Big scalps and close Calls for group sides
WE pick up the group team entries to the Senior football championship in 1990. Michael Dwyers, who were comprised of Kiltegan, Knockananna and Ballymanus, would have a fine run. They drew St Patrick’s in the first round.
1990 Michael Dwyers 1-7 St Patrick’s 0-9
St Pat’s had been pushing Baltinglass hard in finals and were expected to progress without too much fuss. On the night, Philip Healy and Pat Spollen were missing for the blues and their loss was to be sorely felt.
Early points from Tommy Kelly and Paul Fox were wiped out by a Ned Cremin penalty as Dwyers led 1-4 to 0-4 at the break.
Willie Carey, Richie Griffin, Joe Healy and Casey O’Brien pushed all they could for Pat’s in the second half but Cremin, John Byrne and Ger O’Neill kicked the vital scores to see Dwyers through by 1-7 to 0-9. John Coogan and Christy O’Toole asserted their dominance in the second half around the middle to frustrate any St Pat’s revival.
Michael Dwyers 0-9 Aughrim 1-4
Next up for Dwyers were Aughrim. In a tight encounter scores were scarce. Pat O’Byrne gave Aughrim a great start with an early fisted goal.
Dwyers fought back to have it all square at 1-2 to 0-5 at the break with points from Kevin Byrne and Ned Cremin.
Eugene O’Brien and Sean O’Shea had Aughrim ahead with six minutes to play. It was Cremin and John Coogan who got the scores to bring the game to a replay, 0-7 to 1-4.
Dwyers scraped through 0-9 to 1-4 in the replay. Dwyers led 0-4 to 0-3 after a dominant first half with Aughrim struggling to stay in touch.
They had stretched their lead to 0-7 to 0-3 after points by the impressive John Byrne and Ned Cremin.
A goal by ‘Red’ Pat kept Aughrim in touch and a Eugene O’Brien point had it down to the minimum with seconds to go but Ned Cremin pointed again to secure their passage to the last four.
Annacurra 1-10 Michael Dwyers 1-8
Annacurra were the semi-final opponents. A much-anticipated game would only be decided by a late penalty for Annacurra. Dwyers dominated the opening half and led 1-5 to 0-3 at the break. They had a penalty of their own in the first half when Ken Foley was fouled and Ned Cremin done the needful from the spot.
PJ Byrne and the returning
Foley were causing havoc in the Annacurra rear-guard. Once more Coogan and O’Toole were on top in the middle but that was to change when Ciaran Shannon was drafted to that sector.
Annacurra kept in touch with Brendan Doyle accurate from frees and Padraig Dalton also on song. It looked like Dwyers were doing enough to hold on and make history. When Shannon was fouled, Syl Ivers tucked away the penalty to give Annacurra a 1-10 to 1-8 win in what was described the following week as the best game in the championship that year. Annacurra were in their first final in 35 years but Baltinglass would beat them a few weeks later.
Later in 1990 Kiltegan would defeat Ballymanus 0-7 to 0-5 in the Intermediate final to return to Senior ranks after having got the better of their other Michael Dwyer allies, Knockananna, in the semi-final by 0-8 to 0-5.
The Michael Dwyers team didn’t change much over the four games. The team that started against Annacurra was: Paul O’Neill (Knockananna); Stephen Carroll (Kn), Billy Byrne (Ballymanus), Sean Gartland (Kiltegan); Mick O’Toole (Kil), Kevin Byrne (B), Fergal Foley (Kn); Christy O’Toole (Kil) and John Coogan (Kn); Ger O’Neill (Kn), John Byrne (B,); PJ Byrne (B), Ken Foley (Kn), Sean Keogh (Kil), Ned Cremin (Kil,). Subs: Tony Kelly (Kil) and Peter Dunne (Kn) came on while Lorcan Byrne, John Harmon Joe Clancy (B), Nigel Byrne (Kil) and Denis Kinsella (Kn) featured in earlier games.
1991 Rathnew 1-10 Inbhear Mór 0-5
In 1991 Lakeside, East District, Michael Dwyers and Inbhear Mór entered as interest grew in the group effort.
In action first were the Arklow team.
They were up against an upand-coming Rathnew team with many youngsters finding their feet at Senior level who would go on to win plenty of senior medals.
Rathnew would win 1-10 to 0-5 and, apart from a good spell for the Inbhear Mór combination in the second half, were comfortable. Alan Newsome got the Rathnew goal before the break to help his team lead 1-5 to 0-3.
Billy Manley from dead balls kept the group team in touch but points from Declan Byrne and Darren and Ronan Coffey eased the Village to the second round.
