Finn’s two goals save St. Patrick’s

ST. PATRICK’S KILRUSH 2-6 0-10

TWO GOALS from Shane Finn saved St. Patrick’s Intermediate ‘A’ football championship status as they saw off Kilrush in a tightly-contested Joyces Expert relegation final in Bellefield on Friday.

While it was a low-scoring affair, with very little for the spectators to get excited about, Finn’s aerial prowess caught the eye early on when the big full-forward was unlucky not to have goaled in the opening minutes after his volleyed shot was well saved by Fionn Fortune.

With only two points scored in the opening quarter, one for each side, it looked like this was going to be a dreary affair, until out of nowhere Finn rose highest to fist a high delivery to the net, giving his side a huge advantage.

Kilrush hit a purple patch from here however, with Garrett O’Connor kicking three placed balls without reply, and with help from Michael Murphy and Tommy Devereux, they were two ahead with minutes remaining before the break.

Then, after a similar high delivery, Finn slapped the ball excellently to the net with one hand, completely outdoing Kilrush’s good work and putting St. Patrick’s one in front at the break.

There was a quick exchange on the resumption, with John Doyle on hand for St. Patrick’s and Tommy Devereux chipping in with a second long-range beauty.

Both sides were finding scores hard to come by and, after another exchange of scores between Garret O’Connor and Shane Finn, it was still all to play for but Kilrush looked to be struggling.

Shane Tomkins took a fine individual score before Richie Flood did the same for St. Patrick’s, putting his side two ahead with five minutes remaining, and it looked continuously less likely that Kilrush would get the scores they so badly needed.

They had one final effort when they were awarded a 13-metre free, with a goal the only thing that could save them.

But, with all bar one St. Patrick’s man blocking the goal, Tommy Devereux was forced to take his point and hope that there was still time.

There wasn’t, and St. Patrick’s held on to their Intermediate ‘A’ status while Kilrush took the drop to Junior.

St. Patrick’s: Jack Quinn; Joe Cousins, Michael O’Brien, Peter Roche; Darryl Murphy, James Cousins, Hughie Doyle; John Farrell, John Doyle (0-2 frees); Tommy Dunne, Richie Flood (0-1), Tommy Morris; Niall O’Brien, Shane Finn (2-1), Tomás Morris (0-1). Subs. - Michael Carroll for Tommy Morris (53), Andrew Doyle for Tomás Morris (58), Ashley Tully for O’Brien (58).

Kilrush: Fionn Fortune; Tom Byrne, Frank Lancaster, John Kavanagh; James Lancaster, Tommy Devereux (0-3, 2 frees), Peter O’Neill; Colm Buttle, Shane Tomkins (0-1); Garrett O’Connor (0-5 frees), Michael Murphy (0-1), Seán Bookey; James Byrne, Conor Levingstone, Gavin Sunderland. Subs. - Podge Byrne for J. Byrne (43), Edmond Kenny for Levingstone (46).

Referee: Martin Armstrong (Starlights).