Shamrock Gaels and Curry epic Intermediate tie
ANYONE hoping to witness a game that had everything from goal chances missed and taken, ferocious tackles, hunger, intensity and downright excellent skill were in for a treat last Sunday as Curry and Shamrock Gaels met in the Kennedys Intermediate final in a packed Bunninadden.
Both sides were here guns blazing and they certainly put on a heart-stopping, entertaining masterpiece.
It was a game that neither side really deserved to lose and there were fantastic displays from both teams during what was a spellbinding encounter in Bunninadden.
Such was the size of the crowds descending on the venue that referee Conor Conway had to delay throw-in briefly to accommodate fans eager to watch the contest.
And what a contest it was.
With goal chances, possible penalty shouts and incredible point-taking both sides showed why they deserved to be battling for a place in Senior football next year.
With the breeze blowing across the pitch in the first half into the stand it wasn’t impacting play too much with Shamrock Gaels hitting the game’s first wide before Curry responded through the influential Sean Davey who found Red Óg Murphy lurking and the forward saw his goal chance come off the crossbar in the first minute.
Less than a minute later and the half forward expertly scored from his left boot before midfielder Sean Colleary followed suit from play, Curry’s David McDonagh and Tommy Henry involved.
Brian Boyd got Shamrock Gaels on the scoreboard 5 minutes in after David Quinn was fouled.
Moments later the excellent Darragh Hailstones after being passed to by Frank Quinn had a goal chance, he was brought down near the area and a free in was given, Boyd converting. A minute later and Shamrock Gaels had another goal chance this time through David Quinn who was bounding down and he was one on one with Curry keeper James McDonagh who saved.
It was Boyd who got Shamrock Gaels’ first 3 points and his third on 10 minutes was a fantastic score after Hailstones passed to him as John McPartland’s side led by one.
Man-of-the-match Curry’s Adrian Marren got his first of a remarkable 10 from a free on 13 minutes before Curry again went in front, Davey and Henry linking up with Murphy who pointed brilliantly from play.
Dillon McDermott intelligently intercepted a Curry surge and Shamrock Gaels then went on the counter-attack, defender Karl McKenna sending over a brilliant point as both sides had 0-4 apiece 15 minutes in in what was a pulsating match right from the beginning.
Hailstones was causing the Curry defence all sorts of headaches and Boyd converted another free on him as the Riverstown outfit led by one.
Murphy responded with a fantastic free from 45 yards and he was involved in the attack moments later again when he set up Henry who saw his goal chance go to the left of Donal Tuohy in the Shamrock Gaels goal.
Then it was Shamrock Gaels who found the net, a brilliant pass from Frank Quinn to the lurking Hailstones who flicked over the keeper to the back of the net, giving his side a 3 point lead on 22 minutes.
Curry responded immediately through Marren, who got the next 3 Curry scores, one from play and 2 placed balls. One of the frees on Alan Reillyin the 29th minute seeing the referee consult his umpires as there were shouts for a penalty, but the free in was awarded, Marren slotting over as the sides were level again as half time beckoned.
Another goal chance for Shamrock Gaels saw Curry full back Tommy Stenson slip with Hailstones on the attack, Hailstones giving Shamrock Gaels a narrow one point lead at the break, ahead by 1-6 to Curry’s 0-8 in a brilliant opening half from both sides with chances galore.
Marren through a free brought it back level after the resumption and it was responded to with a well-worked team move from Shamrock Gaels, an excellent ball from James Carroll to Boyd who found David Quinn with his first score on 36 minutes.
Marren again impressively pointed from play before another turning point arrived on 39 minutes, Shamrock Gaels finding the net for the second time. The hardworking David Quinn and Boyd finding Hailstones who got his second as they went in front by 3.
Another point from Marren and an unreal score from Murphy from distance brought the deficit back to one with 18 minutes to go.
Spectators could feel this one was going to go down to the wire and they were not wrong.
A long-range point from Hailstones from away out put his side 2 in front before David Quinn added another free to put a goal between them with 15 minutes to go.
The next 2 scores were from Marren, one from play and a placed ball as again only a single point separated them in what was edge-of-the-seat stuff.
Play was stopped briefly after Frank Quinn was on the ground after a high tackle from Davey as the game entered the remaining minutes.
Shamrock Gaels then had another goal chance when David Quinn passed to substitute Dylan Willis but Curry earned a free out.
David Quinn pointed a brilliant score from near the sideline as Shamrock Gaels led by 2 with 3 minutes remaining and when he added another free a minute later it looked as though Shamrock Gaels were heading to victory, a goal to the good.
This was a game however that neither side deserved to lose and Curry to their credit fought on, the excellent Murphy scoring twice from frees in injury time and who else only Marren converting in the 34th minute as the sides must do it all over again on Sunday in Bunninadden after a fascinating contest.
CURRY: J McDonagh (C), A Kearns, T Stenson, C Gallagher, K Reilly, D McDonagh, G Walsh, S Davey, S Colleary, J Durkin, A Marren, M Gordon, R Ó Murphy, A Reilly, T Henry. Subs used: K Morley for Durkin (inj 34), J Marren for D McDonagh (43), D Coffey for Davey (53).
Scorers: A Marren (0-10, 6f), R Ó Murphy (0-6, 3f), S Colleary (0-1).
SHAMROCK GAELS: D Tuohy, B Tuohy, P Higgins (C), E Lyons, K McKenna, K McMorrow, A Flynn, J Carroll, J Henry, D McDermott, B Boyd, M Kilkenny, D Hailstones, F Quinn, D Quinn. Subs used:: S Duignan for Kilkenny (h/t), D Willis for McDermott (50), J Quinn for Hailstones (53), S Hailstones for Carroll (59), G McMorrow for B Tuohy (63).
Scorers: D Hailstones (2-2), B Boyd (0-4, 3f). D Quinn (0-4, 2f). K McKenna (0-1),.
REFEREE: C Conway.