2009 Shield

The Story of the 2009 A Cut Above Salon West Cork Over33 Shield tournament.

The West Cork League Over33 Shield tournament sponsored by Justin Crowley’s ‘A Cut Above’ Salon proved a big hit during the recent summer months with Dunmanway Town winning the inaugural tournament.

The four clubs who failed to progress in the West cork Over33 Cup sponsored by Bernard Hayes Travel were entered into the ‘A Cut Above’ Shield competition. The draw for the semi-finals saw Skibbereen face the Clonakilty Masters in Ballyvackey and Dunmanway Town clash with Rosscarbery in Mohona. All four sides were knocked out of the Over33’s Cup quarter finals but automatically entered into the Shield competition guaranteeing every club at least two knockout matches.

SEMI-FINALS

The semi-final clash of Skibbereen and Clonakilty Masters promised to be a tight affair with only two points separating the sides at the end of their respective league campaigns. Ballyvackey was the re-arranged venue for the last-four encounter where a bad tempered affair threatened to spill over on a few occasions. Thankfully common sense prevailed and eventually an entertaining clash ensued where Skibbereen produced a workmanlike performance to run out 5-1 winners. There was little to choose between two evenly matched sides in a tight first half. Skibb weathered Clon Master’s early pressure and Mike McCarthy was on hand to net the only goal of the opening period to give Skibb a 1-0 interval lead.

The Baltimore Road club added four additional strikes in a dominant second half showing. Billy Flaherty had a fine game and bagged a brace of well taken goals. Eoin O’Driscoll and Ger Murray also got on the score sheet to cap an impressive second half display. Joe Gallagher scored a consolation for Clon Masters for whom Mike Johnson and Martin Walsh impressed. Skibb’s stand out performers included Liam Hurley, Mike Hurley, Brian Carroll and Morgan Hurley. Unfortunately the referee was forced to brandish a flurry of red cards in a disappointing end to the semi-final but Skibbereen prevailed and qualified for the Shield decider 5-1.

Dunmanway Town and Rosscarbery met in Mohona to decide who Skibbereen’s opponents would be in the shield final on the 15th of July. The sides had previously clashed on the opening day of the O’Brien’s Bar Rosscarbery Over33 League at the start of the summer with Town emerging comprehensive 5-0 winners. Rosscarbery struggled for long periods of their league campaign and entered the semi-final as underdogs. Dunmanway would eventually finish joint-second with Drinagh Rangers in the league and looked odds on to make the shield final.

Rosscarbery failed to read the script however and produced their best performance of the summer. Vince Hayes rocked the home side with an early opening goal and the visitors held on to their surprise lead until the final minutes. Just when it seemed Rosscarbery were destined to make the shield final Dunmanway snatched a dramatic late equaliser. Stephen Kearney converted a spot-kick deep in injury time to send the semi-final to extra time. Neither side could produce a goal after two ten minute periods so the dreaded penalty shootout was necessary to decide the outcome of a cracking tie. It turned out to be heartbreak for Ross as Dunmanway held their nerve in the penalty shootout (4-3) to progress to the shield final.

TOWN TRIUMPH

A large crowd was in attendance in Canon Crowley Park, Drinagh for the Over33 Shield final between Dunmanway and Skibbereen. A perfect playing surface allowed both sides to pass the ball at will and an enthralling final ensued. John Caulfield was at the centre of Town's best moves early on but the Mohona side failed to threaten in the final third.

Skibb had loud appeals for a penalty waved away after 10 minutes when Mick McCarthy appeared to be fouled in the box. The same player struck the Town crossbar a minute later as Skibb’s pressure intensified. Dunmanway remained a threat on the counter-attack with the pace of Cathal Crowley forcing the Skibbereen defence to scramble clear on numerous occasions.

The tireless Kieran O'Leary brought the best out of Minihane with a cracking turn and shot and then Jack Carroll was denied by an alert Brian Collins at the other end of the pitch. A terrific final continued to ebb and flow until the decisive moment in the 47th minute. John Caulfield found Cathal Crowley with his back to goal on the edge of the Skibb penalty area. Crowley expertly spun around a defender and gave Gary Minihane no chance with a deadly left foot finish.

To their credit Skibbereen threw everyone forward in the dying minutes in an attempt to snatch a late equaliser. Jack Carroll proved Skibb’s best attacker on the night but try as they might the Baltimore Road club failed to breach Town’s defence. Dunmanway saw out the final minutes to deservedly secure the 2009 West Cork Over33 Shield trophy.

2009 A Cut Above West Cork Over33 Shield winners - Dunmanway Town: Brendan Quinn, John Caulfield, Barry O'Donovan, Brian Collins, Martin Collins, William O'Brien, David Hall, Tim Buckley, Cathal Crowley, Sean Sheehan, Fachtna Collins, Stephen Kearney, Noel O'Donovan, Kevin Crowley, Michael O'Donovan, Aidan McCarthy, Michael Doolan, Ciarán O'Leary, Michael Dwyer, Mark McGuigan, Joe O'Donnell, Cathal Kelleher and Noel Murray.

2009 A Cut Above West Cork Over33 Shield Results

Semi-Finals: Skibbereen 5 Clonakilty Masters 1

Dunmanway Town 1 Rosscarbery 1, *aet Dunmanway Town won 4-3 on penalties

Final: Dunmanway Town 1 Skibbereen 0

GMC

A big thanks to the sponsors of the 2010 West Cork Over33 Tournaments:

• • The West Cork Over33 League is kindly sponsored by O'Briens Bar, Rosscarbery.

  • The West Cork Over33 Cup is kindly sponsored by Bernard Hayes Travel, Cork.

  • The West Cork Over33 Shield is kindly sponsored by A Cut Above, Clonakilty.