Cloughbawn fight back for draw with Campile
Both sides promoted to the Premier Division
CLOUGHBAWN 2 CAMPILE UNITED 2
HOSTS CLOUGHBAWN came back from a two-goal deficit to snatch a draw and secure promotion to the top tier of the Wexford Football League against Campile on Thursday.
The men in green looked to be in trouble after they fell behind to goals from P.J. Banville and Graham Howlin in the first-half, but a Páidí Cullen strike and a Willie Murphy penalty ensured they would join the Wexford elite.
While the dramatic revival robbed Campile of a chance to wrap up the title on the night, there was good news for them too as they are now also promoted and need just one point from their remaining three games to go up as champions.
They got off to the perfect start, taking the lead within three minutes. Jamie Myler was the instigator, as he got away on the right wing and fired the ball low across the six-yard box.
It was too hot for Billy Dunne to handle and Banville was on hand to turn it home from close range.
Cloughbawn hit the net two minutes later but the goal was ruled out for interference of the ball while it was in the goalkeeper’s possession.
They went close a few minutes later when Páidí Cullen fired over Murphy’s pull back from near the penalty spot.
In an end-to-end spell, Banville saw a header tipped around the post by Dunne in the twelfth minute, but there was nothing the Cloughbawn ‘keeper could do to deny Howlin’s header from Barry Hearn’s free nine minutes later as the visitors went two up.
Things settled down as the game moved into the second quarter.
Cloughbawn’s Gareth Murphy saw his shot from distance take a slight deflection and fly out for a corner, but there wasn’t much in the way of goalmouth action.
That changed after the re-start as the hosts pushed more players forward in the search for a way back into the game.
Campile cleared an almighty scramble in the box, David Murphy had a header tipped over, and Barry Carton forced John Bradley into another save.
Yet, Campile weathered the early onslaught and had chances to wrap up the title.
Banville pulled back for Hearn but Dunne saved his shot, and he also stopped Banville’s effort a minute later.
The vital third goal came with 17 minutes remaining. Carton played the ball over the top of the Campile defence, and initially Cullen looked second favourite to get there, but he showed deceptive pace to arrive on cue and fire low past Bradley.
Five minutes later Cloughbawn had their equaliser.
A pinball game in the box ended with a handball on the Campile goal-line,
Willie Murphy stepped up and coolly slot home the equaliser from the spot.
From there Cloughbawn looked to shut up shop and take their draw, and they did it well.
Hearn did miss the target with a volley from the edge of the area in the 90th minute, but that was as close as Campile came as both claimed promotion to the Premier Division.
CLOUGHBAWN: Billy Dunne; Johnny Cullen (capt.), Martin Kehoe, Páidí Kehoe, David Murphy; Kyle Murphy, Páidí Cullen, Cillian Doyle, Gareth Murphy; Willie Murphy, Colm Kehoe. Subs. - Connal Flood for C. Kehoe (53), Barry Carton for G. Murphy (53), Kevin Murphy for Kyle Murphy (53), James Dempsey for J. Cullen (72), Darragh Rochford for W. Murphy (87), also Callen Morrissey, Tomás Kehoe.
CAMPILE UNITED: John Bradley; Eric Banville, Kevin Parker, Graham Howlin, David Larkin; Jamie Myler, Barry Hearn, Johnny Keating, Emmet Dunning (capt.), Darragh Kent; P.J. Banville. Subs. - Tomás Kent for D. Kent (86), also Shane Banville, Cathal Mernagh, Donal Barron, Aaron Mythen, Colin Nolan, Matthew Foley.
REFEREE: Anthony Tobin.