Trim Celtic celebrate more cup glory

Sam Murray stooped low to produce a superb diving header in the closing seconds of extra-time and propel Trim Celtic to their third successive Challenge Cup with victory over Rock Celtic at Weavers Park Drogheda on Saturday.

Murray's late, late contribution was a fitting conclusion to a thrilling game that produced three goals of the highest quality, multiple meaty challenges, a couple of goal line clearances and several missed opportunities.

Two of those magnificent goals were scored by Rock Celtic's Mark Leavy and Paddy O'Connell, but Trim had their homework done with their excellence from set-pieces keeping them in the game before Murray came up with the late winner.

That winning goal sparked some ugly scenes as some players and officials on the Rock bench took exception to Trim's late celebrations and a scuffle broke out while left Anthony Burke, who supplied the cross for the winning goal floored and forced off.

Those late scenes were out of context with the rest of the game which was played at a high intensity with no quarters asked or given and when the challenges threatened to get out of order referee Conor Byrne kept a firm hold on proceedings.

After a cagey opening 10 minutes it was Trim who created the first real opportunity with Jack O'Keeffe firing just wide in the 11th minute.

Six minutes later a brilliant diagonal ball from Adam Fox pick out O'Keeffe on the left, but he shot into the side netting with Dean Courtney better placed inside.

After those let offs it was Rock who took the lead with a stunning 30 yard strike from Leavy that left Trim goalkeeper Conor Gilsenan rooted to the spot.

Four minutes later Rock were gifted an opportunity to double their lead and leave Trim with a near impossible mountain to climb when Niall Lennon was fouled by Trim's Mark Leavy.

However Gilsenan produced a magnificent one handed save down low to his left to keep out O'Connell's spot kick and maintain Trim's hopes.

Rock continued to dominate in that spell and went close again with Gilsenan forced to swot away another goalbound O'Connell effort, while Gary Clarke, whose on-running battle with Ciaran O'Connell was one of the highlights of the game, had a decent effort deflected away for a corner which came to nothing.

O'Keeffe thought he had drawn Trim level in the 32nd minute, but his shot was cleared off the line by the excellent Sean Gartlan, but two minutes later the Hoops were level.

Courtney's floated free kick was met by the head of Paddy Brophy who thundered his effort off the crossbar. However Brophy was quickest to react to the loose ball and fired to the net from close range to make it 1-1.

Then in first-half injury-time Trim hit the front when another excellent delivery from Courtney was misjudged by Rock goalkeeper Davy Hayes and he dropped the ball to the net to ensure a 2-1 interval advantage for the three-in-a-row chasing Trim men.

Rock almost got back on level terms five minutes after the restart after Gilsenan lost his footing when coming to gather a long ball, but Josh Todd couldn't steer the loose ball goalwards.

Both sides had chances with Trim's defence standing strong, while Hayes made a magnificent save to deny Ger Murray from a corner.

Then, out of nowhere, Rock drew level with O'Connell curling a brilliant strike from 25 yards out on the left into the top right corner to make it 2-2 on the hour mark.

A lapse in concentration at the back gifted Lennon a chance to edge Rock ahead, but Gilsenan saved well with his feet.

Substitute Brian Faulkner thought he won it for Trim in the sixth minute of injury time with a superb effort from the edge of the box, but Hayes made an equally brilliant save to ensure extra-time.

With bodies falling left, right and centre Trim made better use of their bench and it was Faulkner who was denied by a second goal-line clearance from Gartlan.

With the game destined for penalties it was two more subs who combined, with Burke digging out a brilliant cross from the left which Sam Murray met perfectly to spark wild scenes and complete the second leg of what Trim Celtic will hope can be a Kilmessan Shield, Challenge Cup Premier Division treble.

Trim Celtic - Conor Gilsenan; Mark Leavy, Gerard Murray, Paddy Brophy, James Goggins; Dean Courtney, Ciaran O'Connell, Adam Fox, Conor Walsh, Jack O'Keeffe; Aaron Williams. Subs - Sam Murray for O'Keeffe, Brian Faulkner for Fox both 64m, Jake Murray for Courtney, Anthony Burke for Williams both 72m, Sean Fitzgerald for Burke 109m

Rock Celtic - Davy Hayes; Sean Hand, Rian Hand, Jack McKenna, Sean Garlan; Josh Todd, Mark Leavy, Ronan Sands, Niall Lennon; Gary Clarke; Paddy O'Connell. Subs - Liam McDonnell for Todd 59m, Brendan Rogers for S Hand 79m, Ben Kapinga for Clarke 92m, Sammy Okeke for Lennon 96m,

Referee - Conor Byrne; assistant referees - Jason Sheerin, Peter Burns; fourth official - Martin Conway.