Defiant dozen dig out victory
Aidan’s apostles show true grit as Horeswood triumph
HORESWOOD’S DEFIANT dozen held out against 14-man Rathcline in an extraordinary finish in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, on Saturday to clinch a place in the AIB Leinster Club Intermediate football championship semi-final away to Shamrocks from Offaly on November 24.
The drama was off the charts as the last remaining standard-bearers for the big ball code on the provincial stage survived eleven minutes and ten seconds of added time before emerging triumphant by the bare minimum from a game full of talking points.
Horeswood hadn’t been at their best despite establishing a 0-3 to nil lead after 15 minutes, and they found themselves trailing by 0-6 to 0-5 at the interval.
They were unable to edge ahead again in the third quarter even though they drew level on two occasions, and their hopes looked slim after shipping a double body blow around the 50-minute mark.
Not alone did they lose centre-back Johnny Keating to a second yellow card, but Rathcline midfielder Shane Kenny pointed the free that followed to put his side 0-10 to 0-8 ahead as the teams prepared to face the home straight.
However, lady luck did Horeswood a favour just when they needed it most, because a kick by Barry Hearn that seemed to be neither an attempt at a score nor a pass actually led to their vital goal.
It fell short and broke off an attacker and defender into the path of Declan Murphy who calmly side-footed the ball to the net off the ground, giving his side the lead for the first time since late in the opening half (1-8 to 0-10).
Cillian Flood supplied a quick leveller for Rathcline, only for P.J. Banville to pop a pass to interval substitute Darren Shannon who flighted a beautiful high kick over the bar in the 54th minute.
The drama was only beginning though as, when play continued after substitute Michael O’Hanlon seemed to be fouled in the act of shooting, wing-back Eddie Shiely was shown a straight red card by Offaly referee Fintan Pierce for alleged dissent.
It was now an all-out rearguard action, with Horeswood down to 13 men and valiantly defending a one-point lead as if their lives depended on it.
However, when Shane Kenny earned and converted a free in the 58th minute to equalise, the momentum appeared to be with the midlanders if they were able to show some composure.
Seán Nolan thought otherwise however, and the most accurate young footballer in Wexford right now popped up at the perfect time to kick his fourth point from play and restore the lead (1-10 to 0-12).
The first added minute had almost elapsed when David Larkin won a vital free – only the third for his team in the second-half up to that stage – in the left corner of defence to relieve some of the pressure.
And 60 seconds later a Larkin run ended with another sweet point from Nolan, with substitutes Darren Shannon and Gavin Murphy also involved in between.
On and on it went, with a flashpoint between Shane O’Hanlon and Shane Kenny having repercussions for the two sides. Both men were shown yellows, but it was a second one for the Horeswood midfielder so they were duly reduced to twelve men.
However, Rathcline also lost a player in that incident, as netminder David Mulvihill was shown a straight red card for racing from his goal beyond midfield to get involved in the wrestling match on the ground between O’Hanlon and Kenny that really was none of his business.
The Longford side also lost the free they were originally awarded, in a scoreable position, and now all eyes were on the referee who had taken more than two minutes to deal with that incident.
P.J. Banville knocked inter-county player Liam Connerton to the ground with a well-timed shoulder with the Rathcline man seeking a score as we moved into the ninth added minute, and he later caught a dangerous delivery into the square by Dylan Glancy but it squirmed out of his grasp for a ’45.
That was played short by Oran Kenny to Cillian Flood who was content with a point in the eleventh added minute, but it wasn’t enough as the full-time whistle was finally blown on Conor Swaine’s kick-out, with the stopwatch reading 41 minutes and 10 seconds for that action-packed second-half.
It’s a game they’ll remember fondly down Campile way in years to come, although for the moment the entire focus will be on trying to take the next big step in the bid to succeed Kilanerin as Leinster champions.
Rathcline had gone down meekly to Matty Forde and company in last year’s first round on their home patch of Clonbonny by 1-12 to 0-6, and ten of the starting 15 from that game featured once again.
Longford regular Liam Connerton – injured in 2017 – was a notable addition at full-forward, although he didn’t exert a huge influence on proceedings, but the visitors were clearly more in tune with the requirements of provincial football this time around.
They were battle hardened after requiring three games to retain their county Intermediate title against Ardagh/Moydow, an anomaly explained by the rather odd fact that the winners aren’t obliged to move up to Senior ranks.
Horeswood, with the advantage of that first round win over Mullinavat at the same venue, settled quickly as Leigh O’Brien dropped back to anchor things from defence.
And they were 0-3 to nil clear by the 15th minute thanks to two P.J. Banville frees, and a first from Seán Nolan after a Declan Murphy pass sandwiched in between.
However, three shots were also dropped short in that spell, with the first of six wides kicked too (Rathcline had eight).
And with the visitors afforded more time on the ball than was acceptable as the half moved on, they matched Horeswood every step of the way after their first point from Oran Kenny in the 18th minute was followed by a neat sidestep and score by Iarla O’Sullivan.
Declan Murphy responded from a Seán Nolan pass, but two good scores from distance by Kevin Chapman and Shane Kenny brought Rathcline level by the 27th minute (0-4 each).
David Larkin and Murphy combined to set up Nolan for his sec- ond, but a late brace from Oran Kenny (play and free) edged the visitors into that 0-6 to 0-5 halftime lead.
The sides shared the six points scored before Johnny Keating’s dismissal, with David Larkin levelling before Liam Connerton restored the advantage for Rathcline, now playing with the advantage of the slight breeze although it wasn’t a significant factor in the game.
Seán Nolan made it 7-7, only for another brace from Oran Kenny from a free and play to push Rathcline clear by two before Declan Murphy made it a one-point game in the 46th minute.
If it was tight and intriguing up to that stage, it was positively engrossing over the next 14 minutes plus eleven extra before Horeswood and Aidan O’Brien’s twelve apostles finally heard the final whistle that was sweet music to their ears.
Horeswood: Conor Swaine; Kevin Parker, Barry Hearn, Seán Stafford; Eddie Shiely, Johnny Keating, David Larkin (0-1); Shane O’Hanlon, Colin Nolan; Eric Banville, Jamie Myler, Leigh O’Brien; Declan Murphy (1-2), P.J. Banville (capt., 0-2 frees), Seán Nolan (0-5). Subs. - David O’Shea for Hearn, temp. (9-12), Darren Shannon (0-1) for Nolan (HT), Michael O’Hanlon for O’Brien (37), Gavin Murphy for E. Banville (49).
Rathcline: David Mulvihill; Cian Gilmore, Michael Morrissey, Kevin Sorohan; Niall Keane, Shane Donohue (capt.), David Rooney; Derek Casserly, Shane Kenny (0-3, 2 frees); Cillian Flood (0-2), Iarla O’Sullivan (0-1), Kevin Chapman (0-1); Oran Kenny (0-5, 2 frees), Liam Connerton (0-1), James Hanley. Subs. - Dylan Glancy for Hanley, temp. (11-18), Glancy for Hanley (37), Neil O’Connor for Casserly (58).
Referee: Fintan Pierce (Offaly).