Victory for Glens in the Leinster Cup Final
GLENANNE secured the Mills Cup trophy after a hard-fought 3-0 victory against YMCA at Grange Road on St Patrick’s Day.
They club have now won it five times since the trophy’s inception and their first since 2017.
Wearing their traditional green, and buoyed on by their supporters, Glenanne took the lead in the 5th minute, Gary Shaw continuing his purple patch in front of goal.
Shaw pounced on a loose ball inside the circle to calmly slot the ball past YM ‘keeper Jakim Berndsen.
That goal put to bed some of the early nerves that had been obvious to all in attendance prior, with both teams struggling to find rhythm.
After the goal YM settled into the task at hand and tested David Lawless in the Glenanne goal several times, Lawless up to the challenge.
Glenanne finished the quarter with a flurry of penalty corners and Gary Shaw was close to his second of the game- Berndsen getting a lucky touch on a shot that he knew nothing about.
The first quarter ending 1-0 to the men in green.
The second and third quarters flew by with very little action, YM probably with the best of the chances, well saved by Lawless again Three minutes in to the fourth quarter and a goal to the good, a decisive moment in the match arrived.
South African international Tevin Kok won YMCA a penalty corner and YM dragflicker Adam Walker caught it well, the ball and destined for the roof of the net.
Lawless was beaten but his post-man Kevin Venter pulled off a save of the season contender, swiping the ball over the bar.
From the resulting long corner, Sam O’Connor won possession, finding Brad Venter on the left flank and the counterattack was on.
Venter played a neat reverse pass on to O’Connor who carried on his run beating a defender and crossing to the far post for Gary Shaw to tap in for his and the team’s second.
YMCA coach Jason Klinkradt substituted their goalkeeper with ten minutes to go in an attempt to force the numerical overload and find a way back into the match.
However this does leave a team exposed at the back with no goalkeeper and an empty net should the opposition reach the circle.
Glenanne did just that, A quickly taken free hit on the halfway line by O’Connor to Brad Venter on the left flank.
Venter dummied over the ball letting the pass continue to Gary Shaw, taking a defender with him.
Shaw crossed to Jason Rogan who tapped in to an empty net to put the result beyond doubt.
Glens season continues, with a return to league action on Saturday, , travelling to Belfast to face Instonians and return to Dublin Sunday to face off against Monkstown in the Irish Senior Cup Semi-final.
