GlynnÕs save secures cup glory for Oranbay

Date Published: 25-Apr-2012

Oranbay 0

St Bernard’s B 0

(AET-Oranbay won

7-6 on pens)

Mike Rafferty

THE name Oranbay might be consigned to history following the announcement of their new allegiance with Maree Oranmore, but at least Brian Kenny’s charges went out in a blaze of glory as they annexed the Fourth Division Cup at Terryland Park on Sunday.

After a 110 minutes of action that produced a lot of honest endeavour, but just a few fleeting moments of excitement, matters were eventually sorted by a penalty contest that saw goalkeeper Damien Glynn emerge the hero with the match winning save.

The shootout saw Oranbay take early command as Colm Heffernan, Daragh Murphy, Ger Farragher and Conor Murphy all scored.

In contrast, Brian Lawlor missed the opening effort for Bernard’s, but Padraig King, Shane Hughes, Martin Joyce and Greg Mannion were all equal to the task.

The opportunity to win the game for Oranbay then fell to Tony Creane, but his low effort was kept out by a smart save down to his left by Brian McDonnell to leave matters tied at 4-4.

Sudden death and Niall O’Grady, Aongus Quinn, Dara Flaherty and Shane Kavanagh all goaled to leave matters still level at 6-6.

Austin Salmon slipped his effort past McDonnell, despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to it and then it was the turn of Glynn to turn hero as the Oranmore native sprung to his right to keep out Shane Costello’s shot and secure a 7-6 win for a team who last won silverware in 1996.

Indeed it was Oranbay who went closest to making a breakthrough in a dour opening half, when Ronan Heffernan crashed a Johnny Clarke corner kick off the crossbar on 43 minutes.

The resumption provided a little more inspiration at both ends, with St Bernard’s B seeming to enjoy a bit more of a cutting edge. They certainly should have taken the lead when a Kevin Walsh free kick somehow landed at the feet of Brian Lawlor just eight yards out, but the normally prolific scorer somehow blazed over from close range.

A Padraig King in swinging corner was headed off the line by Colm Heffernan on 74 minutes and the young left full repeated the feat in the final minute, when he got a block to a Greg Mannion shot after another King delivery set up the late chance.

Oranbay left their best work until even later as Matthew Conroy and Conor Murphy combined to set up Niall O’Grady, but he crashed another effort off the woodwork from close range.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.