Crumlin hit seventh heaven in Summer Cup decider
By Alex Barrett
CRUMLIN United turned in a dominant performance against Usher Celtic to lift the Jimmy Loughran Senior Memorial Cup at the end of the 12-team Crumlin Summer Cup in Pearse Park on Saturday afternoon.
Usher started the game in promising fashion, applying great forward pressure against the home side, but were unable to find the net.
Crumlin United squad (left) and captain James Lee with manager Martin Loughran and the Summer Cup (right).
Stephen Donnelly whipped a long cross in to Wayne Walker on the left wing and he duly won a free kick from which the former found Calvin Douglas, whose shot travelled wide.
However, it was not long before Crumlin began to take control of the game, working neat short passes to maintain possession despite the opposition’s relentless defence.
They went close to opening the scoring when Calvin Rogers fed a long ball into the path of Sam Burgess, but Usher keeper Silvio Vivabid managed to pluck his strike from the air.
Rogers then produced a long delivery to Craig Walsh on the right side, and he managed to steer the ball under Vivabid’s right arm into the left corner for the opening goal of the game.
Walsh was instrumental in the second eight minutes later when he broke on to Gareth Brady’s ball up the line and found the head of Crumlin Captain James Lee, who directed it towards the goal.
Vivabid hit it back, but was unable to catch it, and Lee was there waiting to chip it over him and into the net.
The first half ended 2-0, and the rain that swept in over the break did nothing to dampen Crumlin’s spirits, as they notched up their third goal after the break.
Rogers linked up with the quick-footed Sam Burgess, who ran the ball down the left wing to it slot home under the keeper.
Crumlin’s fourth came just before the 65-minute mark from a free kick awarded after the ball had been handled with Gareth Brady finding the net directly after curling the ball around substitute keeper Karl Lynam.
Alan Mcgreal made it 5-0 when he rifled the ball home from outside the box after which substitute Gingi Aki made it six when finding himself one-on-one with Lynam.
He maintained his composure and coolly chipped it over the netminder’s head before Gareth Brady returned to wrap up the scoring
Crumlin: M. Quinn, C. Rogers, N. Cummins, G. Murphy, D. Fagan, C. Murphy, C. Walsh, C. Lee, S. Burgess, G. Brady, A. McGreal, G. Aki, J. Memory, A. Bennett, E. Efron, C. McDonald, M. O’Connor.
Usher: S. Vivabid, S. Doyle, P. Keane, R. Martin, C. Douglas, B. Fox, A. Grouse, L. Staunton, F. Kennedy, S. Donnelly, W. Walker, E. Douglas, D. McTiernan, G. Jordan, K. Lynam.
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