DUNMANWAY Town’s hopes of winning three Beamish Cup titles in a row remain on course – but they had to survive a real heavyweight clash against Drinagh Rangers on Sunday.
For the second season in a row, Dunmanway knocked Drinagh out of this competition, but this latest meeting, a round-two tie, needed penalties to separate the two after they played out a 3-3 epic. After Keith White fired defending champions Dunmanway into a 12th-minute lead, Barry O'Driscoll levelled for Drinagh. There was still time for Steven O’Donovan to nudge Dunmanway back into the lead, 2-1, before half time.
Drinagh took control in the second half when Keith Jagoe hit a brace in a ten-minute spell to push them ahead, 3-2. But three minutes from the end, Dunmanway levelled to send this tie to extra time. No more goals meant a shoot-out was needed and Dunmanway held their nerve to win in sudden death, 6-5, with goalkeeper Stephen Daly the hero, saving two penalties and scoring one. Last season’s defeated finalists, Clonakilty Soccer Club, made light work of Castletown Celtic in their round-two meeting. Eoin Ryan scored the opener after two minutes and further goals from Ian O’Driscoll, John Hayes (2) and an own goal saw Clon win 5-0.
Spartak Mossgrove advanced in the cup after a 4-1 win away to Mizen AFC, inspired by a Josh O'Donovan hat-trick while Conor Goggin was also on target. Gerald O'Callaghan scored Mizen’s reply. One goal decided Bunratty United’s game with Togher Celtic as Sean Evans struck early in the second half for Bunratty in a 1-0 win.
There were plenty of goals in Riverside Athletic’s 5-2 cup win against Dunmanway Town B, with Jake Draper’s hat-trick the headline-grabber. Billy O'Brien and Niall Kelleher also struck for Riverside while Bill Murphy and Adrian Cronin scored in each half for Dunmanway.
No shortage of goals either as Beara AFC defeated Baltimore 4-2 to keep their cup dreams alive. David O'Sullivan Greene fired Beara into an early lead, but James Kitt levelled for Baltimore early in the second half. Two goals in three minutes for Beara, from Declan Dunne and James Musgrove, put them in control before Baltimore’s Danny Crowley and Beara’s Adam Hurley swapped late goals.
Cathal Dineen was Lyre Rover’s hero in their extra-time 3-2 win against Kilgoban Celtic in round two of the cup. Efforts from James Desmond and Jamie Coughlan saw Kilgoban lead 2-0 at the break before Gearoid Barry’s brace sent this game to extra time. Then Cathal Dineen grabbed the winner early in the second half.
Goals from Sacha Walden and Darragh Holland helped Courtmacsherry to a 2-1 win against Ballydehob, who replied through Sean Holland.
Elsewhere, in the Championship last Sunday, Colm O’Neill scored twice as Aultagh Celtic defeated Skibbereen 2-0. In the WCL Women’s 7s Tournament, Beara and Inter Kenmare drew 0-0.
