Crossbar to Vols’ rescue
VOLUNTEERS 0-7 CRAANFORD 0-6
THE WIDTH of a crossbar was all that separated Volunteers and Craanford in this Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship Group B game, as Jamesie Nolan’s kick at the death dropped agonisingly short, hitting the woodwork and denying the north county side a share of the spoils in St. Patrick’s Park on Friday.
This was a low-scoring but ultimately closely-fought affair, and it must be said that Volunteers showed a lot more conviction and looked the more impressive side and were probably worthy winners in the end.
However, they were still only a kick of the ball ahead in the final minute of play, and after registering two points from a similar position earlier, Nolan’s monstrous effort was only inches away from undoing any good work the even- tual winners had done.
The opening half was a lack-lustre affair with neither side really showing any pep in their play, with cold weather and soft ground probably not helping matters.
After David Shannon’s two converted frees inside six minutes, Volunteers failed to register a score for the remainder of the half.
And they ended up going in at the break one point behind, after scores from Patrick Murray and Niall Berney, and a sublime effort from Jamesie Nolan, gave the Gorey District contenders the advantage.
Volunteers upped the ante on the resumption and showed a lot more aggression in the tackle and a lot more purpose on the ball, with David Shannon, Mikey Lawlor and Dylan Carty swinging the advantage in their favour within ten minutes of the re-start.
The Wexford town side could have increased that lead even further after Shannon’s goal-bound effort was excellently saved by Bob Flynn.
Craanford were largely out of it until the final quarter until two glorious efforts from Jamesie Nolan kept them within touching distance, before Michael Lyons got them as close as could be in the final minute of normal time.
Then came Nolan’s chance to level matters but it just wasn’t to be as the final whistle sounded seconds after the ball rebounded off the crossbar.
Volunteers: John Coady; Jason Kearns, Keith Furlong, Paudge Brennan; Mikey Banville, Jeff Scally, Cian Brennan; Stephen Burke, Danny O’Sullivan (0-1); Peter Walsh, David Shannon (0-4, 3 frees), Aaron McGuire; Luke Dowdall, Mikey Lawlor (0-1), Dylan Carty (0-1). Sub. - Jack O’Leary for Carty.
Craanford: Bob Flynn; Pat Kenny, William Conroy, Michael Sinnott; Eoin Doyle, Michael O’Loughlin, Jim Kenny; Martin Doyle, Des Kavanagh; Niall Berney (0-1), James Smyth, Michael Lyons (0-1); John Fleming, Patrick Murray (0-1), Jamesie Nolan (0-3, 2 frees, 1 line ball). Sub. - Páraic Redmond for Fleming.
Referee: Ian Plunkett (Marshalstown-Castledockrell).