Leech strikes late for Drogheda

Cork City - 0 Drogheda Utd - 1: If the first challenge facing promoters of a new football tournament is getting the competing clubs to take the thing seriously then the Setanta Cup seems to be progressing rather nicely.

Decent prize money helps, of course, but cash alone doesn't lead to the sort of commitment witnessed on Saturday evening at Tolka Park where Mark Leech's sweetly-finished goal after 102 minutes earned Paul Doolin's side the crown of "Champions of Ireland".

The game may not have been the most aesthetically pleasing affair but it was fast and, as the final whistle sounded, furious too. For the second year in succession some amongst the losers bemoaned the overly physical approach adopted by the victors but City, like Shelbourne before them, had little reason to complain after a fiercely contested final.

True, they had found themselves on the wrong end of a distinctly physical encounter but even their highly agitated manager Damien Richardson had to admit they had passed up a couple of good scoring chances and then conceded a goal due to just the sort of momentary defensive lapse that so often proves decisive on the big occasions.

Danny Murphy, perhaps the best left back in the country over the past 18 months, was the culprit with the 23-year-old surrendering possession towards the end of the first period of extra- time to Keith Fahey.

The former St Patrick's Athletic player made the most of the opportunity, quickly feeding Stephen Bradley who in turn pushed the ball into space for Leech. The young Dubliner did the rest with just the sort of aplomb that would have done his father, former international Mick, proud, taking the ball coolly forward before slotting it past the onrushing Michael Devine into the bottom right hand corner.

Leech joked afterwards: "I'd like to see my name but every time I'm in the paper it's as "son of Mick". Maybe this time it'll just be Mark."

Murphy, meanwhile, may have been taunted by Fahey over what time remained for his role in the goal but there could be no excusing the fact that as the final whistle sounded, he promptly struck his opponent. The television cameras caught both this and Declan O'Brien's retaliation although the linesman seems only to have caught the initial incident. Murphy was dismissed although in the confusion Joe Gamble was actually shown the red card, an error subsequently admitted by referee Dave McKeon.

Richardson was outraged by it all and berated the match official throughout the presentation ceremonies while, a few yards away, Murphy had to be physically restrained by team-mates.

Both George O'Callaghan and Roy O'Donovan went close to scoring early on and had one of them done so this might have been an altogether different contest but Drogheda "hung in there" as Doolin put it, while City were at their best and then began to impose themselves.

"There's no shame in saying they played well," said Doolin, "but they're not the league champions for nothing. What I would say," he added, "is this win is that much sweeter after the way so many people said we were lucky to win the FAI Cup final because Cork just hadn't shown up."

Stephen Bradley, Jason Gavin and Paul Keegan, contributed handsomely to their eighth 1-0 victory in 15 outings this season.

The progress made under Doolin has already convinced those who matter at the club that there is a good deal more to come, with the manager described by one board member as "a miracle worker" on Saturday.

Football is notorious for the speed at which such assessments can be forgotten but for the moment at least, Drogheda's growing familiarity with success may cause as much concern amongst the game's traditional "big boys" as it did delight amongst the club's sizeable travelling support over the week.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Connor; Shelley, Gavin, Gartland, Webb; Robinson, Bradley, Keegan, Keddy; O'Brien, Fitzpatrick. Subs: Leech for Fitzpatrick (73 mins), Fahey for Robinson (84 mins)

CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; O'Donovan, O'Brien, O'Callaghan, Gamble; Fenn, Behan. Subs: Woods for O'Callaghan 57 mins), McCarthy for Behan (100 mins), Softic for O'Brien 103 mins).

Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).