Rangers rule supreme to land cup final triumph
The Park Rangers squad celebrate their win over Mooncoin in the Liam Whelan U12D Cup Final at Graun Park last Thursday. Photos: Paul Elliott.
Park Rangers held all the aces as they claimed a well-deserved WSFL Liam Whelan Under 12D Cup after a 5-0 win over Mooncoin Celtic in their decider played at Graun Park on Thursday evening last as the Faithlegg club were clinical in front of goal when it mattered most After their semi-final win over St. Joseph’s, the victors held a 2-0 lead at the sound of the half-time whistle, and they scored three late goals with some fine finishing that ultimately saw them run out comfortable winners at the call of time.
The first chance fell to Rangers with 13 minutes on the clock when Danny Gunnip pulled the ball back into the path of Eoghan Cullen on the left-side of the area, but his left-footed shot just went wide of the right-hand post of Mooncoin keeper Patrick O’Hanlon.
It wasn’t long before the winners opened the scoring on 21 minutes when Oisin Phelan sent over a right-wing cross that picked out the run of James Keating, and he applied the finish past O’Hanlon with a right-footed finish.
A second goal arrived for Park Rangers five minutes later that really put Mooncoin on the back foot when the same combination combined once again down the right as Phelan played the ball into the centre for Keating, and he gave keeper Patrick O’Hanlon little chance with a neat finish.
Mooncoin did have a chance to pull a goal back sixty seconds later when Shay Moore played the ball into the feet of Dylan O’Hanlon, but his low right-footed shot was well saved by Park Rangers keeper Harry Gunnip.
Seanie Murphy cracked in a shot that was well saved by keeper Harry Gunnip on 35 minutes when he tried his luck with a looping effort from 12 yards before Shay Moore also brought out a good save from the Rangers keeper soon afterwards.
As Mooncoin tried their best in a hope of getting back into the contest, they were undone for a third goal on 56 minutes. Ciaran Scollard done well out on the left to play the perfect ball for Micheal Queally, and he drilled a low right-footed shot to the back of the net.
It got better for Rangers as they netted a fourth goal sixty seconds later when another sweeping move from the restart that saw Shay Drew slip the ball into the path of Parker Ryan, and he gave Patrick O’Hanlon little chance with a crisp right-footed finish.
The cup final was complete in injury-time when Michael Queally added his second of the tie after he took a pass from Scollard as the young Park Rangers side were left celebrating when referee Trystan Russell sounded the final whistle.
After the game, their joint captains Eoghan Cullen and two-goal hero James Keating received the Liam Whelan cup, named after the former Manchester United player, who died in the Munich disaster back in 1958, from league chairman Davy Cullen.
Patrick O’Hanlon, Oisin O’Hanlon, Luke Hennebry, Teddy Dunphy, Max Rowe, Pete Dunphy, Seanie Murphy, Kai Clarke, Shay Moore, Jonathan Rowe, Oscar O’Keeffe, Billy Fielding, Dylan O’Hanlon, Tom Fewer.
Harry Gunnip, Charlie Kavanagh, Charlie Jacob, Charlie Boland, Calvin Parish, Eoghan Cullen, James Keating, Sean Pope, Oisin Phelan, Danny Gunnip, Shay Drew, Parker Ryan, Micheal Queally, Ryan Flynn, Rudi Wegner, Ciaran Scollard, Oscar Rowan.
Trystan Russell assisted by Jim Kealy and Thomas Barry.
