Rathgarogue-Cushinstown hit back
RATHGAROGUE-C’TOWN 1-14 ST. MARTIN’S 3-4
RATHGAROGUE-CUSHINSTOWN fought back from a seven-point deficit to get their first win on the board in Group A of the Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship in Grantstown on Sunday.
Their come from behind victory leaves both sides in the middle of the pack after two games, with Volunteers the only unbeaten team in the group.
St. Martin’s clearly started with more confidence than their opponents after their opening day win, and they quickly raced into a four-point lead.
Conor Devereux, Adam Cantwell, Jack Devereux and Leo Burke were on all target for the Piercestown and Murrintown men before the tenth minute.
As unlikely as it sounds, Burke’s point in the seventh minute was the final time that St. Martin’s raised the white flag. They went on to score three goals and kick ten more wides in the time remaining.
Daire Bolger sent a free over before Kevin Price tucked away a Martin’s spot-kick after Burke was fouled to extend their lead.
A miniature first-half fightback saw Tadhg Cody, Nicky Sinnott and Bolger on target, but Conor Coleman put distance between the sides again when he lashed his left-footed shot into the top corner, ending the half at 2-4 to 0-6.
St. Martin’s opened the second-half scoring just two minutes after the re-start when Zac Firman turned in Burke’s parried effort. However, that was to be the last time they made the scoreboard move.
The first of nine unanswered scores was well taken by Sinnott before two Eoin Porter and Daire Bolger points gradually pulled Rathgarogue-Cushinstown back into the contest (3-4 to 0-9).
It was the introduction of Aaron Ryan with little over ten minutes remaining that proved to be the masterstroke for the winners. Robert Murphy supplied the new arrival who finished calmly past Nicky Greene in the maroon and white goal.
The goal gave Rathgarogue-Cushinstown the belief they needed to turn the tie in their favour. Tadhg Cody levelled and Bolger’s only point from play put them ahead for the first time.
From there, they didn’t look back, as Eric Cummins along with Tadhg Cody and Bolger all raised the white flag to give Rathgaroue-Cushinstown a two-score win which for large parts of the game seemed a very unlikely outcome.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Jonathan Kelly; Paudie McGrath, Bryan Cody, Patrick Murphy; Peadar Cody, Brian O’Neill, Matthew Cody (capt.); Daniel Martin Carroll, Bernard Furlong; Robert Murphy, Daire Bolger (0-6, 5 frees), Eoin Porter (0-1); Eric Cummins (0-2), Tadhg Cody (0-3), Nicky Sinnott (0-2). Subs. - Ollie Bolger for McGrath (45), Luke O’Connor for Furlong (45), Aaron Ryan (1-0) for Sinnott (48), Jason Dunne for R. Murphy (59).
St. Martin’s: Nicky Greene; Jack Whelan, Kevin Price (1-0 pen.), Pádraig Rossiter; Johnny Hamilton, Donal Kelly (capt.), Eoin O’Leary; Ryan Murphy, Ben Stafford; Jack Devereux (0-1 free), Conor Coleman (1-0), Seán Stafford; Adam Cantwell (0-1), Leo Burke (0-1), Conor Devereux (01). Subs. - Zac Firman (1-0) for Murphy (27), Shane Walsh for Cantwell (40), Murphy for J. Devereux (59), Conor Kelly for Burke (60).
Referee: Eric Molloy (St. James’).