Corkbeg advanced to the final of the St Michaels Cup with a 3-1 semi-final win against UCC at The Farm on Sunday morning. The Beg, who were beaten by UCC last weekend by the same scoreline, produced a performance full of guts and passion and fully deserved their 3-1 win.
But, it was the students who took an early lead, when Conor Power latched on to a loose ball in the Corkbeg area to fire low past Eric Higgins in the Corkbeg goal after 4 minutes. Corkbeg responded well and dominated the remainder of the opening half. Every player put in a huge shift in a performance that was the exact opposite of last week. Ryan Forde went very close from 25 yards, when his low shot skimmed the post and Tariq Tynan pulled his shot narrowly wide of the far post a few minutes later. They equalised on 35 minutes, when Shane Bennett set up Tariq Tynan to shot low into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of UCC goalkeeper Desmond Archer.
Corkbeg continued to dominate in the second period, but once again it was UCC who came close, when Ben O Neills well struck shot from ten yards was pushed around the post by Eric Higgins. And Danny Creedon made a great last ditch block on O Neill only minutes later. However, these two openings were the only time that the home side threatened in the second period. Corkbeg wasted some good opportunities from Alan Hogan, Tariq Tynan and from Shane Bennett, who really should have hit the target when well placed. But the goal was coming. On 75 minutes, Danny Creedon rose highest at the back post to head home a superb Alan Horgan delivery from a corner to give Corkbeg the lead. It was a lead that they never looked like giving up and Shane Bennett almost made it 3-1, when his low shot was blocked by Archer. In injury time, Alan Hogan was sent clear by Aaron Berry to shot low past Archer to make it 3-1 to Corkbeg and seal the deal. Corkbeg will play in the St Michaels Cup final against either Temple Utd or Glen Celtic at Turners Cross, with the date unconfirmed as yet.
Corkbeg: E. Higgins, A. Horgan, D. O Mahony, S. O Halloran, D. Creedon, S. Bennett, A. Berry, D. O Neill, R. Forde, T. Tynan, A. Hogan. Subs: J. Ryan for Forde(70mins), A. Creedon, T. Smyth, M. Leahy, K. Ryan
UCC: D. Archer, M. Ellis, A. Barrett, J. Agis Aquin, C. O Regan, S. Buckley, C. Murphy, L. Magee, C. Power, E. O Sullivan, B. O Neill Subs: P. Mato, D. Buckley, R. Mulhall, A. Cotter, F. Abdullah, M. Barry