Craven the hero for depleted Geraldines
GERADLINES snatched a precious yard of space in a group that could come down to mere inches with a come-from-behind victory over St Patrick’s on Sunday.
In a contest that rarely set the pulse racing, the Gers did at least ensure an exciting finale, kicking the last three scores of the match to grab a one-point win.
All three of those vital late points came in quick succession after Ross Muprhy had been sent-off on foot of two yellow cards.
Linesman Stephen Murphy twice sought a consultation with referee Stephen Johnson to discuss his namesake’s misdemeanours, the first a fairly straightforward booking for blocking Jim McEneaney from leaving the field when he was being substituted.
But the second yellow was far from clear-cut as Johnson penalised the Pats player for a foul in the middle third and appeared to be taking no further action until his linesman entered the fray for another one-to-one.
It was definitely a free, and quite possibly a booking, but after seeing the foul and giving the free, should the booking not have been Johnson’s call to make?
Either way the Pat’s played the final five minutes plus stoppage time with 14 men and their opponents took full advantage with county man James Craven playing a hero’s role.
Two fantastic points from the centre-half back sandwiched a Shaun Callan free as the Gers inflicted a group stage defeat on the Pats for the second-year running.
Cathal Grogan and Daniel O’Connor fired half-chances wide of the target as the Pats chased an equaliser in the dying seconds, but they have it all to do to reach the knockout stages when they face Dundalk Gaels the weekend after next.
The former county kingpins did seem to miss the influence of Paddy Keenan and Gerry Cumiskey would have loved to have been able to call on his other globe-trotter, Eoin O’Connor.
After surviving a bright start from their opponents, the Pats looked the better side for much of the opening half and large parts of the second.
But they lacked the kind of cutting edge Keenan and O’Connor can provide and will rue only adjourning with a 0-4 to 0-3 lead at the interval.
Josh Arrowsmith and Conor Rafferty had opened the scoring and an early lead for Geraldines, but Danny O’Connor and Evan White levelled it up before Rafferty was forced off with an injury.
With Shane O’Hanlon reportedly out for the rest of the year and Jim McEnaaney clearly carrying an injury, losing the former Cooley Kickhams’ man was a massive blow, and the Gers duly fell behind through a quick brace from Gavin Gregory.
But Pats idled in front and a Michael Rogers free left the minimum in it at the break.
Gers suffered another blow when Paddy Hoey retired injured just before half-time, but his replacement Shaun Callan fired over the equalising score within seconds of the re-start.
But it was in the third quarter that Pats’ will feel they should have put the game to bed.
They squandered a double goal chance when Aidan McCann struck an upright in a one-on-one with Darren Kearney, who brilliantly denied Gavin Gregory from the rebound.
But a free and a point from O’Connor either side of a Cathal Grogan point appeared to give the Pats the upperhand with a 0-7 to 0-4 lead.
The Gers didn’t panic and kicked three points in just over two minutes to level it up again, as Rogers, James Corrigan and Conall Hoey found their range.
But again it was the Pats that kicked on and the same two players, O’Connor and Grogan, made it 0-9 to 0-7 with 12 and half minutes of normal-time remaining.
And that’s how it stood until Murphy’s departure in the 55th minute.
It was by no means a gimme for the Gers after that, but cometh the hour, cometh their county man.
Craven’s willingness to throw caution to the wind and get forward was one thing, but his execution was quite another as he lofted two points that the absent McEneaney and O’Hanlon would have been mighty proud of.
The prize for victory is a date with Dundalk Gaels this weekend, but with the injuries mounting that will be another tough assignment for Wayne Callan’s men.
And in a group that could well end up in a three-way tie, score difference could yet prove crucial for Pat’s.
ST PATRICK’S: Barry Corcoran; Leonard Grey, Darren O’Hanlon, Ross Murphy; Rory Duffy, Eoghan Lafferty, Conor Grogan; Dessie Finnegan, Thomas McCann; Evan White 0-1, Ray Finnegan, Aidan McCann; Gavin Gregory 0-2 (1f), Sean Cumiskey, Daniel O’Connor 0-3. Subs: Cathal Grogan 0-2 for S Cumiskey (ht), Jason Woods for R Duffy (36), Tadhg O’Connor for E White (58).
GERALDINES: Darren Kearney; Daniel Corcoran, Tiernan Hand, Ryan Trainor; Jack Traynor, James Craven 0-2, Gareth Neacy; Paddy Hoey, Stephen Reidy; Conor Rafferty 0-1f, Jim McEneaney, James Corrigan 0-1; Josh Arrowsmith 0-1, Michael Rogers 0-2f, Glen Trainor. Subs: Shaun Callan 0-2 (1f) for C Rafferty (18), Conall Hoey 0-1 for P Hoey (30+),
REFEREE: Stephen Johnson.