin; Mark McGoldrick, Barry O’Mahony, Ross McLoughlin, Christopher Kelly; Gareth Kelly, Gary Finan.
