JORDANSTOWN won the Collingwood Cup in Cork yesterday after a penalty shoot-out decided an absorbing and dramatic final.
While Jordanstown retained the trophy, they would be the first to admit they were fortunate to succeed after UCC had recovered from a slow start to dominate most of the game.
Jordanstown looked bright and breezy early on and were not flattered to lead after 14 minutes when David Patton headed in from close range following a well placed free from Paul Darby.
Cork took a stranglehold on the match after half-time and with Jamie Lennon in sparkling form in midfield, they looked the more likely team to prevail. They lost several chances of equalising, however, and seemed destined to be denied when substitute Eddie Kenny had the ball in the net five minutes from time only to be pulled back for off-side.
Still, Cork persisted and they were rewarded when Kenny again struck to turn a pass from Paul Byrd over the goal-line with what was literally the last touch of the game.
Jordanstown's goalkeeper, Michael Nash, saved his side in extra time with excellent stops from Kenny and from Byrd and when the extra 30 minutes failed to produce another goal, it was down to penalties.
Lennon missed Cork's second spot kick and Patton had his shot from Jordanstown's third saved by goalkeeper Eddie Carey. When Tony Harris missed again for, Cork with their fifth penalty, Darby, who played excellently, throughout the afternoon, put away the winner for the Ulstermen.