Broadford United claim Limerick Desmond League Premier Division title

WE FINALLY know this season’s Premier Division champions and it's Broadford Utd after they won the play-off against Rathkeale on a 2-0 scoreline last Friday night at Mick Hanley Park.

After 18 league games both sides finished on 42 points with an identical record of 13 wins, three draws and two losses, while their head to head meetings saw both win their home encounters - Broadford winning 2-0 on January 2 and Rathkeale winning 4-0 on May 12.

Both sides had advantages coming down the stretch but inevitably a play-off was required and I’d imagine that’s what the soccer supporters out there were hoping for. One of the biggest crowds ever witnessed at Mick Hanley Park turned up last Friday night for the eagerly awaited playoff.

A close game was anticipated in some quarters but this was blown out of the water inside the opening minute when Broadford scored one of the quickest goals at the venue.

A long ball behind the Rathkeale defence by John Hayes deceived keeper Aaron Hogan which allowed Jack Pierce to touch the ball over his head and side volley it into an empty net.

The dust had hardly settled when Broadford scored an incredible second goal after a fantastic move from back to front. A good ball from right back Jack Hogan to Hayes who took a touch before playing a very good through ball down the wing for Pierce who got to the end line before putting a sublime cross to the back post where Sean Brosnan finished with a clinical header from an acute angle.

Clounreask was buzzing having witnessed the flying start by Broadford and it took Rathkeale a while to come to terms with what had hit them.

Dean Maune spurned a great chance to get his side back into the game when he blazed over from eight yards after the ball came to him after keeper Patrick Stack had made a fine save from Timmy Hogan.

The game opened up a bit more now and Brosnan came close to getting his second of the game when Derry McCarthy picked out Michael Brosnan down the inside left channel and he volleyed a cross into the area where Sean Brosnan’s half volley was tipped over by Hogan.

Hayes, who was involved in both Broadford goals then came to his sides rescue when he cleared a Jack Hennessy shot off the line. Like Brosnan before him, Pierce came close as well to getting his second when coming in from the left only to be denied by Hogan at his near post. The last action of the half saw a Michael Brosnan corner on the left almost creep in at the back post. Half time 2-0.

Rathkeale really needed to up things in the second half and this they did as they were on top in the first quarter of an hour and were dominating possession but for all this, they found Broadford defending solidly. Eight minutes into the second half a Hennessy cross was gathered at the second attempt by Stack.

The second half didn’t treat the crowd to any real clear cut chances, especially by Rathkeale and this suited Broadford down to the ground. A lot of crosses were sent into the Broadford defence but time and again Joe McAuliffe and Ray Lynch were there to head the ball away.

Left back Bryan Hannigan had a fine outing, especially in the final quarter when Rathkeale were looking to get crosses in from that wing, as was the case on the opposite side by sub Seamus Brosnan.

Overall, the second half wasn’t filled with free flowing football but that won’t bother Broadford too much as they won their first premier title since the 2013-14 season.

That season they were managed by Ray Lynch and won the title by winning away to Newcastle West on the final day of that season. Broadford’s other top flight wins came in 2003, 2012, 2014 and previous to these was their first title in 1976 when they were managed by the late Jim Neenan, father of the current manager Jim Neenan.    

Player of the match: Jack Pierce (Broadford Utd)

Broadford Utd: Patrick Stack, Alan Fitzpatrick, Jack Hogan, John Hayes, Bryan Hannigan, Jack Pierce, Sean Brosnan, Joe McAuliffe, Ray Lynch, Michael Brosnan, Derry McCarthy. Subs: Seamus Brosnan, Willie O’Brien, Ciaran O’Sullivan and James Molyneaux. Also, Gearoid Greaney, Liam O’Shaughnessy, Gary Egan, Martin Daly, Mark Lynch, Michael Pierce, Dean Prunty, Mathew Daly, Alan Power.

Rathkeale: Aaron Hogan, Eoin O’Donnell, Alan O’Shea, Dean Maune, Sean O’Shea, Thomas Quilligan, Pa Wilmott, Gary Enright, Eoin Barry, Timmy Hogan, Jack Hennessy. Subs: Mikie Hickey, Michael Mulcahy, Eoin Kelly, Barry Coleman.

Referee: Ger O’Connor. Referee Assistants: Pat O’Connor, Eugene Noonan. Fourth Official Pat King 

Richard Hogan Cup Final

Glin Rovers B (1) 4 (James Broderick 37 mins, Ed Horan 54 mins, Ger Stack 65 mins, Cian Culhane 87 mins)

Abbeyfeale Utd B (0) 0

Pre-match favourites going into this game, Glin Rovers B duly obliged to win the Richard Hogan Cup with a fully deserved four nil win over Abbeyfeale Utd B at Mick Hanley Park, Clounreask last Saturday afternoon.

