Quality encounter
Ivers goal helps Marshalstown home
A COLIN Ivers punched goal nine minutes from the end helped Marshalstown-Castledockrell survive a Monageer-Boolavogue second-half rally in a hugely exciting New Ross Standard Under-13 football Division 4 shield final in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, recently.
This was a decider that lacked for nothing as it was full of quality.
Both sides moved the ball at pace, kicking some excellent scores, while one also had to admire the defensive and attacking ability displayed by the teams, particularly through an enthralling second 25 minutes.
The eventual winners had the better of the opening half, showing that little more class in the forwards which in turn resulted in some excellent scores.
The Monageer-Boolavogue boys took a fourth-minute lead through an excellent Robert Cahill point from an acute angle, but it did not take the opposition long to get back on level terms from a sixth-minute Oisín Fenlon pointed free.
Marshalstown-Castledockrell then had a largely dominant spell after a Colin Ivers seventh-minute point had them in front, as they followed with two unanswered points from Cormac Carey and Conor Devereux to lead by 0-4 to 0-1 after 15 minutes.
Five minutes before the break they got a decisive breakthrough when Brian Ivers goaled following an excellent move initiated out of midfield.
And while the opposition responded with a Billy Codd pointed free, they still trailed by 1-4 to 0-2 at the interval.
The eventual winners started the second-half very well. Through some quick early attacks, they managed to tag on further points from Brian Ivers and Blaise Kearney to move into a 1-6 to 0-2 lead, looking quite comfortable at the time.
While this may have been an early marker, it did not deter the opposition who somehow managed to increase the tempo of their game through the efforts of Jack Turner and Charlie Donnelly.
They began to carry the ball forward from deep in defence, and with Robert Cahill and Bobby Codd beginning to make an impact, they gradually reduced the deficit.
Seven minutes into the second-half, Evan Dunne found the net with a cracking shot from 14 metres, and they eventually reduced the deficit to three points (1-8 to 1-5).
Thirteen minutes into the second-half they were dramatically level when Leon Doran goaled from close range, but when it looked as they were about to assume control, the Marshalstown-Castledockrell boys bounced right back.
With Leo Morris excellent at centre-back and Blaise Kearney and Cormac Casey winning lots of midfield possession, the two Ivers along with Oisín Devereux and Oisín Fenlon helped their side regain the initiative.
They got the all-important goal seven minutes from the end when Colin Ivers got his fist to a dropping ball to finish to the net, a score that was to eventually decide the final outcome.
Marshalstown-Castledockrell:
Dylan Westnott-Byrne; Peter Lett, Tiernan Tyrrell, Jack Burton; Michael Kehoe, Leo Morris, Cormac Devereux (0-1); Blaise Kearney (0-1), Cormac Casey (0-1); Brian Ivers (1-3, 0-1 free), Colin Ivers (1-2), Oisín Devereux; Oisín Fenlon (0-2, 1 free), Isaac Kearney, Tomás Tyrrell. Subs. - Joe Byrne, Tomás Mernagh, Cathal Mernagh, Sam Lett, Aaron Lett, Arthur Ashmore.
Monageer-Boolavogue: Ronan Egan; Jack Dempsey, Jack Turner, Henry Kelly; Thomas Deacon, Evan Dunne (1-0), Seán Walsh; Patrick Kinsella, Charlie Donnelly; Oisín Stafford, Robert Cahill (0-1), Harry Goff; Leon Doran (1-1), Seán Og Gilbride, Bobby Codd (0-4, 2 frees). Subs. - Ben Thomas, Conor Burke, Jamie Cunniffe, Aaron Cunniffe, Gerard Turner, Pierce Breen, Enda Gahan, Seán Cooper, Eoghan Whelan, Fionn Stafford, Tadgh Dunne, Aaron Leacy.
Referee: Eamonn Furlong (Starlights).