Fanad claim 14th USL title

Fanad United denied Cockhill Celtic a second successive Ulster Senior League title and stretched their own tally out to an untouchable fourteen as Ollie Horgan’s men edged a thrilling play-off at Dry Arch Park Sunday afternoon.

Having salvaged a dramatic 3-2 win in the final game of the season last weekend, the two side’s locked horns once more for what was a tense but thoroughly entertaining finale to the USL season.

Fanad, who last won the league title in 2006/’07, had to ride their luck in the first half as Gerry Gill missed virtually an open goal. It proved a costly miss as Seamy ‘Coshia’ Friel broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time, the centre-half rising high to head home a Denis Boyle corner.

Cockhill, unsurprisingly, threw everything at their opponents in the second half but despite bossing most of the possession, they failed to really test Fanad goalkeeper Liam Grant, who was faultless and reassuring when called upon.

Part of the reason he didn’t have too much to do was attributed to the towering defensive showing by Arthur Lynch and Seamy Friel, who shackled Garbhan Friel and Paul McKinney with a no-nonsense display at the heart of the Fanad rearguard.

Cockhill, who were by far the highest scorer’s in the league itself, eventually ran out of ideas going forward before Donal O’Brien emptied his bench in a desperate last act to try and force a leveller.

However, there was simply no way through and Fanad held out to capture yet another USL crown, meaning no side has claimed back-to-back titles since Kildrum Tigers in 2007 and 2008.

It also means it’s a double-winning season for the men from the Kingdom, who defeated Cockhill in the final of the Donegal News League-Cup back in August.

And so Horgan’s men came into yesterday’s play-off undefeated from three previous meetings against their Inishowen counterparts, who suffered two defeats alongside a 3-3 draw in Triagh-A-Loch.

With a big crowd jammed into Bonagee’s Dry Arch Park, the scene was set for a grandstand finish to the season in the glorious November sunshine.

There was nothing between the side’s in the opening exchanges as Alan Gethins pounced on a failed clearance from William O’Connor before firing straight at Stephen Conroy. At the other end, Liam Grant needed to be fully alert to race off his line and smother a through-ball meant for Paul McKinney.

Cockhill were starting to get more and more of the ball and on twenty-one minutes it seemed like they had the breakthrough. After McKinney had a shot blocked down, the ball deflected into the path of Gerry Gill, who somehow screwed his shot wide despite an open goal staring him in the face.

It was to be a pivotal moment in the game as Fanad sprung to life and started to exploit gaps in behind the Cockhill defence.

In the best move of the match, Trevor Gethins and Alan Gethins combined well down the right side before the latter crossed to the back post for the onrushing Seamus Friel. The winger unselfishly knocked the ball down for Eunan Kelly but the striker, who began the move with some good hold up play, fired over the bar from a matter of yards.

Kelly again found himself in the right place at the right time as Trevor Gethins picked him out with a peach of a cross only for Conroy to pull off a brilliant diving save to deny him.

However, from the resulting corner Fanad took the lead when Seamy ‘Coshia’ Friel climbed unchallenged to head home Boyle’s inswinging corner.

Buoyed by breaking the deadlock, Fanad finished the half strong and might’ve added a second when the younger of the two Seamy Friel’s galloped in behind before miscuing a shot high and wide.

Cockhill began the second period with the bit between their teeth but too often they were forced into lumped balls forward, which were meat and drink for the commanding Fanad skipper Lynch.

In fact, Fanad created the better openings as Boyle and Seamy Friel both shot off-target from the edge of the area, while Kelly went very close to scoring a spectacular goal with a shot from a ridiculous angle that flew just past the left upright.

Disappointingly for Donal O’Brien’s side, they were only able to manufacture one shot on target in the second half. It came following a wonderful slide-rule pass from James Bradley to release Garbhan Friel, who forced Grant into a fine near-post save.

Arthur Lynch had a chance to rubber stamp the win fourteen minutes from time, but the big centre half was slightly off the mark with a glancing header from another inch-perfect delivery from Boyle.    

It mattered little, though, as Lynch’s tireless work at the other end of the pitch preserved Fanad’s slender lead and earned them a fourteenth league crown in dramatic fashion.  

Fanad United: Liam Grant; Shaun McElwaine, Seamy ‘Coshia’ Friel, Arthur Lynch, Barney Lafferty; Trevor Gethins, Paddy McGrenaghan, Denis Boyle, Seamus Friel; Alan Gethins, Eunan Kelly.

Sub: PJ Hagan (A. Gethins, 85 mins)

Cockhill Celtic: Stephen Conroy; Kieran McLaughlin, William O’Connor, Oisin McColgan, Conor Keddy; Liam O’Donnell, James Bradley, Malachy McDermott, Gerry Gill; Paul McKinney, Garbhan Friel.

Subs: Aidan O’Donnell (McKinney, 60 mins), Mark Moran (Gill, 66 mins), Derek Doherty (Bradley, 72 mins).

Referee: Tommy McAree.