Villa come out on top in President’s Cup final
Villa FC captain Luke Walsh pictured with Man of the Match, James "Tyres" Kennedy, Conor Whittle and Adam Conway.
After losing the inaugural playing of the Waterford Junior League President’s Cup final against Tramore AFC last season, Premier League champions Villa FC came good to win the second playing of the cup that will kickstart the 2024 short season with a 3-1 win over Hibernians at Ozier Park on Thursday night.
Two goals in the space of two first-half minutes had the workLAB Connors Park club in the driving seat at the half-time break, but when their former player Dylan Butler pulled a goal back with just under 20 minutes remaining in the tie, Cameron Power made sure of victory in second-half injury-time.
With both teams having a number of games in their pre-season campaign ahead the start of the new league season this evening (Tuesday), it was Conor Coad’s side that took up the early running in a contest that failed to really spark throughout against a new-look Hibernians side with some new faces.
It was Villa that created the first chance of the game with 19 minutes on the clock when Jeff da Silva sent over a right-wing cross that picked out the run of Alex Phelan, but his low left-footed shot was well held by Hibernians goalkeeper Craig Cummins.
With the recently sanded Ozier Park surface causing some early problems, chances were at a premium with Conor Kilgannon getting his head on the end of James Kennedy’s left-wing delivery on 35 minutes, but his header was wide of the back post.
The league champions did strike the front with the lead goal sixty seconds later when Alan Phelan played the ball out to the right-side of the penalty area that saw Jeff da Silva latch onto the ball, and on his return to Villa, he beat keeper Cummins with a neat finish to the far corner.
It wasn’t long before Coad’s side were doubling their lead as they added a second on 38 minutes when James Kennedy sent over a left-wing cross that fell at the feet of Kilgannon, but after his shot was saved by keeper Craig Cummins, Alex Phelan blasted the rebound high to the roof of the net.
Hibernians didn’t cause any trouble to Villa keeper Craig Dunphy, but they have an early second-half chance on 51 minutes when Dylan Butler whipped in a right-wing cross that was cleared to the top of the area for David Cooley, but his deflected effort went wide of the near post.
Alex Phelan had a chance at the other end three minutes later when he cut in from the left after a flicked-on James Kennedy pass, but his first-time left-footed shot flashed inches wide of Cummins’ far right-hand post.
It was the crossbar that denied Villa a third goal on 64 minutes when Aaron O’Connor stepped over a free-kick 25-yards from goal after a foul on Conor Kilgannon, but his cracking right-footed shot that had keeper Craig Cummins beaten came rattled off the bar.
Dylan Butler was just wide with a decent chance for Hibernians four minutes later when the striker took a fine through ball from David Cooley before cutting into the area, but his first-time shot was just wide of the near post.
A goal for the Mitchell Kennedy Park outfit did arrive on 71 minutes when Dylan Butler done the donkey work down the left-side before cutting into the area, and he gave keeper Craig Dunphy little chance with a left-footed finish to the far corner.
Aaron O’Connor got space for himself down the right-side before cutting into the area three minutes later, but his shot was saved before the same player crossed in from the right for Mike Nzongong on 80 minutes only for his header to the saved.
With both sides making changes, Hibernians never really looked getting the equalising goal, and with the game ticking into the fifth added minute, Cameron Power on his return from America latched onto a Luke Walsh pass down the left, and he arrowed a left-footed shot to the far corner past Craig Cummins.
The final whistle sounded soon afterwards from referee Gary Fitzgerald and after the game, league president John Foskin presented the President’s Cup to Villa captain Luke Walsh with James Kennedy named the player of the match after a good display.
Craig Dunphy, James Kennedy, John Tamen (Aaron O’Connor 61), Adam Conway, Dylan Stickel, Luke Walsh, Conor Kilgannon, Conor Whittle (Shane Keenan 68), Jeff da Silva (Cameron Power 61), Matas Grinius (Enis Ibrahimi 79), Alex Phelan (Mike Nzongong 61).
Craig Cummins, Craig Keane (Lee Hennessy 68), Sean O’Keeffe, Cormac Ryan, Gary Keane (David Adebayo 20), Nicol de Nitto, Samuel Adebayo (Mariusz Mikairej 83), David Cooley, Antonio Petrovic (Dylan Butler 46), Ben Walshe (Daire O’Keeffe 57), Johnny St. Ledger.
Gary Fitzgerald assisted by Richie Brazil, Eamonn Russell, and John S Walsh.
