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| 15/07/06 - Celcius Menswear Challenge Cup Final |
| AC Athletic (0) |
V |
Park B (2) |
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| Team: |
Cyril Dineen
John Fitzgerald
Mark Walshe
Conor Harty 
Eamon Fitzgerald
Stephen Goggin
Conor Diggins
Barry Walshe 
Kieran Young
John Mike Dooley
David Leahy
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| Subs: |
Mark Dillane for Kieran Young
Shane Harty for Conor Diggins
John Paul Leahy for David Leahy
Derek Carroll for Stephen Goggin
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| Team: |
D O'Brien
W Moriarty
D Moore
S O'Sullivan
D Culloty
D Rogers
P McCarthy
G Healy
E McMahon
J O'Connor
F Quirke
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| Subs: |
D O'Sullivan
N Cannon
D Reid
D Moriarty
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Celsius Menswear Final
Reigning Celsius trophy holders Park B retained their crown in a hard fought battle on Friday night at Mounthawk Park. The Celsius Cup essentially takes in non-Premier sides so perhaps it was no surprise that these two sides met in the final. AC Athletic have just sealed promotion to the Premiership, Park B would normally be vying for another promotion spot but Kerry District League rules prevent B teams entering the top division. So not only were the Tralee side trying to keep the trophy they were also testing their mettle against Premier opposition.
Park B are essentially Park FC's youth team-virtually all are under 19 years of age. AC by contrast are a more mature team no member of which needs to show his ID in hostelries. So the match up pitted "boys" against "men" and Park passed this transitional rite with flying colours. A goal after just two minutes by Wayne Moriarty was followed by a second from Joey O'Connor in the 36th to give the town side the cup. But they lived very dangerously in the second half as AC camped in their half but could not find the goal that might well have altered the tie.
Athletic's main target this season, promotion to the Premier, was achieved a few weeks ago. But the squad they brought to this final showed they were determined to add to that cabinet. However they had clearly not done their homework as a young very quick Park team tore their defence to shreds in the early period. Twice winger Dave Rogers outpaced AC's backline in the opening moments. From the second corner Rogers targeted the back post where Wayne Moriarty rose unopposed to head firmly into the roof of the net. Two minutes gone-one goal down. The Tralee side might well have gone further ahead seven minutes later when Greg Healey cut inside the area. His fierce shot brought a fine save from keeper Cyril Dineen but Rogers fired the rebound towards the far corner only for Conor Harty to clear off the line.
At this stage AC were all at sea. But they found their landlegs slowly as they rained set pieces on the tall Park defenders. Both John Mike Dooley and David Leahy tested Dara O'Brien in the Tralee nets. But Rogers continued to outpace his markers. In the 19th minute he drew another save from Dineen as the striker tried to slide the ball past the unprotected keeper. The duel continued ten minutes later with Dineen again saving full length from the tricky winger.
AC fell further behind in the 36th minute. Again a corner was their undoing. Joey O'Connor stole in to head firmly past a statuesque defence. Four minutes later both sides were reduced to ten men with early baths for Barry Walshe and Eoin McMahon as AC's frustrations became apparent. There were signs however that AC's "muscular Christianity" was beginning to undermine urban chic.
In fact AC dominated the second period. Arch predator JM Dooley got beyond Park's defence on the hour mark but shot just over. Park's solitary breakout came again from that man Rogers as his mazy dribble past three defenders ended with his shot being cleared off the line by Mark Walshe. Normal service was resumed at the other end but still AC could not find the breakthrough. Sub John Paul Leahy fired over after Dooley and O'Brien collided. Leahy and Eamon Fitzgerald had close range headers saved by O'Brien before the former finished Dooley's cross shot to the net only to see it disallowed for offside.
AC were reduced to nine men with the sending-off of Leahy for dissent but still drove forward. But when Dooley's header from Eamon Fitzgerald's exquisite chip went the wrong side of the upright the North Kerry side accepted the fates were against them. So a young Park B side achieve a back to back title. Deprived by the rules of competing in the Premier it represents reward for a season's hard work. Moreover the likes of Rogers,O'Connor,Healy,O'Brien and others will surely join David Moore in Park's senior side next year.
For AC this very satisfactory season is not yet over as they are still in the Hennebery Sports reserve Cup. They will have learnt some lessons for next year's Premier campaign. The pace and fitness of Premier sides is not to be underestimated and Rogers fine wingplay is a portent of things to come. Finally a word of praise for referee Brian Healey. This was his first cup final and he handled a match which threatened to boil over well ably assisted by his assistants Tom Templeman and Mike Dempsey.
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