Corinthians lift Railway Cup to secure season double

Close-range Sean Doyle header the difference in close encounter

A close-range header from Sean Doyle was enough to see Corinthians secure a cup double this season as they beat Peel 1-0 in the Dixcart Railway Cup final this evening (13 May).

Doyle netted the only goal of the contest on 63 minutes after he nodded home from five yards from a long Chris Cannell throw from the left.

Despite a strong push, opponents Peel spurned several big chances in the second period to get level in a game where both teams finished the match with ten men after a late bust-up between the sides towards the end of the second half.

The victory for Corinthians means it’s their second piece of silverware this campaign after they won the Ecap FA Cup, also against Peel, earlier in the season.

Premier League champions, Peel, came into tonight’s contest hoping to avenge their FA Cup loss to Corinthians a few months ago, but it was the Douglas-based side who began applying the pressure early in the first half.

Peel goalkeeper, Ryan Tate, produced a smart save low to his right to deny Doyle from 15 yards after ten minutes before foiling the Corinthians striker a few minutes later, pushing a looping Doyle header around his right post.

The Westerners then began to grow into the game and their biggest chance of the first half came on 34 minutes when a Lee Gale cross from the middle of the park fell to Jacob Robertshaw on the right who fizzed a low half-volley from 12 yards which was halted by the boot of Corinthians stopper, Adam Killey.

After a goalless first period, Peel started the second half the brighter, but were nearly caught out nine minutes in when Corinthians man, Daniel Gerrard, attempted an audacious free-kick effort from the halfway line which just sailed over the crossbar of the back-peddling Tate.

The breakthrough then arrived nine minutes after when a Chris Cannell long throw from the left was flicked on in the Peel six-yard box by Corinthians forward, Jay Chatwood, from six yards to his strike partner Doyle who, from point-blank, nodded past Tate into the keeper’s top right corner.

The league champions then pushed for a response, and Peel midfielder, Tomas Brown slipped and scuffed a shot from ten yards out just moments later before Killey produced an important stop to deny a Lee Gale lob from the edge of the Corinthians box in the 69th minute.

As time ebbed away, tensions flared in the 93rd minute as a late challenge from Corinthians’ Kane Ridings sparked a melee between the teams, resulting in referee, Matty Shaw, producing red cards for Peel’s Aaron Costain and Corinthians’ Chris Cannell.

A last-gasp chance for Peel in the 97th minute saw captain, Matty Woods, loop a header from six yards agonisingly over the bar as Corinthians held out to secure a cup double this season.

Man of the Match: Ryan Tate (Peel)