Manning brace inspires Johnstown to cup glory

Johnstown......3

Trim Celtic ......2

CHALLENGE CUP FINAL

Beside the Johnstown dugout in Sullivan & Lambe Park Drogheda on Saturday stood a giant photograph of Christy Kavanagh.

It was there to serve as a reminder, not that they needed one, to those involved with the Navan club of their motivation, their drive to maintain winning ways.

Christy Kavanagh was Johnstown's manager until he suddenly passed away on the 3rd May this year. His passing left a huge hole in the club, but his spirit, drive and determination shone through HIS team in this remarkable NEFL Challenge Cup win over four-in-a-row chasing Trim Celtic.

Johnstown were in a good place when Christy passed. They have made huge strides since their inception in 2004 and off the back of winning Div 1 and securing promotion to the Premier Division for the first time they went into Saturday's final on the crest of a wave and with underlying motivation.

That hunger was obvious from the start. Even in their journey to get to the final Johnstown needed Christy to smile down on them as they overcame four Premier Division sides, including recovering from 0-2 at half-time against Carrick Rovers to win in extra-time and then overturning another deficit to see off Quay Celtic in the last 16.

Saturday presented their most formidable challenge yet and again Christy smiled down on them, but they also worked extremely hard for the win and were fully deserving of their success as Trim huffed and puffed, but struggled to breakdown the determined Johnstown defence.

Lady Luck, prompted by Christy Kavanagh, shone down on Johnstown in a key spell in the early stages of the second-half.

Trailing 1-2 at the break Trim Celtic had legitimate claims for a second penalty when Aaron Williams was hauled down by Daragh Keegan, but referee David Hughes waved away the appeals for the spot kick.

Four minutes later the referee deemed Eoin O'Connor's obvious foul on the threatening Lee Duffy to be inside the box, but the offence did appear to take place well outside the area.

Duffy made no mistake from the spot, so instead of being pegged back to 2-2 Johnstown found themselves in a great position with a 3-1 lead, albeit with 40 minutes, plus injury-time remaining.

Trim Celtic did manage to pull a goal back through substitute Brian Faulkner in the 77th minute, but Johnstown's rock solid defence held tight.

It was a thrilling final, end-to-end, with crunching tackles, great saves, missed chances, outstanding play and played in front of a vociferous support, made up mainly of those in red and white which added to the great occasion.

Trim Celtic created the first meaningful chance after just four minutes when Conor Walsh's floated free just missed the toe of Williams and was gathered by Keegan.

Walsh went into the referee's book a minute later for a meaty challenge which set the tone for the remainder.

Duffy was denied by Trim netmider Conor Gilsenan at his near post and Sean Manning blasted a volley over the Trim Celtic bar after Denis Kinlan's fine cross.

James Goggins almost caught Keegan off his line with a long clearance that had the Johnstown 'keeper scrambling to tip out for a corner which came to nothing.

Then came the opening goal. Duffy set Liam Herbert down the right and he stood up a clever ball to the back post where Manning had the handiest task of nodding to the net from less than a yard to give Johnstown the lead.

Four minutes later Johnstown produced a near identical move, this timn with Duffy passing across the face of the goal for Manning to tap in from close range to make it 2-0.

Ninty seconds later Trim Celtic were gifted a way back when Williams was harshly deemed to have been fouled. Adam Fox's initial spot kick was brilliantly saved by Keegan down to his right, but the linesman deemed the 'keeper to have been off his line and Fox made no mistake from the retake as he blasted down the middle.

Sean Fitzgerald cleared the danger as Johnstown threatened again before the break, but the Navan side had to settle for a one goal half-time lead.

Then came all the drama of the opening five minutes of the second period.

Jack O'Keeffe had a shot deflected for a corner which came to nothing inside 30 seconds and then a minute later Keegan got away with hauling down Williams after O'Keeffe's clever ball.

Keegan made a stunning save three minutes later to deny Fox and from Johnstown's next attack Duffy was fouled and the referee awarded a penalty which the former Drogheda United man converted himself to make it 3-1.

Colm Carney's first touch after being introduced as a substitute saw a tame effort easily cleared off the line by Manning, but there was a frantic finish when Brian Faulkner halved the deficit with a good finish after a great pass from O'Keeffe.

Trim piled on the pressure, but with the spirit of Christy Kavanagh as their 12th man and the support of their fans almost like a 13th man Johnstown held on to claim their first ever Challenge Cup in fine style.

Johnstown - Daragh Keegan; Byron Farrell, Christian Dooley, Kam Rudzik, Sean Challenger, Lee Fahy, Denis Kinlan, Lee Duffy, Lee Kelly, Liam Herbert, Sean Manning. Subs - Luke Duffy for Kinlan 55m, Andy O'Brien for Manning, Conor Smyth for Challenger both 59m, Jan Wesolowski for Kelly 87m.

Trim Celtic - Conor Gilsenan; Ciaran O' Connell, James Goggins, Eoin O'Connor, Sean Fitzgerald, Conor Walsh, Aaron Williams, Dean Courtney, Jack O'Keeffe, Gary Gibney, Adam Fox. Subs - Sam Murray for Courtney half-time, Colm Carney for Williams 56m, Callum Ennis for Walsh 58m, Brian Faulkner for Fox 73m, Jake Murray for Fitzgerald 92m.

Referee - David Hughes; assistant 1 - Gary Doyle; assistant 2 - Eamonn Philips; fourth official - Simon Halpenny.

Read the report, reaction and more photos in Tuesday's Meath chronicle.