Inbhear Mór lined out as follows: Emmet Byrne (Ballymoney); John McElheron, Kenneth O’Neill, Conor Byrne (all Arklow Gers); Barry Cahill (Bal), James Furlong (Ark G.), Gerry Byrne (Arklow Rocks); Billy Manley (Ark G.) and Mick Healy (Ark R.); Peter Mulhall (Ark G.), Damien Devereux (Bal), Austin Walker (Ark R.); Michael Mordaunt (Ark G.), Eftin Hurley (Bal), Rory Stokes (Bal); Subs used: Paul Hurley (Bal), Michael Wolohan (Ark G.) and Owen Moore (Arklow R.).
St Patrick’s 2-13 Michael Dwyers 0-9
St Pat’s were to get instant revenge on Michael Dwyers for the defeat a year previous. In a 2-13 to 0-9 win, the Dwyers, shorn of the Kiltegan players, stayed in contention until two late goals sealed the win for Pats.
Pat Spollen was in fine form for the Town team but Kieran Carroll had three points for Dwyers to leave it 0-7 to 0-6 at the break in St Pat’s favour. A fine Sean Hughes interception had prevented a goal late in the half.
Peter Dunne and John O’Keeffe had both struck the woodwork with shots early in the half for Dwyers too. Two subs were to have a big impact for St Pat’s in the final ten minutes as Henry Leonard and Spollen netted with Gail Dunne setting Spollen up for his goal.
Michael Dwyers: Sean Hughes; Paul O’Neill, Stephen Carroll, Denis Kinsella; Paul Whelan (all Knockananna), Tom Byrne (Ballymanus), Ger O’Neill (Kn); Ken Foley (0-1, Kn) and John Byrne (B); Joe Clancy (B, 0-1), Peter Dunne (Kn, 0-2), PJ Byrne (B, 0-1); John Harmon (B, 0-1), Jim O’Keeffe (Kn), Kieran Carroll (Kn, 0-3).
Lakeside 0-10 Dunlavin 1-5
Lakeside, a grouping of Valleymount and Kilbride, made their debut in a west derby against Dunlavin in Baltinglass.
They would go on to cause something of a surprise with a 0-10 to 1-5 win.
Dunlavin had the opening point from James Byrne but with Mick Nolan at full-forward in fine form for the group side they led 0-6 to 0-4 at the break, overcoming the handicap of losing Fergal Donohoe to injury early on.
Dunlavin got an early second-half goal that put them ahead but Paul Donohoe and Nolan with a brace got Lakeside in front again. Dunlavin had a late free to level the scores but it shaved the upright and their young team bowed out.
St Patrick’s
Lakeside
In the quarter-final Lakeside would meet St Pat’s, fresh from their win over the other group side, Michael Dwyers.
This game was surprisingly played in Laragh on a Tuesday
night!
A large crowd attended with a sniff of a shock in the air (along with the renowned Laragh midges).
That was heightened when Martin Carroll scored a goal in the first couple of minutes for Lakeside.
St Pat’s recovered and led 0-8 to 1-4 at the break.
Pat’s cut loose in the second half and goals by Dave Bury (2), Henry Leonard and Eamon Cronin sealed a good win.
Lakeside: Dave Callaghan; John Reid, John Miley, Pat Reid (all Valleymount); Willie Craul (Kilbride), Jimmie Byrne (V), John
Geoghegan (V); Pat Mahon (V, 0-1) and Fergal Donohoe (Kil); Liam Reid (V), Paul Donohoe (Kil, 0-1), Paul Clarke (Kil, 0-1); Michael Geoghegan (0-1), Mick Nolan (0-5) and Henry Murphy (0-1) (all Valleymount). Subs used: Pat Reid (V) and Ernie Zeller (Kil).
For the St Pat’s game, Jimmy Callaghan and Brendan McGarr came in to the full-back line.
Jim Walsh and Martin Carroll were in the forward line with Kevin Donohoe and Noel Foster also coming on as subs.
Fergal Donohoe and Mick Nolan both missed out and were big losses for Lakeside on the night.
East District 1-8 Hollywood 0-6
East District returned for the first time since 1977 and caused a stir defeating Hollywood in the first round.
Hollywood were flying early on in this one. They were five points up through Terry and Paul Allen, Myles and Darragh Burke and Kevin Traynor. They also missed a penalty as the East selection look disjointed and in danger of a heavy beating.
Pat Baker eventually kicked two points and it was 0-5 to 0-2 at half-time in favour of the west side. If the East were disjointed in the first half, they were anything but in the second. Pat Baker and Tom Byrne had a brace of pints each and Pat Doyle got a flick to another Baker free to find the net. Anthony Metcalfe and Mick McDonald exchanged points near the finish as the East won 1-8 to 0-6.
A nice local test awaited in the quarters from a young and upcoming An Tochar team on August Monday. An Tochar, playing their fine brand of attacking football and slick passing, started well. Enda McGillycuddy had two points and also brought a great save from Jimmy Kelly. Liam Cullen would deny Mick McDonald equally well at the other end.
It was point for point all through and it looked like Gerry Grehan had given An Tochar a half-time lead only for Pat Baker and McDonald to kick a couple of late first-half points.