Gorey comeback stuns Sars
Naomh Eanna turn three-point gap into five-point win
TRAILING BY three points ten minutes into the second-half, Naomh Eanna came storming back to take the Gorey Guardian Under-15 football Premier shield in St. Patrick’s Park recently.
At that stage Sarsfields led by 0-8 to 1-2 and had their foot to the floor since the throw-in. Their intensity levels were incredible, and the Páirc Charman boys probably deserved to be a little further ahead than they were.
However, with winter setting in, it’s even more difficult to keep up those insane energy levels on heavy pitches.
And when those legs started to hurt just a little, back came Gorey with a late push and they closed out the contest in style.
Having seen plenty of under-age finals in the last few years, this was right up there with them in terms of entertainment value.
There’s no secret as to why, because both sides went after the game, pushed men forward and made it a contest of fascinating one-on-one battles, rather than who can defend best in numbers.
A fast start saw Sarsfields build a 0-3 to nil lead on the back of points from Darby Purcell, Darragh Kirwan and Luke Murphy.
Gorey didn’t score until the 15th minute but, when they did it was a vital major, eventually dispatched by Ross Kavanagh, after Eoin Halligan initially made two fantastic saves.
The boost the goal gave allowed Naomh Eanna to take their first lead through Dylan Cooke-Leonard.
However, despite a Tomás Mythen point, Sarsfields scored three of the last four points in the half, with Purcell and Murphy on target to go in 0-6 to 1-2 ahead.
Things continued in a similar vein early in the second period, and Purcell added a couple of superb dead-balls to increase the lead to three.
However, the longer the game wore on, the more difficult the Wexford town club found it to hit Purcell and his fellow inside forwards.
Naomh Eanna were level after points from Cooke-Leonard, James McGraynor and Cathal O’Brien.
Yet, despite their territorial dominance, it was still level until Cillian Byrne burst through in the 57th minute, was flattened in the process of shooting, and Rúairí Martin converted the resulting penalty.
From there, Cooke-Leonard kicked the last two points of the game in added time. While the margin of victory was a little harsh on Sarsfields, there’s no denying that Naomh Eanna were worthy winners.
Naomh Eanna: Reece Price; Evan Harper, Ruadhan Comerford, Tom Stokes; James Kenny, Conor Kelly (capt.), Dylan Cooke-Leonard (0-4, 2 frees); Cian Ó Túama, James McGraynor (0-1 free); Tiernan Black, Rúairí Martin (1-0 pen.), Cathal O’Brien (0-1); Cillian Byrne, Tomás Mythen (0-1), Ross Kavanagh (1-0). Subs. - Ryan O’Callaghan for Kavanagh (41), Cian Levingston for Byrne (60+2), also Rúairí Sheil, Alex Cousins, Jack Nolan, Marc Kinch, James O’Brien, Harry McGuckin, Mylie Connors.
Sarsfields: Eoin Halligan; Cúan Gallagher, Luke Corrigan, Cillian Twomey; Eoin Doyle, Cal Innes, Darragh Haughton; Ben English, Alex Kirby; Darragh Kirwan (0-1), Jesse Dempsey, Luke Murphy (0-2); Darcy Purcell (capt., 0-5 frees), Tiernan Doyle, Killian Whelan. Subs. - Brandon Roche for Doyle (45), Eoghan Cassin for Whelan (46), Noah Whelan for English (58), also Callum Farrell, Colm Roche, Thomas Duignan, Charlie Hynes, Christy Joss, Dean Glynn, Billy Walker, Conor Cullen, Shay O’Leary, Mark Tormey, Callum Finucane, Darragh Browne, Darragh Maloney.
Referee: Barry Redmond (Na Fianna Clonard).