This article is from page 58 of the 2011-05-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 58 JPG
Bridge United B 2 – Burren United 2 (AET) Bridge United won 5-4 on penalties at The County Grounds, Doora
ROMANCE and heartbreak. That’s cup football and it was to be found in abundance at a very and windy County Grounds on Sunday evening as Bridge United carved their own niche in Clare soccer history.
History and romance was in qualifying for their second Clare Cup final in a row – the only B side ever to do so.
Heartbreak was being in Burren United corner, as they thought they had this game won, not once, but twice before they finally succumbed on penalties.
The weather may have been foul as a squall early in the game, combined with the strong breeze blowing towards the Quin Road end, made for conditions that weren’t conducive to good football, but there was still drama aplenty.
From the opening minute to the last kick when Barry Downes finally decided the contest when converting Bridge B’s final penalty and catapulted them back into another cup final.
It was rough justice on Burren – losing a semi-final on penalties is, but proof once more that anything can happen in cup football was the real winner over the 120 minutes plus of drama as league form was thrown out the window.
As early as the first minute it looked as if Burren would expose the chasm between the sides at league level – they were promoted to the Premier Division last Wednesday, while Bridge United B have long since been relegated to the Third Division.
That’s how long it took for Burren to open the scoring, after an Ian McInerney’s inswinging corner was met at the near post by Mark McCarthy and flashed to the net past a shell-shocked Barry Deasy.
Burren, who played against the breeze in the first half, looked like holding that advantage until the break, only to be hit just on the stroke of half-time as a sweeping Bridge movement was finished to the net by Barry Downes after he latched on to a Brendan Murphy cross to fire home.
The second half turned into a dogged affair – Burren weren’t living up to their undoubted pedigree, while Bridge United, even though they held sway thanks to Ian McInerney presence in midfield.
However, with warhorse Albert Finnan marshalling things brilliantly at the back, the game looked to be heading for extra-time until Evan Talty struck for Burren with ten minutes remaining.
His low free kick from just outside the area beat the wall, skidding on the greasy surface before flying past Barry Deasy into the net.
It looked to have decided things until Brendan Murphy produced a contender for goal of the season. Ghosting up the left flank, Murphy let fly from 25 yards and his shot thundered into the top corner past a bewildered Craig Flanagan.
It was worthy of winning a cup tie, and that’s just what happened after penalties, but not before Burren thought they had sealed a first cup final spot in ten years with five minutes of extra-time left.
Martin McDonagh broke clear down the right wing and his cross into the box was met and finished to the net confidently by Mark McCarthy, only for his namesake, Dave McCarthy to raise his flag for offside.
There were howls of protest that could be heard nearly as far as the Burren, but to no avail. The flag stayed up, no goal, which meant the game drifted to the inevitability of penalties.
Evan Talty converted Burren’s first kick, before Albert Finnan set the tone for Bridge but scoring his. It was advantage Bridge when Barry Deasy save Mark McCarthy’s kick and from there they held on to that advantage as Gavin Downes, Robert Conlon, Jamie O’Gorman converted their kicks.
Gihat Marine, Martin McDonagh and Liam Keane scored for Burren to leave it at 4-4, but Barry Downes had the final say coolly slotting his home to secure Burren’s passage to the final.