Watch: Liffey Wanderers seal Intermediate Cup in dramatic shootout

Liffey Wanderers sealed a first FAI Intermediate Cup title with a nerve-jangling 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over Cobh Wanderers after the sides were locked at 2-2 after extra time.

 

Anthony Gray scored the decisive penalty for the Dublin side after Cobh had twice pegged them back, once in normal time and once in extra time, to force a shootout.

 

Wanderers opened the scoring 19 minutes from the end of normal time as Clayton Maher saw his header bounce back off the crossbar, only to sit up perfectly for him to nod home at the second attempt.

 

Five minutes from the end, Stephen Griffin flicked fellow sub Alan O'Flynn's cross towards goal, forcing a fine save from Philip O'Connor, only for Conor Meade to arrive at the back post to level the scores.

 

Liffeys again took the lead four minutes into extra time as Aidan Roche capitalised on a slip from Brian Fitzgerald and turned two defenders in the box before slotting the ball past Michael Devine.

 



Yet again, Cobh came back and in the final minute Fitzgerald atoned for his earlier error, helping a long throw into the path of Meade, who finished from a tight angle to force a shootout.

 

As a further dramatic twist, Meade had already been booked and, after ripping off his shirt in celebration, the Cobh striker was shown a second yellow card and unable to take part in the shootout.

 

Cobh's Ian Stapleton and Liffey's Conor Riddick missed their penalties as it went to sudden death with the scores at 4-4 and, after Michael O'Shea saw his kick saved by O'Connor, Gray stepped up to seal the cup.

 



Read Alex Dunne's match report live at the Aviva Stadium here.

 

Watch the full match highlights below via FAI TV.