WHAT A COMEBACK
Marshalstown wipe out big deficit
MARSHALSTOWN-CASTLEDOCKRELL won the first People Newspaper Coiste na nÓg title of the season, dramatically coming from seven points down to beat Volunteers in the New Ross Standard Under-14 football Division 5 13-a-side ‘B’ shield in Bree on Monday of last week.
When Darragh Byrne fired to the Marshalstown-Castledockrell net, six minutes into the second-half, the eventual victors looked to be in big trouble, trailing by 2-7 to 0-6.
However, drawing on reserves they probably didn’t even realise they possessed, the Farmleigh boys went on a 2-4 run without reply to take the plaque.
It was just desserts for a side that, despite not winning a game on the field in the group stages, competed all their fixtures, putting in some strong performances with a youthful side along the way.
However, things weren’t looking great when the impressive Brian Deeny started with a string of scores to put his side 0-4 to nil ahead. While Michael Ivers pulled one back, twelve-man Volunteers saw Eoin McBride slalom through the Marshalstown-Castledockrell defence to net.
While Dean Franklin and Adam Somers kicked a couple of nice points for Marshalstown-Castledockrell, Volunteers were still pressing. Deeny added another couple of scores while Eoin Foley flashed over the crossbar to make it 1-7 to 0-3.
Slowly Marshalstown-Castledockrell were finding their feet. Their defence stepped it up, conceding just one score in the remainder of the game. At the other end of the field, the scores were being shared around evenly.
Captain Cathal Roche started the run before the break with a nice point, Ivers kicked a great score from an acute angle on the left of goal, and Franklin closed out the period with a point to cut the gap to four at the break (1-7 to 0-6).
Volunteers responded after the interval. Brian Deeny and Eoin Foley inter-changed, driving at the Marshalstown-Castledockrell defence before the former forced the ball across the face of goal where Darragh Byrne pounced to net.
After Eoin McBride was yellow-carded, Marshalstown-Castledockrell turned the screw. Dodie Ibrahim made two great saves but points from Franklin and Roche narrowed the gap. When a 30-metre run from Roche ended with the attacking defender firing past Ibrahim, it was game on (2-7 to 1-8).
Ryan McLoughlin cut the deficit to the minimum with seven minutes remaining. Then Danny Byrne’s long-range free flew into the top corner of the Vols net.
Now leading by two, Franklin put the seal on victory for his side with a last-minute point to send the plaque back to Farmleigh.
Marshalstown-Castledockrell: Jack Whyte; Shane Roche, Danny Byrne (1-0 free), Tadhg Dunne; Ryan Quigley, Cathal Roche (capt., 1-2); David Kinsella, Ryan McLoughlin (01); Peter Lacey, Dean Franklin (0-4, 1 free), Michael Ivers (0-2); Craig McDonald, Noah Kearney. Subs. - Adam Somers (0-1) for Lacey (16), Lacey for McDonald, also Dylan Bolger, James Byrne.
Volunteers: Dodie Ibrahim; Alfie McQuaid, Conor Dobbs; Rocco Zeltka, Eoin McBride (1-0), Michael Dempsey; Eoin Foley (capt., 0-1), Brian Deeny (06, 1 free); Rhys Murphy, Seán Byrne; Scott Creane, Darragh Byrne (1-0).
Referee: John Tobin (Geraldine O’Hanrahans).