Cloughbawn fully at ease
WHILE IT eventually proved to be in vain, there was a surreal air to Geraldine O’Hanrahans’ fightback against Cloughbawn in the Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship Group A at Cushinstown on Saturday.
At no point did the Castleboro side look concerned, not when Shane Roche netted in the 50th minute, or when the county goalkeeper pointed a free a minute later to close the gap to four (110 to 1-6). They always seemed completely at ease, confident of their impending win.
Sure enough, Colm Kehoe kicked another two scores, Paul Foley added a dead-ball, and they went home with the points, right back in the mix after a disappointing championship opening six days earlier against Naomh Eanna.
The victors were so comfortable in the first-half that they may well have partially lulled themselves into a semi-slumber after the break. They were 0-4 to 0-1 ahead, with four different scorers on the board, when they netted in the 21st minute.
It was a nothing goal, a terrible major for New Ross to concede. Jimmy O’Neill launched the ball high into the stratosphere; maybe it was a point attempt, maybe it was just a hopeful punt, but it worked out great. It broke to David Doyle-Murphy and he thumped the ball past Kevin Grangel.
The lead was 1-7 to 0-1 at the interval and despite not kicking on after the change-around, Cloughbawn continued to hold a comfortable eight-point advantage with just over ten minutes remaining.
When Roche’s punch towards goal was scrambled off the line, referee John Diskin gave a penalty for a throw. The dead-ball was dispatched to the net by the Geraldine’s top scorer. When his free a minute later made it 1-10 to 1-6, there was plenty of belief amongst the Ross contingent.
Yet they failed to score again. Cloughbawn kicked three more points and Cian O’Connor saved a second Roche spot-kick deep into added-time. The victors once again look like real title challengers, but the Ross men are in big trouble with two rounds gone.
Cloughbawn: Cian O’Connor; Aaron Byrne, Colin Doyle, Gareth Murphy; Harry Kehoe, David Doyle-Murphy (1-0), Gavin Murphy; Colm Kehoe (0-6, 1 ‘45), Barry Kehoe (capt.); Barry Carton, Bob Whitty (0-2), Billy Wickham (0-1); Jimmy O’Neill, Paul Foley (0-4, 3 frees), James Dempsey.
Geraldine O’Hanrahans: Kevin Grangel; Enda Kelly, Conor Cleere, Barry Kelly; Eoin Kelly, Dylan Egan, Matt Crowdle; Jamie Cullen (0-1), David Crowdle; Jack Foran (0-1), Robbie Vallejo, Michael Cleere; Stephen Somers, Shane Roche (1-4, 0-3 frees, 1-0 pen.), Barry Roche. Subs. - Michael Cullen for M. Cleere, inj. (28), Bryan Haberlin for Grangel, inj. (31), Gerry Cash for Somers (45), David Merrigan for B. Roche (52).
Referee: John Diskin (Bannow-Ballymitty).