THE saying “good things come in threes” was in full effect in Corduff Park last Sunday as three goals in three second half-minutes well and truly sealed Corduff FC’s Under-16s place in the SFAI Barry Cup quarter finals.
Avenue Utd travelled from Ennis, Clare to take on the Blanchardstown side and were very much involved in what was a cracking cup tie until a three minute salvo delivered a hammer blow to the Clare side.
The north Dublin hosts opened the scoring brilliantly through David Gilshenan but were barely finished celebrating when Avenue responded with a well worked goal of their own.
Both sides seemed desperate to gain an upper hand in the tie and it was Gilshenan who provided it again with another fabulous strike to put Corduff back in front at the break. The second half was similar to the first with Corduff controlling the game for the most part, while Avenue looked more dangerous from set pieces.
Everything changed with 15 minutes left on the clock however when the trio of Connor Cummins, Yassine En-Neyah and Paul Kelehan scored three in three minutes, leaving the travelling Clare side deflated.
Coaches Steve Morley and Steve Gilshenan ensured their Duff side maintained enough concentration to wind down the clock and seal their place in the last eight of the All-Ireland.
Indeed, the weekend saw two Corduff sides reach SFAI quarter final stages as their Under-13 team booked their place the previous day with a 2-1 win at Cabinteely with goals from Bowan Lawal and Tony Kamara grabbing the win for Chris Richardson’s side.
Speaking after his young side’s win, he said: “We’ve had a great couple of seasons and the kids are a credit to their families and the community.
“If they keep working hard they could have a remarkable season and a bright future in the game.
“Of the 17 squad members, 11 have represented the NDSL squad. I think that shows the quality and ability the lads have. It’s a pleasure working with them.”
Under-16s boss Steve Morley also spoke of his delight for not just his players, but for the club in general after such achievements.
“From my point of view, I would just like to say that it was a great weekend for the club,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic achievement for both teams and credit to the players who are putting not only Corduff, but Dublin 15 football on the map.”
