Premier Cup race down to the final two
Tramore AFC's Dara O'Brien scoring for his side in their semi-final win over Portlaw United. Photo: Tramore AFC/Niamh O'Brien.
Tomorrow (Sunday's) Centenary playing of the Jimmy Searson Ardagh Premier Cup final (at 3pm in Ozier Par) will see holders Tramore AFC take on Hibernians in a bid to end the season with silverware after the semi-final ties were played before healthy attendances at Ozier Park.
It was Hibernians that booked their spot in the showpiece decider first when they got the better of Ferrybank in their final four clash played on Wednesday last with the early strike putting the victors in control of the game.
With three minutes on the clock, the Mitchell Kennedy Park outfit took the lead when Sean O’Keeffe picked up the ball just outside the penalty area before arrowing a right-footed shot to the top right-hand comer past a helpless Brandon O’Callaghan.
After Ben Walshe tested O’Callaghan with an angled effort from the left-side on 25 minutes, the same player doubled the lead to ensure his side’s spot in the final two minutes from time when he took advantage of a mistake in the Ferrybank defence to slip a left-footed effort to the net.
Ferrybank were dealt a blow when keeper Brandon O’Callaghan left the field before the break injured with neither team managing to find the net in the second-half.
It was a remarkable second semi-final in the Premier Cup as Tramore took full advantage of Portlaw’s inability to take their chances to score four times in the first-half to cruise into the June 9 decider.
After Jordan Myler and Luke Woods were both denied the lead goal for the Paddock outfit on 13 minutes when Gavin Buckley made a fine double save, Tramore took the lead seconds later at the other end through a neat Lee Kavanagh finish.
John Power rattled the Tramore crossbar a minute later with Peter Woods firing the rebound over before Tramore doubled their lead on 24 minutes. Charlie Binions finished to an empty net after the Portlaw defence failed to deal with a long clearance from Jack Deegan.
A third Tramore goal arrived sixty seconds later when Binions got space down the right to set up Dara O’Brien, who in turn fed Kavanagh for his second of the game before O’Brien completed the scoring in the tie with a 42nd minute finish. Portlaw continued to miss chances in the second-half, but the holders saw out the game with ease.
