Comeback kings strike yet again!
RATHNEW BLESSINGTON 2-20 0-19
WHERE do you even start? Good Lord! Rathnew are just never, ever beaten until that final whistle sounds.
It’s kind of a cliché at this stage but it’s an undeniable fact. Six points down with 30 minutes on the second-half clock and any normal human being would be forgiven for thinking that this game is over and that Blessington are going to finally beat Rathnew in a championship game and go on to be serious contenders for the Miley Cup after their quality performance over the course of this game.
But that logic simply doesn’t apply in this context. James Stafford’s redeployment out to midfield gives Harry Murphy’s men serious momentum. High balls started raining down on Jody Merrigan and Mark Doyle and in a flash of pure red and green stubbornness and pride they lead by a point with 37 minutes on the second-half clock thanks to two Jody Merrigan goals and one of Eddie Doyle’s 14 superb points and it falls to David Boothman to save the day with a heroic free from way out the field that sails over the bar at the Rednagh Hill side.
Extra-time is give-and-take, blow for blow. It will be said that Blessington’s substitutions didn’t work the same as Rathnew’s did and that may be the case but there was absolutely nothing between these two in those epic 20 minutes.
James Stafford and Eddie Doyle get Harry Murphy’s men off to a great start but Patrick O’Connor fires home past Johnny Byrne in the Rathnew goal after five of those minutes and the truly superb Kevin Quinn puts two between the sides. Quick as a flash Rathnew are level again, through Eddie Doyle (free) and Jody Merrigan.
Onwards we trundle. Mikey O’Connor points before the break, the class Ross O’Brien replies after the restart, his first start since injury. He’s been missed.
Kevin John Rogers pushes Blessington ahead with their last score. The immense Eddie Doyle strikes back with two vicious body blows of frees. Delaying tactics are employed, two balls on the field, men down, cynical fouls. Blessington attack, they need a score to force it to penalties. Kevin Quinn is fouled by JT Hayden, tricky angle, stand side, scoreboard end, beautiful day, blue skies. David Boothman. Ball in hand.
‘Go way outta that,’ roars a Rathnew supporter as Boothman starts his run.
The ball is on its way. High she rises into the Aughrim sky and it looks like she has sailed just inside the upright, but there’s confusion. The umpire doesn’t go for the flag. There’s a brief consultation. All eyes turn to linesman Robert Roche who had the perfect angle to watch the free being taken. Referee Kieron Kenny, who was ahead of Boothman when he kicked the free, walks over and a discussion is held. Theo Smyth looks like he’s desperately trying to flag down a passing motorist as he waves his arms to signal the ball was wide. Kieron Kenny then waves his arms wide and the Rathnew players and supporters know the job is done.
A truly awful way for the game to end for Blessington who produced an absolutely marvelous performance for 60 minutes of this game and stood their ground valiantly for much of extra-time.
This is a win that could well see Rathnew propel themselves forward in this championship and could even see them stop the Pat’s three-in-a-row ambitions. What a game like this will do for Harry
Murphy’s side can’t be gauged until they step out on to the field against AGB in two weeks’ time but you can be guaranteed that it will only have hugely positive effects on the Village team.
But what of Blessington? Poor, poor Blessington. Their work was almost done. They had shown true character to bounce back from the Baltinglass defeat and to put on a superb show in the county grounds for those 60 minutes.
Jonathan Daniels had got things very right by the looks of things. Paul McLoughlin was doing a job on James Stafford at full-forward. Steven Bohan was flying on Jody Merrigan. Wayne Callaghan was looking after things in front of his defenders. Patrick O’Connor was looking very sharp, as was Curtis Geraghty. Kevin Quinn was putting on an absolute show at full-forward and all over the field they were working like trojans.
Rathnew started brightly, however. A shot dropped short and two wides were followed by an excellent score from Warren Kavanagh after a ball from Eddie Doyle. Curtis Geraghty replied with a free after Jack Gilligan was fouled by Nicky Mernagh.
