Rossiter to the Mary’s rescue
County man grabs equaliser
ST. MARY’S (R’LARE) 2-6 FERNS ST. AIDAN’S 2-6
NAOMHAN ROSSITER struck an equalising goal with just a minute remaining to give his St. Mary’s (Rosslare) side their first point of the Ashdown Park/Amber Springs Hotels Intermediate football championship Group B in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Wednesday.
With time ticking away on their championship aspirations, the county newbie hauled in David Murphy’s free-kick into the goalmouth, made a yard of space just inside the large rectangle, and struck a powerful shot low through a raft of bodies to the Ferns net.
On the balance of play after the interval, Rosslare were a little fortunate to snag a draw. They were under the cosh for spells but defended resolutely.
However, they also felt aggrieved at full-time, having been adamant that a David Murphy attempt that was waved wide in the second-half had gone inside the post.
Not looking one hundred per cent, Murphy played as the furthest man forward and grew into the role the longer the game went on. Yet, it was another Rosslare man familiar with the county setup, Tiarnan Rossiter, who kicked a fine opening point from the left wing.
A pair of classy points by Tommy Dwyer and Patrick Breen gave Ferns a lead at the end of the opening quarter, but quickfire scores from Murphy and a booming Niall Walsh minor left St. Mary’s 0-3 to 0-2 ahead.
With two minutes of the period remaining, Stephen Cogley was penalised for a foul on Christopher O’Connor, under a hopeful dropping Ryan Nolan ball, for a penalty that Nolan himself converted. It was enough for a 1-2 to 0-4 interval lead for Ferns after David Murphy’s late point.
Following an exchange of points between Murphy and John Breen, Tiarnan Rossiter won possession back high up the field, ran at the Ferns defence and off-loaded to Lee Devereux who smashed a powerful shot past McGuire.
The goal came as the Gorey District side dominated the ball without a cutting edge, that was until Robert Vickers was introduced. He won a free that O’Connor converted before he dribbled past two defenders soccer-style and side-footed to the Rosslare net in the 50th minute (2-5 to 1-6).
A Vickers point edged the lead up to three but there was still time for Naomhan Rossiter to score a dramatic late equalising goal to keep his side’s hopes of reaching the last eight alive with two games still to go.
St. Mary’s (Rosslare): Stephen Cogley; Gearóid Byrne, Emmett Byrne, Conal Grant; Seán Finan, Naomhan Rossiter (1-0), Tiarnan Rossiter (0-1); Andrew Murphy, Robert Butler; Larry Morrissey, Lee Devereux (1-0), Niall Walsh (0-1); Ultan Quirke, David Murphy (capt., 0-4, 3 frees), Barry Quirke. Subs. - Peter Carr for Morrissey, inj. (18), Mick McInerney for A. Murphy, temp. (23-25), Paul Kinsella for Grant, inj. (31).
Ferns St. Aidan’s: Jason McGuire; Declan Byrne, Pádraig Bolger, Brian O’Neill; Peter Nolan, Ciarán Roberts, Keith Breen; Colm Whelan (capt.), Ian Byrne; Ryan Nolan (1-1, 1-0 pen.), John Breen (0-1), Tommy Dwyer (01); Aaron Collier, Patrick Breen (0-1), Christopher O’Connor (0-1 free). Subs. - Robert Vickers (1-1) for Collier (43), Peter Codd for P. Nolan (49), Ivan Meegan for Whelan (54).
Referee: John Diskin (Bannow-Ballymitty).