Ballymurn seal second spot
TWO Crossabeg-Ballymurn goals in three minutes at the start of the second-half turned this Amber Springs/Ashdown Park Hotels Intermediate football championship game on it head in St. Patrick’s Park on Thursday.
With both sides already assured of safe passage into the knockout stages, the eventual victors and St. Mary’s (Rosslare) met to see who would take that second spot in Group A and with it a potentially easier route to the semi-finals.
In these instances you can never be sure what to expect and it was clear that, while both sides wanted the win, this wasn’t going to be a game between teams that were at anything close to full strength.
It proved particularly difficult for Rosslare. Down to the bones of their first team squad, they had to protect the interests of their Junior ‘B’ team with the District final two days away but also nurse injured players, with Tiarnan Rossiter one of those banged up.
It was clearly going to be one of those nights when the county footballer was called on after just four minutes for the injured Niall Walsh.
While the Rosslare lads were dropping like flies, they started on the front foot with Paul Kinsella rolling back the years with three points and Danny Furlong returning with a brace.
They led by 0-6 to nil after 20 minutes as Crossabeg-Ballymurn sprayed wides all over the place. They settled when Pádraig Foley opened their account in the 22nd minute, and further scores by Paddy Devereux and Andy Butler left just three between them at the break (0-6 to 0-3).
Davy Kehoe released Mark O’Connor into the clear and he netted within a minute of the restart to tie the game.
Paddy Devereux made no mistake with his finish just over 90 seconds later after he beat three defenders and smashed home to put his side three in front.
Kinsella brought his tally to five, David Murphy popped over a couple of fine scores, and Stephen Breen registered twice after coming off the bench, but every time Rosslare nipped one back, their rivals responded.
Never allowing their opponents closer than two points, a brace each from Foley, Devereux and Bill Eviston, as well as singles by Evan Kinlough and Jack Fortune, gave Crossabeg-Ballymurn second spot.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn: Ben Turner; Conor Barlow, Oisín Foley (capt.), Martin Redmond; Seamus Carroll, Bill Eviston (0-2), Conor Devereux; Paddy Devereux (1-3), Pádraig Foley (0-3); Evan Kinlough (0-1), Davy Kehoe, Mark O’Connor (1-0); Cormac O’Rourke, Mick Eviston, Andy Butler (0-1). Subs. - Oran Maddock for O’Rourke (13), Jack Fortune (0-1) for Barlow (31), Cian Lambert for Kinlough (54), Robbie Murphy for Butler (60+3), Eoin O’Connor for Kehoe (60+3).
St. Mary’s (Rosslare): Gavin Morris; Barry Quirke, Seán Finan, Liam O’Connor; Larry Morrissey, Naomhan Rossiter (capt.), Niall Walsh; Robert Butler, Andrew Murphy; Jason Ellard (0-1), Paul Kinsella (0-5), Ultan Quirke; Danny Furlong (0-2), David Murphy (0-2), Rees Broaders. Subs. - Tiarnan Rossiter (0-1) for Walsh, inj. (4), Ben Hayes for N. Rossiter, inj. (25), Stephen Breen (0-2) for Broaders, inj. (30+3).
Referee: Shane Quinn (Réalt na Mara).