Black double fires Bonagee to USL League Cup glory against Cockhill

Conor Black scored twice as Bonagee United defeated Cockhill Celtic at Maginn Park to land their fourth USL League Cup crown.

Bonagee United 4 Cockhill Celtic 3

Deano Larkin and Tony McNamee were also on target on a golden afternoon by the Dry Arch Park side. 

Black and Larkin scored in the first half while McNamee struck from a penalty in the early moments of the second half. If a Lee McColgan penalty served as a threat of a Cockhill comeback, Black quashed those hopes just before the hour.

Eleven minutes from the end, Corey McBride reignited Cockhill’s chances when his deflected effort dropped into the far corner. They got closer still when, with five minutes of injury time played, Jimmy Bradley finished from close range. Until those late moments, it had looked like being a fairly comfortable afternoon for Jason Gibson’s men.

The future of the Ulster Senior League remains shrouded in question marks but if this is to be Bonagee United’s swan song at the intermediate grade then it was a fine way to exit. For Gibson, it was a sixth piece of silverware since his arrival to the club in 2018.

Bonagee bagged the opening goal after just nine minutes. With the Cockhill rearguard not dealing with a ball into the area, Black stole in between Peter Doherty and Oisin McColgan to finish from close range.

Six minutes later, Larkin managed to find himself free, but Houghton was out to thwart.

That came after Cockhill fired an early warning shot across the brows of the holders. Corey McBride was taken down on the edge of the Bonagee penalty area and, after his own free kick came back off the wall, McColgan’s follow-up deflected wide.

Black had the ball in the net a second time, finishing after a throw-out by Houghton cannoned off the back of Tony McNamee. Referee Terence Moyne, however, deemed McNamee to have infringed and awarded Houghton a free.

In the absence of regular goalkeeper Harry Doherty, who is on holiday, Houghton came in between the sticks for Cockhill, who were also short of the services of Adam McCarron and Adam McLaughlin.

In the 39th minute, Black was on the end of a Bonagee move but, after beating Peter Doherty to a McNamee pass, his shot was too close to Houghton.

A minute later, Black turned provider Bonagee as doubled the lead. Michael Funston drove forward to feed Black on the right-hand side and his cross was superbly flicked beyond Houghton and in off the crossbar.

Bonagee had a massive let-off in stoppage time at the end of the first period when Stephen Duffy was unable to hit the target as he pounced when Bonagee ‘keeper Oisin Cannon allowed a cross to slip.

Two minutes into the second half, McNamee dusted himself down after being taken down by Bradley to convert a third from the penalty spot.

Within three minutes, Cockhill - whose suspended manager Gavin Cullen had to watch from the terrace - pulled a goal back as Republic of Ireland amateur international McColgan slammed home from a penalty when Bradley was fouled just inside the area.

The on-fire Black netted when he latched onto a long clearance by Cannon and prodded past the advancing Houghton.

The nifty McBride kept the big attendance in situ for the final furlong, but Bonagee were able to close it out, with Cannon saving from Garbhan Friel - who played with the aid of a skull cap to protect a head injury - deep into added time. With the clock ticking rapidly to its conclusion, Bradley did make Bonagee sweat when he fired in after Cannon saved Peter Doherty’s head

Cockhill have the Ulster Senior Cup final on Saturday against Greencastle while they have games to come against Derry City Reserves and Finn Harps Under-21s as they look to secure a tenth USL League title.

Friel was given a straight red card as tempers frayed after the final whistle.

Bonagee United: Oisin Cannon; Jack Parke, Gareth Breslin, Stephen Black, Jamie Lynagh; Gareth Harkin, Dan O’Donnell (Sean Hume 83); Michael Funston (Daragh Ellison 72), Deano Larkin (Peter Carr 90+3), Conor Black (Dean O’Donnell 63); Tony McNamee.

Cockhill Celtic: Daniel Houghton; Peter Doherty, Oisin McColgan, Lee McColgan; Lee McLaughlin, Daniel Doherty (Keegan Hegarty 68), Jimmy Bradley, Fionn McClure (Christy McLaughlin h-t); Corey McBride; Stephen Duffy, Garbhan Friel.

Referee: Terence Moyne.