Shelbourne Lift The Cup!!

The Football Sack's first ever adopted club, Shelbourne FC have overnight claimed Irelands oldest footballing competition... The Leinster Cup!! A comprehensive 4-0 win over Bray Wanderers has been wrapped up in the following report by Niall Farrell of http://www.extratime.ie

Photo Credit: Conn McAlevey

Shelbourne claimed their nineteenth Leinster Senior Cup title with a convincing 4-0 win over Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds.

Dinny Corcoran, David Cassidy, Mark Hughes and Mark Leech scored the goals that made the Reds 2010 champions of the recently-revived competition.

Shels almost completely dominated the match, restricting Bray to no more than a handful of chances.

On three minutes Corcoran could have put the away side one up after Ray Scully crossed the ball in to the Sporting Fingal loanee, who headed just wide.

Corcoran again went close three minutes later, but the ball was cleared off the line after he beat Bray ‘keeper Brian Kane.

It took Bray nearly ten minutes to register a real chance, and even then it was through a free-kick which drifted harmlessly wide.

After twenty minutes Daire Doyle could have scored for the Seagulls but Dean Delany came out to snuff out the danger following a Chris Shields flick-on.

Delany was again the saviour for Shels minutes later, after a Shels attack let John Mulroy in on his own on the counter. The Shels ‘keeper rushed out and hoofed the ball clear before Mulroy could get hold of it though.

Daire Doyle had Bray’s best chance of the match after thirty-four minutes, shooting wide from right in front of goal.

Just as it looked like Bray might begin to dominate, Shels struck with their first goal.

Four minutes before half-time Mark Hughes crossed for Dinny Corcoran, who scored with a deft finish past Brian Kane.

The goal sent Shelbourne in at the break in a commanding position, and one on which they built a tremendous second-half performance.

If Bray only had a handful of chances in the first half, in the second half they barely had any.

Dean Delany had to fist away a Dane Massey corner on fifty-five minutes, but that was about as close to danger Shels got for a while.

On fifty-seven minutes, Bray’s search for an equaliser cost them as Shels scored on the break.

Ray Scully beat two defenders and passed superbly for David Cassidy. Cassidy spotted Brian Kane off his line and lobbed expertly into the empty net.

From then on, a sea of Shels attacks battered a helpless Bray. Sean Byrne tried to emulate Cassidy by lobbing Kane minutes later, but his attempt landed just wide of the goal.

On seventy-three minutes, Mark Hughes scored again to make the win certain. Cassidy turned provider for this goal- playing Hughes in to slide the ball past Kane.

Shels weren’t content with three goals though, and it seemed a matter of time until goal number four.

Mark Leech was the scorer on eighty-two minutes, after captain David McGill whipped in a cross for Leech to head in to the goal.

Bray did try to get a consolation goal in the remaining minutes, but it was always Shels’ day.

Shelbourne can now add the 2010 trophy to their long history in the competition- their first win was in 1900.

The win completes a remarkable turnaround for Alan Mathews’ side, after they lost 4-0 in the First Division to Limerick just three days ago.