‘Draw’ that never was
OYLEGATE-GLENBRIEN were the newest victims of the latest costly and recurring refereeing error of miscalculated points tallies in Farmleigh on Saturday.
Approaching half-time, all seemed to be going to plan for the Enniscorthy District men. Leading by two at the interval, they appeared to be well on their way to grabbing a two-point lead atop of the Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group A table.
All that, before the anguish of avoidable human error halted their progress.
Brendan Hobbs had kicked Tara Rocks into a very early lead inside the opening 30 seconds before a quartet of quick Oylegate-Glenbrien minors shifted control firmly to the boys in blue.
Two Joe Bolger frees and singles from Noel Gallagher and James Mordaunt were appeased by Oylegate-Glenbrien’s Marty Kelly and Jamie Reck as the Gorey District side struggled with a blanket defence.
With the masses believing that Oylegate-Glenbrien held a 0-7 to 0-5 advantage at the interval, referee Eric Molloy was keen to enforce his verdict that there was in fact just one point between the sides.
He stated that the Rocks had hit the target half a dozen times, rather than just the five recorded by reporters and some supporters alike in the opening 30 minutes.
Wherever the ghost point had come from, it had clear affected the half-time leaders. Paddy Phelan raced through the Oylegate-Glenbrien defence to net the only goal, with further points added through Gallagher, Mordaunt and Hobbs.
Podge Doran and Kelly kept Oylegate-Glenbrien in touch before the heroic Ciarán Hourihane kicked a last-gasp point to earn them what will be officially called a draw, rather than the win they actually achieved and deserved.
Oylegate-Glenbrien: John Foley; Robert O’Connor, Michael Heffernan (capt.), Lee Kehoe; Shane Reck, Damien Reck, Peadar O’Mahoney (0-1); Podge Doran (0-3, 2 frees), Ciarán Hourihane (0-2); Marty Kelly (0-4, 3 frees), Jamie Reck (0-1), Fergal Doran; John Lambert (0-1), Seamus Casey (0-1), Conor Heffernan. Subs. - Kieran Lambert for S. Reck (45), Fergus Heffernan for C. Heffernan (52), Barry Dunne for J. Lambert (54).
Tara Rocks: Darragh McKenna; Damien Tobin, Tomás Owley, Richie McDonald; Gearóid O Súilleabháin, Gary Owley, Paddy Carton; Paddy Phelan (1-0), Brendan Hobbs (0-2); Martin Sheehan, Noel Gallagher (02), Niall Breen (capt.); Rhys Owley (0-1), Joe Bolger (0-2 frees), James Mordaunt (0-2, 1 free). Subs. - Shane Tobin for Bolger (47), Lee Owley for Mordaunt (52), Colin Breen for Gallagher (55), Patrick Fortune for Phelan (59).
Referee: Eric Molloy (St. James’).