Blast from the Past, May 2004. Collins and O'Leary lead Blarney to an emphatic win over Greenmount in AOH Cup final

Blast from the Past, May 2004. Collins and O'Leary lead Blarney to an emphatic win over Greenmount in AOH Cup final

Pics taken 28.05.2004

AOH CUP FINAL

Blarney United 3 Greenmount Rangers 0

Prematch shakehands

Keeper Paul Collins and midfielder Raymond O’Leary, both regulars on the AUL Oscar Traynor Cup team, each made a memorable contribution as Blarney United demolished Greenmount Rangers 3-0 in the final of the Murphy’s Stout AOH Cup at Turner’s Cross.

Greenmount Rangers

Collins had his magic moment shortly before the interval. The first half had been dull enough but things had livened up as half-time approached.

Blarney were facing a free from the left touchline by international Brendan Cronin. Big Damien O’Neill, one of the few Greenmount players to play to form, rose highest in the box and headed the ball down into the path of Darren Gubbins. His low close range shot seemed well placed and on its way past Collins who somehow got down and turned the speeding ball away for a corner.

A magnificent save but that was eclipsed as a talking point some twelve minutes into the second half. Blarney were already a goal up by the time O’Leary picked up a loose ball following a Blarney throw-in on their left. The midfielder, standing some twenty yards or more from the endline and by the corner of the box, let fly off the hopping ball and his wonder strike sped past keeper Eamonn Breen who could only look on as it rocketed over his left hand shoulder and in by the far post.

It was O'Leary who had opened the scoring four minutes into the second half. This one, both in the build-up and the execution, was more predicable. The pass came from midfielder partner Dave Moynihan and O'Leary raced away to slot the ball low past the advancing Breen.

Greenmount’s dream of three in a row had turned to a nightmare and their response to this challenge was sluggish, their control, timing and passing out of synch. There seemed little chance of a comeback and the issue was finally settled in the 75^th minute.

Blarney skipper Ray O'Leary, receives the AOH Cup

Inevitably, O'Leary was involved. His neat ball over the top sent the substitute striker Steve McCann away and he finished superbly over the advancing keeper to make the final score an emphatic 3-0.

The margin could well have been higher. Just after that magnificent save by Collins, opposite number Breen allowed a through ball by O'Leary fall from his grasp in the box. A surprised Rory Goggin knocked it forward a little too far and his shot, from a poor angle, was kicked off the line by Ger Long.

But that mattered little in the end as O'Leary picked up both the coveted AOH and the Murphy’s Stout Man of the Match award.

Blarney United: Paul Collins, Daniel Cronin, Dermot Crowley, Andrew Maher, Neil O'Riordan, Paul Fitton, Raymond O'Leary (captain), Dave Moynihan, Derek Healy, Steve Jennings and Rory Goggin. Subs used: Steve McCann for Healy (66) and Eddie Lyons for Moynihan (83).

Greenmount Rangers; Eamonn Breen, Pat Tynan, Brendan Cronin, Ger Long, Damien O'Neill, Donal O’Shea, Conor Fitzgerald, Shane McSweeney, Darren Gubbins, Mick O'Leary (captain) and Gearoid O'Leary. Subs used: Steve McCarthy and Steve Heaphy for O’Shea and Tynan (72) and Sean Walsh for Fitzgerald (82).

Referee: Damien O'Mahony