*Simon Kilker saves Filip Mostowy’s header. Photograph: Joe Buckley
Tulla United’s unprecedented season continued unabated when relievedly advancing to a first ever Clare Cup Final amidst an exceedingly tense finale with Bridge United in Frank Healy Park.
Tulla Utd 4
Bridge Utd 3
Venue: Frank Healy Park, Doora
They may have conceded the opening goal but responded superbly with the next four goals in a 29 minute blitz including a Dan Withycombe hat-trick to soar 4-1 clear only 35 seconds into the new half.
A frustrated Bridge side were understandably shellshocked but despite emptying their bench and going all out attack, they found Tulla goalkeeper Simon Kilker in outstandingly obstinate form and indeed still trailed by that three goal margin coming down the final straight.
Kilker was finally beaten by substitute Witness Odirile in the 78th minute with a second Jack O’Halloran penalty in the final minute of normal time slashing the arrears to just the minimum.
With nine minutes of additional time to come, there was plenty of time for Mark Culbert’s side to remarkably force extra-time but a gritty Tulla held out, with Dara Ryan and Adam Kilker excelling when needed most to cling to their most famous victory.
It was all so different early on as Bridge United justified their favouritism with a blitz of chances before the tenth minute. Jack O’Halloran just headed wide from a Ger Myles cross, Filip Mostowy would see his header somehow kept out by goalkeeper Kilker while Ger Myles couldn’t get enough on the rebound to see it cross the line.
The breakthrough goal did arrive in the 15th minute but it came through a penalty after the ball popped up awkwardly from a Mikey Guerin corner off the arm of Dan Withycombe. Tulla surrounded referee Michael Rock in protest but only because the official didn’t initially whistle and instead the foul was confirmed by linesman Trevor White through microphone rather than waving his flag.
Regardless it was a merited spot kick that Jack O’Halloran struck to the bottom left corner to give Bridge United what seemed a settling goal. Nothing could be further from the truth though as within eight minutes, that score would not only be wiped out but surpassed as Tulla superbly bounced back off the ropes with two goals in as many minutes to take a lead that they would never relinquish for the remaining 83 minutes (which includes additional time in both halves).
In the 21st minute, Tulla looked for their own penalty after Ayoub Aguerram appeared to be pushed over but in the resulting scramble, Dan Withycombe’s deflected effort fortuitously spun over despairing goalkeeper John Mulready for the leveller.
Buoyed by that goal, Tulla would hit the front in style when Eanna Culloo’s cross from the right was powered to the net with a brilliant Daragh Corry diving header at 2-1.
Bridge inevitably hit back but after Scott Kirkland cleared the crossbar with a volley and Filip Mostowy flashed a shot across goal and wide, their closest equalising attempt came in the 40th minute when Liam Buckley’s back post header was sublimely kept out by goalkeeper Kilker.
That save would be magnified even further when having made amends for his earlier penalty concession, Dan Withycombe used his newfound momentum to actually double Tulla’s lead four minutes into injury-time. Wanna Cull had a shot blocked by Lee Mulready but moved the rebound through Ayoub Aguerram to tee up Withycombe for a teasing curling shot from the right edge of the box around captain Mulready and into the left corner of the net at 3-1.
With time to regroup and re-arm, one expected Bridge United to come out in determined mood but their best laid plans were immediately scuppered when Aguerram shielded a corner for Dan Withycombe to blast to the top left corner of the net and complete a 29 minute hat-trick at 4-1.
There would still be plenty of time for a Bridge recovery and they would carve out more than enough chances to do so but bypassing Simon Kilker repeatedly proved an uttering frustrating experience.
Liam Buckley would have a header cleared off the line in the 47th minute, Kilker impressively tipped a Scott Kirkland bullet over the bar at the hour mark while the goalkeeper would also intercept a cross that Ger Myles was eyeing up for a header before also stopping a Witness shot.
Up the other end, talisman Daragh Corry would force a near post save from John Mulready before the Bridge finally grabbed a lifeline in the 78th minute.
Replacement Aidan Moloney was superb in his perseverance before playing a neat one-two with Jack O’Halloran on the right and crossing for Witness Odirile to slide in and just about beat Kilker at 4-2.
That goal inevitably heightened the tension levels as the Bridge piled on the pressure to lay siege on the Tulla goalmouth for the majority of the remaining twenty minutes.
Brian Monaghan’s cross saw fellow substitute Brian Corry rise highest but inadvertently headed off the back of his own man to delfect just over the bar in the 84th minute.
Three minutes later, Kilker’s heroics again saved Tulla as he repelled an Aidan Moloney shot from close range. As the tie entered the final minute of normal time, a Jack O’Halloran cross was parried by the arm of Dara Ryan for a penalty that O’Halloran dispatched with venom to the top right corner at 4-3.
However, that was as good as it got for the Sixmilebridge based side as apart from a Brian Corry volley that just cleared the crossbar, Tulla admirably held out to tee up a unique Clare Cup Final showdown against the roll-of-honour leaders Newmarket Celtic in a month’s time.
Tulla United
20: Simon Kilker;
2: Fiachra Hale
4: Diarmuid Molloy
5: Dara Ryan
3: Adam McNamara
7: Eanna Culloo
6: Adam Kilker
8: Ayoub Aguerram
11: Sean Withycombe
9: Daragh Corry
10: Dan Withycombe
Subs
12: Fionn Ryan for Hale (HT)
16: Callum Casey for S. Withycombe (63)
14: Jashar Aliu for D. Withycombe (66)
17: Eoin Hassett for Corry (71)
18: Jack McSweeney for Aguerram (83, inj)
Bridge United
1: John Mulready
2: Leon Kelly
4: Liam Buckley
5: Alan Mulready
3: Lee Mulready
7: Jack O’Halloran
6: Eric Carr
10: Scott Kirkland
8: Mikey Guerin
11: Filip Mostowy
9: Ger Myles
Subs
16: Luc Fitzpatrick for Kelly (HT)
13: Aidan Moloney for Carr (HT)
14: Brian Monaghan for A. Mulready (53)
15: Witness Odirile for Mostowy (60)
12: Brian Corry for Guerin (66)
Referee: Michael Rock
