Cork City will need to find space for another national trophy after winning the inaugural Irish Amputee Football Association National League following a final day victory over Bohemians. The Leesiders showed great determination to overcome Bohemians
Cork City will need to find space for another national trophy after winning the inaugural Irish Amputee Football Association National League following a final day victory over Bohemians.
The Leesiders showed great determination to overcome Bohemians with a 2-1 triumph on Saturday afternoon in what was the final round of games in a thrilling first season.
The first game of the day saw Shamrock Rovers beat Bohemians 3-2, before Rovers then overcame Cork 3-0. Although the final contest was the all-important one as Cork edged past Bohemians at Ballymun United's complex in Dublin.
Rovers had been in great form in recent rounds and they finished their season in style with the two victories. With the likes of Simon Baker and Chris McElligott leading by example, The Hoops ended on a high and can reflect on a positive first year, which saw them lift the Manorfield Cup in July.
Lady Luck didn't smile down on Bohemians as they came up short in both of their final games, but Garry Hoey and his team-mates will be upbeat about they performed over the course of the season, which started by lifting the Senior Cup in January.
However, the final day plaudits were reserved for Cork City, who have been terrific throughout the season with the likes of Sean Og Murphy, Ruairi Murphy, Kevin Cahillane, Patrick Hickey, Abdi Ahmed, Martin Enright, David Saunders, Fergal Duffy and Owen Corkery making valuable contributions.
While Ronan Collins was a big influence on the team, a huge amount of credit should go to Chris McDermott, who has been a real driving force as a coach but also does fantastic work promoting amputee football and making a difference in his role with the More Than A Club project.
There is little doubt that this first season of the National League was a success, but it can only improve and that is exactly what the three clubs will be aiming for next campaign. For now though, it is Cork City who deserve to celebrate.
