Athenry FC 0

Castlebar Celtic 0

(Aet – Athenry won 5-4 on pens)

By Mike Rafferty in Castlebar

IT was a celebration worth waiting for as Athenry FC won their first Connacht Junior Cup title since 2016 and their sixth in total in the most dramatic of fashion as five splendidly converted penalties allowed them get over the line in Castlebar on Sunday. It was a case of practice making perfect as all training sessions in recent weeks were ended with penalty taking.

Indeed, it was a rare success from the spot for the club as so many competitions have slipped through their grasp when losing in such a fashion. However, on this occasion, Athenry kept their nerve and allied to a splendid save by goalkeeper TJ Forde, they prevailed in the sunshine on the excellent surface in Milebush.

Both clubs had gone through barren spells since their last success, with Castlebar last winning in 2003, but on this occasion, they were losing their third Connacht Cup final in succession on penalties following similar defeats against Ballinasloe Town in 2014 and Abbey United in 2006.

The perfect combination of good goalkeeping, the woodwork and poor finishing saw this game finishing blank in the scoring stakes. Indeed, it was a contest that could have gone either way, but the outstanding feature of the battle was the solid defensive cover of both sides. Gary O’Connell, Shane Keogh, Aaron Leggett and Man of the Match Sean O’Callaghan were very impressive at the Athenry end, while Mark Cunningham, Mark Howley, Joseph O’Reilly and Brian Walsh did an equally solid job for the home side.

Though a Colm Nevin cracker almost produced an extra time winner for the home side as the ball rebounded off a post, most of the drama from the game was reserved for the shoot-out. It was the home side who were first up as Mark Cunningham and Jordan Loftus slotted home, with Shane Keogh and Cole Connolly doing likewise in impressive fashion for the visitors.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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