Hurling clan celebrates superb win
WICKLOW 3-18 KILDARE 2-19
SHE was some game of hurling! You could nearly read that last line and head on about your business without reading any of the match details and you’d have enough in those six words. She was some game of hurling.
That Wicklow were the team still standing after the thrilling 70 minutes of action speaks volumes about the character and courage of this hurling team. That they were the victors having faced into a petulant wind for the second half speaks of the bottle in these players and to the unity and belief within the camp.
The jubilation that greeted the final whistle in Newbridge was a sight to behold. First on to the field from the sideline was Michael Neary who jumped about like a young child having discovered that dream present from Santa Claus on Christmas morning. Ronan Keddy was first to be wrapped up in the Wicklow Senior hurling coach’s arms and they were joined by an ecstatic Christy Moorehouse.
Seamus Murphy was hopping about like a young rabbit having thwarted the fox’s efforts at gobbling him up and the Rathnure man had hugs aplenty with Jackie Napier and Dr. Brendan Cuddihy on the receiving end of two of them.
It wasn’t reckless celebration either before the doomsday prophets start cautioning about not getting carried away with themselves. It was more of a release for the united bunch of players, substitutes, management and backroom staff after a superb battle against a decent Kildare side with plenty of talent littered all over the field.
You have to remember that Wicklow hurling is very much like a family situation. On dark days in January, February and March of every year the same loyal followers will travel the roads of Ireland to support this team. And they’ve seen the bad times. They know the lows. So the highs are very much appreciated and that’s why there were mothers and fathers and friends offering deserved slaps on the backs and celebratory hugs to this band of warriors. They know what it takes for these lads to get to this stage of the Christy Ring Cup. And it’s a pleasure to be able to witness it.
And Wicklow hurling is a sound family as well. It has to be because Casey O’Brien and John Mitchell were on the field of play seconds after the final whistle to applaud their former charges and to share in the joy of victory. You don’t get that everywhere you go.
But crikey it was tense stuff for a while. A magic start had Wicklow out to a 0-07 to 0-02 lead after 14 minutes with the most worrying sign being a hand injury picked up by John Henderson. The Bray man left the field but he returned until the 33rd minute where he was replaced for good by Luke Maloney.
Kildare’s sharpshooter David Reidy was ablaze on the day and within 10 minutes of that 0-07 to 0-02 lead being recorded Kildare were level at 0-08 apiece. Add to that the fact that Eoghan O’Mahony had pulled off a wonderful save from Mark Delaney after an uncharacteristic error from Stephen Kelly and it was clear that this wasn’t going to be easy.
Danny Staunton got Wicklow up and running with a sublime effort after 20 seconds. Andy O’Brien got the first taste of the tight marking that was to haunt him all day from Niall Ó Muineacháin in the lead up to that score when he was by a Diarmuid Masterson ball and was soon surrounded by three white shirts. The Pat’s man still managed to pass the ball out to Staunton who swung over a majestic score to get the ball rolling.
John Henderson was fouled inside his own half in the next passage of play and Christy Moorehouse dropped over a giant of a score with the wind at his back and that was followed by a peach from Andy O’Brien after he was picked out by a cross-field ball from George O’Brien.
Kildare attacked and they were helped by uncertainty in the Wicklow midfield but John Mulhall’s effort drifted wide of Eoghan O’Mahony’s upright.
Eoin McCormack, Christy from a 65 and play and a wicked Diarmuid Masterson effort were polluted by Brian Byrne’s opener for Kildare and then Reidy clocked his first of the day quickly followed by his second to make it 0-07 to 0-03 for Wicklow.
And then Andy struck. A long ball landed in the Kildare square and there was Andy to flick it home to the back of Paul Dermody’s net.
John Henderson left the field shortly after O’Brien’s major and Reidy made it a one-point game at 1-08 to 0-10 with 24 minutes gone.
But just as they had started strongly so Wicklow finished, with two points, one screamer on the run from Danny Staunton and the other from a Christy Moorehouse free to send Wicklow in with a 1-10 to 0-10 lead with the prospect of the wind in their faces and the absence of John Henderson to come for the second half.
Padraig Doyle replaced Peter Keane at half-time and Danny Staunton moved to midfield and it’s from here that Danny does his best work. His ability to read the game, his distribution, his intelligence all benefit from that little bit of freedom around the middle.
