Connolly inspires Cherries to National Cup
By Hayden Moore
INSPIRED by the young Sean Connolly, Cherry Orchard stormed to their second SFAI Skechers National Cup in as many years with a 3-2 win over St Kevin’s Boys in the Under-15s showpiece.
Off the back of winning the Under-14 equivalent in 2019, the Orchard left themselves with work to do last Saturday in the delayed Under-15 decider at St Mochtas last weekend.
Cherry Orchard celebrate back-to-back Skechers National Cup titles
The side twice clawed their way back from behind to eventually take the lead as the clocked ticked down.
Despite adopting a free flowing style of play and dominating possession, the Ballyfermot club fell behind to a fine Daniel Chukwu strike for the Glasnevin side.
But just before half-time, Connolly bagged a crucial equaliser off the back off some brilliant build-up counter attacking play that involved Matthew Longhi and Bobby Packenham
“Sean Connolly got the equaliser for us and it was an especially emotional day for him,” Cherry Orchard manager Brendan Wynne told The Echo.
“His dad Graham passed away six-months-ago of a heart attack. He was only 47 at the time.
Cherry Orchard celebrate back-to-back Skechers National Cup titles
“Sean was cup-tied when we played the 14s final and then obviously the 15s final was postponed last year.
“Graham would have been really looking forward to seeing him play you know? He was a real football man, through and through.
“So when Sean scored he pointed up to the sky and after the match, he was wrapped in a flag with a picture of him and his dad, that said ‘watching over you’ on it.
“The lads then sent him up to collect the cup for the team. It was a very special day.”
Immediately after the restart, Kevin’s hit the front when Alex Connolly got a toe on the ball to send it goal bound.
Within seconds, the ball was in the net at the other end after the ball was zipped back across goal into Mark Flood’s feet, and, with his back to goal, he teed up Joshua Kerr.
The centre-midfielder opened up his body to guide the ball into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box.
The Cherries, sensing a winner was on the horizon, patiently probed at the Kevin’s backline with Luke O’Regan, Longhi, Flood and Kerr all doing their part to spread the play.
After winning a free kick on the right wing, Callum Wynne whipped the ball towards goal and it cannoned off the crossbar back into play.
Longhi picked the ball up on the right wing and beat a couple of players to drill the ball across the box, with Kerr eventually rolling it back out to Flood.
Flood got great purchase over the ball, whipping it across goal and it dipped into the top right corner past Kevin’s ‘keeper David Leonard to seal the winner.
“That’s back-to-back All Ireland titles, it’s such a great achievement for the lads because not that many teams do it,” Wynne said.
“It’s such a fantastic achievement for this group of players and for the club to win one, so it’s even better to win it for a second time.
“Of course ourselves and St Kevin’s are old rivals as well, so to get one over on our biggest rivals tastes that much nicer – and we’ve been on the receiving end of a few defeats to Kevin’s through the years as well so it adds to it.”
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