Scart earn a deserved draw

COUNTY JFC GROUP 3 ROUND 2 Castlegregory 1-5 Scartaglin 1-5

A POINTED free in the sixth minute of added time afforded Scartaglin a share of the spoils in this second round clash in Castlegregory last Saturday.

Driving wind and rain made playing conditions pretty challenging to say the very least, and in such circumstances scores were always likely to be at a premium, even if a tendency to over elaborate in the build up play wasn’t always the best policy.

With the elements in one’s favour it was a game whereby route one would pay the most profitable returns and the manner in which both goals were scored illustrated that pretty clearly.

It was a fourth minute goal, scored by Niall Casey, when he capitalised with a fisted finish from Shay Walsh’s lofted delivery from a placed ball, which afforded the visitors a lead which they retained right up until the sixty second minute.

They failed, however. to build on that lead for a prolonged period, being denied twice by the upright and, indeed, Castlegregory could well have scored an equalising goal in the seventh minute when Brandon Hoare was denied from close range by a fine save from Conor Mitchell.

Deploying a sweeper in front of Eddie Horan, Castlegregory coped quite well facing a gale force breeze and that Scartaglin goal was the only score registered in the game throughout all of the opening quarter.

With goalkeeper Shane Kenny a key figure in terms of his solid input between the sticks, allied to his ability to provide a defensive outlet with his pin-point deliveries, Castlegregory, boosted by the industry of such as Maurice Slattery dictated the trend of proceedings for a period.

A pointed free from in the 20th minute from Shay Walsh, who was a key player for Scartaglin throughout extended their lead and after a point from Maurice Slattery at the end of some very good build up play opened the home side’s account Scartaglin finished the half stronger and points from substitute Mike Coakley and Eddie Horan afforded them a 1-3 to 0-1 interval lead.

At the time it looked as if it might not be sufficient, and the early indications on the resumption suggested that Castlegregory might be capable of overhauling the deficit. Jimmy O’Grady pointed a free in the fourth minute and two minutes later a lack of control cost Castlegregory in a clear cut goaling situation.

Another good score from Maurice Slattery reduced the deficit further by the eighth minute, and with Shane Kenny coming to his team’s rescue to deny Scartaglin of a goal in the twelfth minute the game’s only goal still separated the teams at the end of the third quarter.

With Eddie Horan now operating in midfield to good effect and Pádraig O’Connor a resolute defender Scartaglin dug deep and a point from impressive substitute Pa Rahilly offered them that extra bit of breathing space.

Reduced to fourteen players with ten minutes of normal time remaining, Castlegregory courtesy of a brace of pointed frees from Anton Kelliher and Jimmy O’Grady cut the deficit to 1-4 to 0-5 at the end of normal time.

Two minutes later they looked to have snatched a dramatic victory when Jimmy O’Grady’s long delivery from a free was forced home amongst a cluster of players in a goalmouth melee by Adam O’Donnell.

However, they paid the price of positioning every single player in defence and indiscipline afforded Scartaglin successive frees, while some dissent, meant that a free was awarded right in front of the posts which Shay Walsh duly converted for the equalising score.

A result which probably reflected the overall exchanges in pretty testing conditions. CASTLEGREGORY: Shane Kenny, Gearoid Fitzgerald, Tomas O’Connor, Colm Sills, Michael Scanlon, John Joe Hussey, Jason Griffin, Adam O’Donnell (1-0), Maurice Slattery (0-2), Joe O’Connor, Timmy Moriarty, Jimmy O’Grady (0-2 f), Podge Rohan, Colm O’Mahony, Brandon Hoare Subs: Anton Kelliher (0-1 f) for C Sills, Patrick O’Donoghue for J Griffin SCARTAGLIN: Conor Mitchell, Padraig O’Connor, Brendan Rahilly, Josh Kerin, Alan Horan, Padraig Reidy, Ger O’Connor, Sean Horan, Thomas Ford, Hugh O’Connor, Shay Walsh (0-2 f), Brian Hanrahan, Conor Cremin, Eddie Horan (0-1), Niall Casey (1-0) Subs: Mike Coakley (0-1) for H O’Connor, Pa Rahilly (0-1) for C Cremin, Mike Horan for M Coakley (B/C), Damien O’Connor for N Casey

REFEREE: Maurice Murphy (St Michael’s / Foilmore)