Cooney inspires Corden Cup success as All-Ireland semi beckons
Andrew Corden Cup (Under-20 Football) final
Westmeath 3-9 Longford 2-11
Three goals from team captain Brían Cooney was enough to edge the Westmeath U20 footballers past Longford in an entertaining Andrew Corden Cup final, in pleasant conditions at TEG Cusack Park last Tuesday night.
It was a superb hat-trick from Coralstown/Kinnegad player Coooney, with three points thrown in for good measure from the student of TUS Midlands in Athlone.
Afterwards, Pat Lynagh, on behalf of the Leinster GAA Council, and Fiona Scully, a sister of the late Andrew Corden, presented the cup to a very worthy recipient in Cooney.
The Lake County hasn’t always had a plentiful supply of silverware in either code. Accordingly, every little bit helps, and Damien Gavin’s charges are to be commended on putting their two Leinster ‘proper’ defeats behind them to garner a worthwhile consolation prize. Indeed, an All-Ireland ‘B’ semi-final now beckons against Limerick next Saturday.
FBD Semple Stadium, Thurles has been confirmed as the venue for Westmeath's clash with Limerick on Saturday (throw-in 1pm). The other All-Ireland ‘B’ semi-final will be contested by Mayo and Down at Kingspan Breffni Park, also on Saturday at the same time.
Scorers – Westmeath: B Cooney 3-3 (0-1f), R Cole 0-2, D Lowry, J Duncan, R Murray, S Hanley 0-1 each. Longford: Michael Flynn 1-2, P Moran, M Carey (3f) 0-3 each, J Kelly 1-0, E Williams 0-2, J Brady Hynes 0-1 (f).
Westmeath: Stephen McNevin; Adam Keane, Cormac Monaghan, Seánaí Bracken; Daragh Lowry, Jason Macken, Liam Daly; Tadhg Baker, Shane Ormsby; Jack Duncan, Brían Cooney, Eoin Bracken; Rory Cole, Shane Hanley, Ronan Murray. Subs used: Shane Corcoran for Murray (h-t), Matthew Thornton for Cole (49 mins), Tiarnán O’Donovan for E Bracken (50), Darragh Hall for Baker (inj., 55).
Longford: Oisín McManus; Conor Smith, Ruairí O’Toole, Eoghan Williams; Gavin Farrelly, Andrew Flynn, Jonathan Burke; Oisín Flynn, Caolan Lynch; Paddy Moran, Matthew Carey, Ross Shields; Michael Flynn, Jamie Brady Hynes, Brian Mulvey. Subs used: Jack Belton for O Flynn (h-t), Padraig Boyle for Mulvey (39 mins), Matthew Flynn for A Flynn (41), Josh Kelly for Brady Hynes (48).
Referee: Colm McCullough (Louth).
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