Dromore Utd complete Desmond League treble in their first season in Limerick junior soccer

IN THEIR first year Dromore Utd secured a trophy treble last weekend in the Desmond League.

The Kildimo-Pallaskenry parish based side were 5-3 winners over Glin Rovers B after extra time in the Riedy Cup Final.

The winners had goals from Mossy Sheehan (2), Ciaran Galvin, Tiernan Meaney and Cian O’Neill in a well contested 110 minutes at Mick Hanley Park on Friday evening.

Both sides were going into this final on the cusp of a treble, Dromore Utd A having already won the Desmond Cup and Division 1 League Cup while Glin Rovers B already having two pieces of silverware, namely the Division 2 League and the Richard Hogan Cup. Being in a higher division Dromore were many peoples fancy to win this one but Glin were the form team having won the Richard Hogan Cup the previous weekend with a convincing 4-0 win over Abbeyfeale Utd B at the same venue. The game ebbed and flowed and the sides were level on three occasions before Dromore got the vital breaks in extra time.  

The game started at a very fast pace and an early Dromore attack down their left saw Oran Kelly cross into the box where Glin keeper Padraig Horan gathered at the second attempt. On five minutes Glin were ahead, Billy Hogans free kick from the right found Ger Riordan on the left side of the area and he cut into the box before crossing low into the box where Cian Culhane was on hand to score from close range. Horan was soon again in action when he put the ball behind for a corner from a shot by Oran Kelly and then tipped the resultant corner behind. This time Dromore took advantage when Mossy Sheehan headed powerfully to the net from an excellent delivery by Ciaran Galvin. The play then swung to the other end and when Johnny O’Sullivan played in Ger Stack who forced Garry Sheehan to save with his feet at his near post.

The pace of the game was unrelenting and on twenty four minutes Dromore were ahead for the first time. They had shouts for a penalty for a handball waved away but they kept the pressure up and after good work by Ryan Kelly and Galvin the ball broke for Sheehan to drill the ball across the keeper and inside the left post. Rovers than had a half chance from an O’Sullivan cross from the left but Ger Riordans flicked header sailed wide while an Edmund Horan header from a Ger Lyon free kick was held under his crossbar by Sheehan. Riordan made no mistake from his next chance when he brought Rovers level when he got on the end of a sublime ball over the top from James Broderick and rifled the ball past Sheehan. The game turned again two minutes from the break when Galvin put Dromore back in front to give them a slender lead at half time.

Glin started the second half positively and seven minutes in Ger Stack was so unlucky to see his header come back of the left post after a Ger Lyons free kick from wide on the right. A driven free kick by Lyons was just wide before Rovers levelled again when sub Adam Robb delivered a curling free kick across the box and Ger Stack connected at the post to get Glin back in the contest. Sadly, that was Stacks last contribution as he had to leave the action after picking up an injury. O’Sullivan was having a great game for Glin, constantly running at the Dromore defence as was Riordan with the former putting Culhane through on seventy one minutes but Shaun Barry just about cut out the danger while Barry came to his sides aid three minutes later as Broderick almost got behind the Dromore defence. In the closing minutes an almighty goalmouth scramble was eventually cleared by Glin and so on to extra time.

In extra time it was in the first period that the game was ultimately decided. A brilliant interception by Ciaran Barry prevented Adam Robb getting in on goal after fine play by O’Sullivan and Horan. Dromore went ahead again when sub Tiernan Meaney fired home after good build up play involving Ben Higgins and Galvin. In the last minute of the first period of extra time Dromore stretched their lead with a fine strike from another sub, this time Cian O’Neill scoring after a corner on the left wasn’t cleared effectively. The second period of extra time saw Dromore see out the game to claim a historic treble in their first season.

Dromore Utd A: Garry Sheehan, Ben Higgins, Ciaran Barry, Shaun Barry, Barry Walsh, Darren Walsh, Ciaran Galvin, Mossy Sheehan, Ryan Kelly, Ciaran Deegan, Oran Kelly. Subs Tiernan Meaney, Rory Cullen, Evin Kelly, Cathal Shinnors, Eoin Mulvihill, Mikey Heavenor, Cian O’Neill

Glin Rovers B: Padraig Horan, Billy Hogan, Joe Stack, Ger Lyons, John Wallace, Johnny O’Sullivan, James Broderick, Ger Stack, Cian Culhane, Edmund Horan, Ger Riordan. Subs Adam Robb, Ollie Wallace, Bernard Dalton, Aidan Mulvihill, Edward Mulvihill, Joe Martin, Darren McKenna.

Referee: Pat O’Donnell. Referee Assistants: Eugene Noonan, Eoin Barrett.