Petsy Corrigan Cup final
Castlewellan Town 4
Drumaness Mills 9
Drumaness Mills retained the Petsy Corrigan Cup on Saturday with an impressive victory over hosts Castlewellan Town in an entertaining, high-scoring game at Corrigan Park. Castlewellan went into the game with a makeshift defence due to injuries and other absentees and knew it was going to be a tough afternoon against a side that many feel can mount a challenge to win the NAFL Premier Division this coming season.
It didn’t take Drumaness long to settle into the game. With just three minutes on the clock, prolific striker Declan Looney made it 1-0. Castlewellan got back into the game on the ten-minute mark when their own talismanic striker, Ruairi Croskery, picked up the ball about 30 yards out and placed an excellent effort into the bottom corner, giving the Mills keeper no chance.
It didn’t stay 1-1 for long, however, as a ball over the top caught the Castlewellan defense sleeping, and Man of the Match Tom McNeill nipped in to put Drumaness back in front. McNeill then got his second on the half-hour mark as he finished a splendid team goal, one worthy of gracing any final. Again, Castlewellan bounced back into the game following some great work on the wing from new signing Nathan Mills, whose cross was bundled home by Ryan McCullagh to make it 3-2 just before the half-time whistle.
In truth, the first half had been a competitive 45 minutes of football, with many in attendance looking forward to more of the same in the second half. This hope would quickly disappear within just five minutes as two quick, early second-half goals from Drumaness all but ended the contest, and both were avoidable for Castlewellan. Two goals in the space of 60 seconds from the impressive Jack Sharvin were enough to put daylight between both sides as Drumaness started the second half very strongly.
The hosts then got back into the game, enjoying some good spells of possession, but three further goals in ten minutes midway through the half put the icing on the cake for Drumaness, with Sharvin grabbing himself a hat trick. At 8-2, it would have been easy for Castlewellan to drop their heads, but they continued to play their football and created several chances, missing two great opportunities before Ruairi Croskery completed a hat trick of his own with two goals in three minutes, including a stunning free kick.
Not to be outdone in the set-piece ranks, Sharvin would go on to grab his fourth of the game as he curled home a free kick in stoppage time to seal the victory and secure back-to-back Corrigan Cup successes for the Meadowvale men. Both sides will look to move on quickly from this, though, with the new league season just around the corner. Hosts Castlewellan begin their league campaign on Thursday 7 August away to Ballynahinch Utd, while Drumaness begin their Premier campaign with a mouth-watering local derby at home to newly promoted Kilmore Rec on Saturday.
To read the digital edition, download the Mourne Observer app – for apple click here – for android click here
