Rosslare rule after extra-time
Goals from Byrne and Brohan deny brave Adamstown
ST. MARY’S (ROSSLARE) 3-14 ADAMSTOWN 1-12 (AET)
A BRACE of goals in the first period of extra-time set St. Mary’s (Rosslare) up for a dramatic eight-point victory over a gallant Adamstown outfit in this hugely exciting Wexford People Under-17 football Roinn 2 championship final in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Tuesday.
This game produced some excellent football from two evenly-balanced sides as both experienced periods of dominance.
Adamstown turned in an amazing second-half recovery, after St. Mary’s had controlled much of the opening period to lead by seven points at the interval.
But such was the drama after the break that Adamstown bounced back to force extra-time, amazingly taking the lead for the very first time early in the first additional period.
Both sides were creating chances but, when it looked as if the game was slipping away from Rosslare, they bounced back with two excellent goals to lead by eight points at the break in extra-time.
That left no way back for Adamstown who, despite their best efforts, were unable to haul their opponents back in the final ten minutes of added time.
The sides struggled for scores in the early stages, with one having to wait until the sixth minute for the opening score when a Nathan Whitehead point put the Mary’s in front. Four minutes later they added a goal through Cian Byrne who, after a burst through the centre, found the roof of the net with a rising shot.
The eventual winners went on to lead by 1-4 to nil at the end of the opening quarter, with Adamstown having to wait until the 20th minute for their opening score, a Rúairí O’Brien point, but St. Mary’s still led by 1-6 to 0-2 at the interval.
An up to then struggling Adamstown side were rejuvenated on the resumption, as within three minutes of the re-start Diarmuid Murphy pointed.
Three minutes later a fine Rúairí O’Brien run set up full-forward Jack Vieira for a well-taken goal.
With an O’Brien pointed free followed by a Dean Kehoe point, the deficit was reduced to the minimum (1-6 to 1-5) twelve minutes into the second-half.
It was a hectic second-half as the sides exchanged scores, and a Graham O’Reilly 40-metre pointed free two minutes into added time brought the sides level (1-8 each), bringing the game to extra-time.
Adamstown were dominant through the opening five minutes of extra-time as they struck for three Rúairí O’Brien points, two from frees, to lead by 1-11 to 1-8, the first time they were ahead.
But St. Mary’s were never going to allow this game slip from their grasp and, in an explosive five-minute spell, they struck back for goals from Cian Byrne and Tadhg Brohan to lead by 3-13 to 1-11 at the break.
The sides, visibly tiring in the heavy conditions, managed only a point apiece in extra-time through Rúairí O’Brien and Tadhg Brohan. And St. Mary’s held firm in a dramatic finish as the game ended as it began, with both sides continuing to play open, attacking football.
St. Mary’s (Rosslare): Danny Holden; Tadhg Hayes, Seán Redmond, Rian Stafford; Reece de la Cour, Jack Meyler (0-1 free), Ryan Culleton; Rian Doyle, Cian Byrne (23); Alex Looney, Jack O’Hagan (0-2, 1 free), Adam Mackey; Tadhg Brohan (1-6), Morgan Lawrence (0-1), Nathan Whitehead (0-1). Subs. - Milan Kovan for Whitehead, Matthew Fitzgerald for Culleton, Finn O’Donoghue for Doyle, Kyle Clarke for Lawrence, Ollie Gould for Clarke, Conor Murphy for Looney, also William Ling, Danny Howlin, Shane Fortune, Joey McGoldrick, Alex Mulvihill.
Adamstown: Cian Walsh; Tom Roche, Kevin Dunleavy, Tomás Jackman; James Dillon, David O’Gorman, Conor Whelan; Graham O’Reilly (0-1 free), William Whitney-Rothwell; Patrick Doyle, Rúairí O’Brien (0-8, 4 frees), Matthew O’Neill; Diarmuid Murphy (0-2), Jack Vieira (1-0), Craig Bradley. Subs. - Adam O’Gorman for Vieira, Dean Kehoe (0-1) for Roche, Tadhg McDonald for Doyle, Aidan Walsh for Whitney-Rothwell, Colin Stephenson for Jackman, Dara Furlong for Kehoe.
Referee: John Carton (Monageer-Boolavogue).