AVONDALE UNITED BECAME just the second team ever to win four successive FAI Intermediate Cups on Sunday, as they beat UCD 3-0 in the final of the competition at Turner’s Cross.
After Avondale wasted some good chances in the opening stages, Ian Stapleton opened the scoring for the Cork side in first-half stoppage time to give them a deserved lead going in at the break.
Eoghan Lougheed’s cross was headed down by Kenny Murphy, towards Stapleton, who made no mistake with his finish.
Both teams had further opportunities to score in the second half, before Avondale eventually did so with 10 minutes remaining, through a consummate Graham McCarthy penalty, after Steve Dillon was sent off for denying man-of-the-match Danny Long a clear goalscoring opportunity in the box.
Long then made it three in injury time, as he converted a Brian Murphy cross to confirm Avondale’s cup triumph, thereby enabling them to become the first side to win four-in-a-row since Distillery in 1942.
AVONDALE UNITED: D O’Leary, B Fitzgerald, E Lougheed, M Mulconry (C), M Horgan, K Caulfield, R Long, B Murphy, I Stapleton, D Long, K Murphy. Subs: G McCarthy for Long (22 mins), G Kelly for Caulfield 33 mins), D Warren for Murphy (82 mins).
UCD AFC: S Coffey, B O’Reilly, N Wright, H Davey, S Dillon Capt., J Timmons, M Whelan, F Moran, C Cannon, T Molloy, M Whelan. Subs: M Arnold for Timmons (67 mins), C Feeney for Whelan (78 mins), J Keohane for Cannon (80 mins)
REFEREE: Pat Murphy.