A Ronan Keddy point was sandwiched between points from Brian Byrne and Reidy before two from Jack Sheridan had us level. A Moorehouse free was answered by Reidy from play and then Kildare surged ahead thanks to a Reidy free and Paul Divilly from play.
Seamus Murphy sprang Anto Byrne from the bench, no doubt hoping that the Éire Óg man’s physicality would hinder the Kildare advance.
Things didn’t seem to be falling perfectly for Padraig Doyle since he had entered the fray but all that changed when Stephen Kelly used all his trickery to emerge with a ball on his own endline. A flick pass to the superb Eamonn Kearns gave the Avondale man time to launch a bomb of a clearance up the field where it looked like it might be gathered by Mark Maloney but pressure from Eoin McCormack put him off his catch and the ball fell at the feet of a huddle of players.
Out from that nest of bodies came Padraig Doyle like a handsome bull who was ready for some serious bovine action and he opened up the shoulders and headed for goal.
Out onto the boss of his hurl he directed the ball and he balanced it there like it was a ticking bomb.
With two Kildare men chasing him down he fired off a shot to the bottom corner of the Kildare net and there was no stopping it and he turned and punched the air with delight.
Masterson pointed immediately afterwards and then Ronan Keddy launched a ball goalward from midfield where it broke out to the side and the ever alert Andy O’Brien raced out to gather.
The not insignificant frame of Niall Ó Muineacháin was standing between O’Brien and the goals and with the force similar to that of articulated lorry O’Brien shunted the Cellbridge man out of his way and cleverly avoided being hooked and slotted home. Dream stuff for Wicklow.
Seconds later Eoghan O’Mahony was picking the ball out of the back of his net at the other end of the field.
It was that sort of game. John Mulhall the scorer. Richard Ryan added a point, 3-13 to 1-18.
Now it was all Kildare. Eoghan O’Mahony coughs up a 65. Reidy drops it in and it comes off the crossbar and into the hands of Chris Bonus who lashed home to the back of the net. Golly gosh.
Christy points three frees in a row to edge Wicklow ahead in this scintillating tussle. The frees were won at the end of quality play from the likes of Eoghan O’Mahony, Stephen Kelly and Martin O’Brien who pulled off a superb catch after Gary Byrne’s clearance from deep was half blocked down.
Andy swings over a fantastic point made possible by the nifty feet and hands of Mc Cormack and Reidy replies to make it 3-18 to 2-19 with minutes remaining.
Reidy has a chance to level matters once more but he misses his shot and Wicklow put their bodies on the line over the next 120 seconds to see out the win and secure a semi-final berth in the Christy Ring Cup. She was some game of hurling!
Scorers - Wicklow: Christy Moorehouse 0-9 (7f, 1 ‘65), Andy O’Brien 2-2, Padraig Doyle 1-0, Danny Staunton 0-3, Diarmuid Masterson 0-2, Eoin McCormack Ronan Keddy 0-1 each.
Kildare: David Reidy 0-11 (7f), John Mulhall and Chris Bonus 1-0 each, Paul Divilly, Brian Byrne and Jack Sheridan 0-2 each, Mark Delaney and Richard Ryan 0-1 each
Wicklow: Eoghan O’Mahony; Warren Kavanagh, Stephen Kelly, Martin O’Brien; Gary Byrne, John Henderson 6, Eamonn Kearns; Ronan Keddy, Peter Keane; Christy Moorehouse, Danny Staunton, Diarmuid Masterson; George O’Brien, Andy O’Brien, Eoin McCormack. Subs: Luke Maloney for Henderson (33min, inj); Padraig Doyle for Keane (h/t); Anto Byrne for George O’Brien (52min).
Kildare: Paul Dermody; Cian Forde, John Doran, Niall O’Muineacháin; Paudie Ryan, Mark Moloney, Michael Reidy; Ross Bergin, David Reidy; John Mulhall, Paul Divilly, Jack Sheridan; Chris Bonus, Mark Delaney, Brian Byrne. Subs: Richard Ryan for Delaney (25min); Seán Gainey for Ryan (55min); Dinny Stapleton for Mulhall (66min)
- C McAllister (Cork)