Glin were the better team throughout and headed back along the Shannon with their second trophy of the season having already won the Division Two league.

The Division Two champions went close early on when Cian Culhane saw his effort taken off the line and they went even closer when Johnny O’Sullivan was so unlucky to see his free kick come back off the crossbar.

Culhane was doing well on the left wing and he showed great skill to come in along the end line before forcing keeper Nathan Murphy to save at the near post and soon after Ed Horan shot just over from 22 yards after good play on the left from Culhane and O’Sullivan.

The deserved opening goal for Glin came on 37 minutes from James Broderick who fired low and unerringly across the keeper and inside the left post. The industrious Ger Riordan won a corner on the left just before half time as Glin sought a second goal before half time but Abbeyfeale cleared their lines.

The second half trend mirrored that of the first half with only brief moments where Abbeyfeale threatened. Glin right back Billy Hogan created the first chance of the second half when his diagonal cross from just inside the opposing half was met by Riordan but unluckily for him didn’t get a decent enough contact on the ball and Abbeyfeale survived.

Indeed, Abbeyfeale could have levelled with their first decent attack of the game when Jamie Dore delivered a sublime through ball into the path of Dylan Murphy with only the keeper to beat but Glin custodian Padraig Horan saved with his leg to keep his side in front.

Then a Glin free kick from Hogan wide on the right wasn’t cleared effectively by the Abbeyfeale defence and when the ball broke to Riordan he shot just over the bar. 

Minutes later it looked like Riordan would score after a through ball from O’Sullivan but defender Caolan Quigley tracked the strikers run and prevented him from getting a clean strike on goal.

On 54 minutes Glin doubled their lead when Edmond Horan headed to the net from a Ger Lyons free kick. Eleven minutes later, Glin had one hand on the trophy with their third of the day.

A fine cross from right back Hogan came to O’Sullivan on the left side of the area who controlled the ball and went past a defender and from the end line forced a save from Murphy only for the rebound to fall to Ger Stack to score from six yards.

On 70 minutes Padraig Hogan was called into action to make another superb save. Caolan Quigley, Abbeyfeales best player on the day, created the opening when coming in along the left endline and pulling the ball back for Cathal McCoy whose shot was saved by Horan with the Glin keeper then saving the rebound from point blank range to deny Adrian O’Leary. 

With three minutes left, Glin completed the scoring when Cian Culhane got behind the Abbeyfeale defence to slot the ball low into the bottom left corner.

In trying to prevent the goal Abbeyfeale keeper Nathan Murphy sustained a nasty looking knee injury which necessitated an ambulance to be called. I’m glad to report that the injury wasn’t as serious as first thought and Nathan should be fine in a few weeks or so. Full time 4-0.

After the game Joe Hogan presented the Richard Hogan Cup to Glin captains Aidan Mulvihill and John Wallace. 

Player of the match Johnny O’Sullivan (Glin Rovers B)

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

Abbeyfeale Utd B: Nathan Murphy, Adrian O’Leary, Aryn Foley, Caolan Quigley, Evan Woulfe, Paddy Hartnett, Olan Quigley, Jamie Dore, Dylan Murphy, Cathal McCoy, Thomas Sexton. Subs: Mikey McCarthy, Scott McCarthy, Josh Murphy, Liam Horgan, John Sexton, Billy O’Sullivan, TJ Hunt, Jerry O’Connor, Denis Carey.

Referee: Eoin Barrett. Referee Assistants: Pat O’Donnell, Pat King

RESULTS

Friday, June 9  

Premier Division League Title Playoff  

Broadford Utd 2 Rathkeale 0   

Saturday, June 10  

Richard Hogan Cup Final  

Abbeyfeale Utd B 0 Glin Rovers B 4 

FIXTURE

Friday, June 16

Riedy Cup Final (et & pens) 

Dromore Utd V Glin Rovers B 730pm (Venue TBC), P. O’Donnell, E. Noonan, S. Hartnett, 4th official TBC  

The last final of the 2022/23 season takes place on this Friday night where both finalists will be looking to complete a treble. Division 2 winners Glin Rovers B, fresh from their Richard Hogan Cup final win against Abbeyfeale Utd B last Saturday will face Desmond Cup winners Dromore Utd A who also won the Division 1 League Cup back in January.

An intriguing contest in store between two sides who will face each other in Division 1 next season. The Glin and Dromore clubs have already met in Clounreask in the Desmond Cup Final where the underdogs prevailed and I wonder will this be the case again next Friday night where Dromore will go in as favourites.

Verdict: Dromore Utd A