Sinnott stuns Castletown in added time
RATHGAROGUE-CUSHINSTOWN CASTLETOWN 1-8 1-6 NICKY SINNOTT provided a dramatic additional time winning goal to give Rathgarogue-Cushinstown a hard-earned two-point victory over Castletown in this Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group B game in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Saturday.
Castletown looked destined for victory, leading by two points as the game moved into additional time. And while an Aaron Ryan punched point one minute in gave the New Ross District brief hope of snatching a draw, few expected such a dramatic finish.
Having defended a Castletown attack, they moved the ball swiftly from deep in defence through midfield before eventually picking out corner-forward Nicky Sinnott.
Sinnott, who had fluffed numerous scoring chances earlier, cut in on goal from out close to the sideline.
As defenders closed him down his punched effort for a levelling point dropped agonisingly over the head of ’keeper, Darragh Brooks, just under the bar into the opposite corner of the net after taking a deflection, giving his side a dramatic winning goal three minutes into additional time.
Castletown had looked the superior side through most of this game as veteran former county player Diarmuid Kinsella kicked over three superb first-half points from play to give his side a 0-4 to 0-3 interval lead, with Robbie Brooks adding the fourth, while Aaron Ryan, Daire Bolger and a Sinnott free were the south county side’s scorers.
After the teams continued to trade points, Castletown looked on their way to a victory and a quarter-final spot when Diarmuid Kinsella crashed home a superb goal after a kick-out had been intercepted, giving his side a 1-6 to 0-5 lead with ten minutes remaining.
The eventual winners were not showing much in attack until those dramatic additional time minutes which handed them a late, late victory, and confirmed their outright leadership of the group.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Johnny Kelly; Eoghan Whelan, Páidí McGrath, Patrick Murphy; Liam O’Shea, Bryan Cody, Brian O’Neill; Enda Doran, Bernard Furlong; Daire Bolger (0-1), Peadar Cody (0-1), Tadhg Cody (0-1); Nicky Sinnott (1-1, 0-1 free), Brendan Fitzpatrick, Aaron Ryan (0-2). Sub. - Jimmy Whelan (0-2) for Fitzpatrick.
Castletown: Darragh Brooks; Mark Halpin, Paul Nugent, Oisín Condren; Danny Dixon, Risteárd Kinsella, Aaron Condren; Jesse Foley (0-1), Mick O’Donoghue; Robbie Brooks (0-1), Kevin Morris, Seán Roche; Diarmuid Kinsella (1-4), George Sunderland, Shane Halpin. Sub. - Cathal Gregan for Foley.
Referee: Philip Murphy (Faythe Harriers).