Great escape from Pat’s
ST. PATRICK’S SHELMALIERS
LEADING BY ten points heading into the final quarter, Shelmaliers were lucky to come away with a share of the spoils in this Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship Group A contest at the Ferns Centre of Excellence on Sunday.
In one sense their opponents, St. Patrick’s, will be rightly delighted to fight back and nab a draw against probably the most talented Shelmaliers side that will line up in the third tier this season.
They looked dead and buried when they were trailing by 2-11 to 0-7 in the 46th minute.
The revival started when Shane Finn forced the ball over the line after Niall O’Brien’s shot was initially saved.
When talisman John Doyle raced away down the left-centre five minutes later and fired past Brian Murphy, it was game on.
The Camolin-based club kept chipping away and eventually drew level in the 58th minute. Almost immediately the Shels responded with a point from substitute Páraic O’Leary to make it 2-13 to 2-12, and then there was a moment of controversy.
O’Brien played the ball across goal to Stephen Ryan who was in behind his marker and went to ground under heavy contact.
It was a penalty all day long, and referee Joe Kelly immediately blew his whistle but didn’t signal. Instead he went in to discuss the incident with his umpires and comically came to the conclusion that it should be a free out.
Four minutes of added time seemed excessive considering there was no injury of note in the half, but it proved to be enough time for Pat’s to win a free, play it sideways, then back to Tomás Morris, and he nailed a stunning equaliser from near midfield to earn the draw.
Earlier, the first-half featured more wides for each team than scores, and still Shelmaliers led by 0-6 to 0-5 at the break.
Five minutes into the second-half, Ronan Kavanagh hauled in Conor Byrne’s long ball and thumped it past Stuart Quinn.
With Byrne scoring for fun, the lead continued to grow. Kavanagh got his second goal in the 40th minute when he swatted home Aidan Cash’s long delivery from the edge of the square as Shelmaliers built a 2-11 to 0-7 lead they couldn’t maintain.
St. Patrick’s: Stuart Quinn; Peter Roche, Michael O’Brien, Joe Cousins; Hughie Doyle (joint capt.), Richie Flood, James Cousins; Tommy Dunne, Daryl Murphy; Shane Finn (1-0), John Doyle (1-10, 0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65, 0-1 line ball), Stephen Ryan (0-1); Tomás Morris (0-1), Tynan Flynn (joint capt., 0-1), Niall O’Brien.
Shelmaliers: Brian Murphy; Eoin O’Leary, Kevin O’Leary, Adam Hearne; Johnny Campbell, Aidan Cash, Conor Walsh; Chris Cowman, Craig Parker; Ciarán O’Shaughnessy, Conor Byrne (0-10, 7 frees, 1 ‘65), Ronan Kavanagh (2-1); Liam Rockett, Ryan Hanrahan (0-1), Kyle Roche. Subs. - Michael Feeney for Rockett (43), Páraic O’Leary (0-1) for Cowman (57).
Referee: Joe Kelly (Naomh Eanna).