Cockhill Celtic become the first Donegal side to win the Tom Hand trophy

Cockhill Celtic secured the FAI Tom Hand Trophy on Saturday afternoon with a thrilling win on penalties over FAI Intermediate Cup champions Glebe North.

Facing a 2-0 deficit with just five minutes left on the clock, Cockhill made an extraordinary comeback with two late goals and flawless penalty kicks, sealing a memorable victory for the Inishowen side.

Glebe North started strongly, taking the lead in the fifth minute when Simic's shot found the back of the net. They nearly doubled their advantage shortly after, but Harry Doherty's excellent save denied Hamzat.

Cockhill gradually found their rhythm, dominating possession for much of the first half, though they struggled to create clear-cut chances. Their best opportunity to equalise came just before half-time when Damien Duffy found space on the edge of the box, but his heavy touch pushed him wide, and his shot was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper.

The second half saw Cockhill come out aggressively, and they nearly levelled the score when Luke Rudden's shot was blocked. Glebe remained dangerous, and once again, Cockhill were indebted to Doherty for another superb reaction save.

Not long after, Cockhill were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area, though they might have preferred the advantage after Duffy had fired home. Rudden’s subsequent free kick was deflected wide.

Glebe extended their lead to 2-0 in the 69th minute when McCann’s free kick from the right was met by Simic, who powerfully headed home for his second goal.

Undeterred, Cockhill fought back, and Garbhan Friel came close to scoring from a Fionn McClure cross, only to see his header narrowly miss the target. They finally reduced the deficit in the 86th minute when Jay Bradley was brought down in the box, and Friel calmly converted the penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way.

Energised by this, Cockhill pushed for an equaliser, which they found in the 89th minute after sustained pressure. McClure delivered a perfect cross that bypassed the Glebe defence and goalkeeper, allowing Bradley to head in at the far post.

With the match level after 90 minutes, the outcome was decided by penalties. Glebe North took the first shot, and the first eight penalties were successfully converted, bringing the score to 4-4. Cockhill’s scorers were Conor Graham, Luke Rudden, Jay Bradley, and Stephen Duffy.

The turning point came when Doherty made a brilliant save, diving low to his right to stop Glebe’s fifth penalty. This left Friel with the chance to secure the trophy, which he did with composure, slotting the ball past Kiernan to bring the Tom Hand Trophy to Donegal for the first time.