Ross O’Brien popped over a fine score with referee Kieron Kenny signaling advantage for a foul by Eoin Keogh and a class point from Nicky Mernagh off his right on the gallop opened up a 0-3 to 0-1 lead for Harry Murphy’s men after 11 minutes.
But Blessington were hungry for breaking ball and keen to break forward with Craig Maguire and Kevin Hanlon very impressive early on.
It was Paul McLoughlin who started and finished the move for the Blessington goal after 11. He sent a long ball to Kevin Quinn who took on two Rathnew defenders along the endline before fisting across the goal to McLoughlin who had continued his run. McLoughlin’s size made Jamie Snell’s life very difficult and he somehow managed to scramble the ball over the line with the help of the post.
Blessington were now motoring. Eddie Doyle did reply with a free for Rathnew but Curtis Geraghty, Kevin Hanlon and Kevin Quinn fired over three beautiful scores with Quinn adamant that he had another one only for the umpire to wave it wide. 20 miniutes gone, Blessington up by 1-4 to 0-4.
Eddie Doyle was truly invaluable to Rathnew in this game. He scored 14 points, 11 frees. It can’t be stated clearly enough how important he was, and how well he played. He had them level after 24 minutes, two frees and a lovely score under pressure.
But, again, Blessington got on top. David Boothman with two either side of a Curtis Geraghty free opened up a three-point gap with Blessington showing great patience in their build up play.
Eddie Doyle pulled one back with a free to leave it 1-7 to 0-8 in favour of Blessington at half-time.
Rathnew had tried some high balls on top of James Stafford and Jody Merrigan but nothing to write home about with Paul McLoughlin and Bohan coping very well. They tried two after the restart to no avail while Blessington registered two wides before Eddie Doyle closed the gap to a point from a free after a foul on Nicky Mernagh.
From there to the second water break Blessington were outstanding and they opened up a 1-10 to 0-9 gap through points from Boothman (2) and Quinn before Eddie Doyle added another free to leave it 1-10 to 0-10 at the water break.
Jonathan Daniels sent in Mikey O’Connor at this stage and he swung over a beauty after 22 and further points from Quinn, Patrick O’Connor, Paul McLoughlin and Mikey again left Blessington 1-15 to 0-12 ahead after 30 with Eddie Doyle doing all he could to keep Rathnew alive and well in this game from frees with Blessington players and supporters not hapy with a number of these decisions.
Rathnew had introduced Jack Healy, Graham Merrigan and Mark Doyle by this stage and shifted James Stafford out around the middle. And then it happened. It felt like it was written in the stars.
A high ball comes floating in. Paul McLoughlin and Steven Bohan both compete in the air with Mark Doyle. Nobody picks up Jody Merrigan. Ball breaks, Merrigan slides it home past Peter Manning. Another high ball. Blessington do well this time. Steven Bohan comes out. He’s robbed by Nicky Mernagh and he fouls Mernagh, Doyle slots the free. Bohan gone on a black card. Lead down to two points. Mother of...
Blessington’s kick-out goes directly to a completely unmarked James Stafford. Patient build up play sees the ball worked to Graham Merrigan who lobs in a bomb on top of Jody Merrigan and Mark Doyle. Havoc in the Blessington square, Merrigan reacts quickest and punches home, 2-13 to 1-15, 34 gone.
Rathnew attack again. James Stafford wins a free. Eddie Doyle goes wide. Back they come again, Eddie Doyle fists across to Jody Merrigan to kill the game off but Manning is brave.
Blessington attack. Martin
Shannon to Jack Gilligan, fouled by Theo Smyth, 30 out from goal. David Boothman drives it high and over the bar and we’re off to extra-time and that controversial free-kick that has the entire county divided and will unfortunately take the shine off what was a truly wonderful battle.
Scant consolation for Blessington but if they can recover from this and stay the course, they will have to be serious contenders for the Miley Cup in 2021 given the massive improvement shown since the Baltinglass game and the significant potential within that team.
Rathnew are Rathnew. What can you say? Never write them off.