Roche wins it for GOH

GER. O’HANRAHANS KILRUSH 2-6 0-10 A SHANE Roche goal in the fourth minute of injury time earned Geraline O’Hanrahans a dramatic victory in Group B of the Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship in St. Patrick’s Park on Sunday.

Seconds earlier substitute Tommy Devereux had kicked over what looked like the winning point for Kilrush, but there was a sting in the tail for the north county men with Roche grabbing that late winner.

The goal capped a superb performance from the Geraldine O’Hanrahans talisman, as he scored a superb 2-3 from play to steer his side to victory.

Kilrush will be kicking themselves for letting this one slip away though, as they built up a six-point lead with 14 minutes left and looked to be coasting to victory.

However, Shane Roche kick-started the Geraldine O’Hanrahans revival with his first goal on 47 minutes and completed the job with his intervention in time added on.

There was little between the sides in a cagey first-half, with Kilrush holding a 0-4 to 0-3 advantage as they switched ends.

The New Ross town men were 0-3 to 0-1 ahead on eleven minutes with Shane Roche, David Crowdle and Eoin Kelly splitting the posts, after Brian Hayden had opened the scoring for Kilrush.

Two frees from Conor Levingstone and a fine score from P.J. Nolan edged the Gorey District men ahead before half-time.

Kilrush continued to turn the screw after the interval with points from Gavin Sunderland (two), Tom Hayden, Eoghan Murphy and Conor Levingstone putting them six clear.

Geraldine O’Hanrahans went 36 minutes without working the scoreboard, but they ended their drought in style when Shane Roche weaved his way through the defence before planting the ball in the back of the net.

Roche’s confidence was clearly high and he quickly added two beautiful scores from the left wing to reduce the deficit to one point.

Kilrush suffered a further blow when Gavin Sunderland was dismissed after being shown a second yellow card on 54 minutes, and Dylan Egan then stroked over the levelling point with two minutes of normal time remaining.

Substitute Tommy Devereux looked to have won it for Kilrush when he landed a point on 63 minutes, but Shane Roche had the final say when he gathered Barry Kelly’s pass and kept his composure to hit the net.

Geraldine O’Hanrahans: David Caulfield; James Ryan, Conor Cleere, John Sutton; Anthony Purcell, Matt Crowdle, Eoin Kelly (0-1); Shane Roche (2-3), Jamie Cullen; Barry Kelly, Seán Culleton, Dylan Egan (0-1); Daryl Thomas, David Crowdle (0-1), Jack Foran. Subs. - Danielus Niekis for Caulfield, inj., David Purcell for Cullen.

Kilrush: Martin Hayden; Tom Byrne, Frank Lancaster, Davy Travers; James Lancaster, Tom Hayden (01), Tom Kavanagh; P.J. Nolan (0-1), Conor Levingstone (0-3 frees); Eoghan Murphy (0-1), Colm Buttle, Gavin Sunderland (0-2); Brian Hayden (0-1 free), Ray Lancaster, Pádraig Byrne. Subs. - Tommy Devereux (0-1) for B. Hayden, Ted Kinsella for P. Byrne.

Referee: Francis Neville (Shelmaliers).