Avondale United relegated from MSL Premier Division with play-off defeat to Blarney
Avondale will be playing their football in the First Division next season. Picture: Larry Cummins
Avondale United’s time in the Munster Senior League Premier Division is over after a 2-1 play-off defeat to Blarney United in a tense promotion/relegation play-off at Ringmahon Park.
One of the most successful clubs in Ireland will play First Division football for the 2026-27 season, with first half goals from Lee Kelly-Obi and Craig Walsh the difference.
Eoin Redmond did pull one back to set up a frantic finish, where Blarney held out.
The result brings an end to a lucrative time for Avondale that included seven FAI Intermediate Cups, five Premier Division titles, and a run to the quarter finals of the FAI Cup proper between 2004 and 2019.
Blarney showed no fear and scored inside two minutes with Kelly-Obi lobbing Sean Barron.
The club continued to attack despite their small cushion, with their next advance down the left wing involving Oliver Keane setting up Dylan O'Sullivan and the forward hitting the crossbar.
O'Sullivan followed that up with a weaving run into the box that was met with a crunching challenge from David O'Leary, with the throw in leading to a free kick that came to nothing.
The Dale went long in response and won a free-kick of their own, a set-piece that was kicked harmlessly into the hands of Ben Maher by O'Leary.
Blarney went on to get a second in the final seconds before the break with Walsh slotting in after getting around Barron.
Avondale reacted to the deficit by bringing on Jack Clarke and Jake O'Callaghan, and moving O'Leary up the pitch into midfield. This brought a new sense of energy that came together when Eoin Redmond turned in a corner in the 52nd minute.
Clarke thought he got the equaliser after running in from behind, only to see his effort pushed out for a corner by Maher. The set-piece was knocked down and scrambled off the goal-line, with shots that the ball had gone over in the 57th minute.
It looked like their moment came with a through ball from McKevitt to Darragh Mulchinock inside the penalty area, but his shot went high and over the bar.
Blarney headed away everything sent into the box late on, as their time in the Premier Division ran out.
B Maher; C Connolly (C Walsh 81), O Keane, S McCarthy (S Dineen 77), L O'Sullivan, M O'Mahony, R Bradburn, S Connolly, D O'Sullivan (O O'Brien 60), C Walsh (M Murray 90), L Kelly-Obi.
S Barron; E Kadi-Harrington (D Kiely 68), S O'Driscoll, D O'Leary, J O'Sullivan, A Cannon (J Clarke HT), D Mulchinock, R Tobin (J O'Callaghan HT), M McKevitt, E Redmond, J Forrest.
Raymond Murphy.
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