Crossabeg get tough job done
Disappointment for Mary’s
SOMETIMES GRINDING out a win in poor conditions is every bit as satisfying as cruising to a big victory with a display of flowing football.
There’s a good chance that Crossabeg-Ballymurn will feel that way about Saturday’s success against St. Mary’s (Maudlintown) in Bellefield because, while it wasn’t pretty by any means, they got the job done to make it two wins from three outings in Group A of the Amber Springs/Ashdown Park Hotels Intermediate football championship.
With the ball like a bar of soap and the rain refusing to go away, it was never going to be a high-scoring contest, although the victors did themselves no favours by amassing 18 wides, nine per half.
St. Mary’s, in contrast, only had five misses, but their supply of possession was limited, especially in the opening period when their netminder, Paul Dempsey, kept them in the game.
He made two superb saves to prevent full-forward Sam Kelly from finding the net, with the second even better than the first.
Kelly latched on to a delivery from the influential Paddy Devereux at the start of the second quarter, but Dempsey was off his line quickly and smothered the shot.
And the number one was seen at his very best again in the 20th minute when an unfortunate slip by a Mary’s defender was followed by a slick chipped pick-up on the run by Ronan Devereux before he released Kelly.
It was a one-on-one situation and the attacker was odds-on to score, but Dempsey had other ideas and ensured that his side still only trailed by 0-2 to nil despite wave upon wave of pressure.
Scores were in such short supply that Crossabeg-Ballymurn’s half-time lead was a mere 0-4 to 0-1.
Their opener didn’t arrive until the twelfth minute from a Kelly free, and Paddy Devereux doubled the lead early in the second quarter when he claimed a mark, played a one-two with his brother, Ronan, and split the posts.
Pádraig Foley fisted a Mark O’Connor ‘45 over the bar before a Graham Carty ‘45 finally got St. Mary’s off the mark in the 25th minute.
Paddy Devereux picked out Bill Eviston to make it 4-1 in first-half added time, and a good Pádraig Foley point under pressure just 47 seconds into the new period stretched the gap.
The opening St. Mary’s point from play arrived from Dermot Flood in the 40th minute, but the Crossabeg-Ballymurn response was strong as Ronan Devereux and Sam Kelly left them 7-2 clear moving into the last quarter.
However, the town team then proceeded to exceed their tally recorded up to that stage in the space of just 90 seconds as Graham Carty (‘45), Eddie Pitman and a fine solo effort by Jamie Thomas left Crossabeg-Ballymurn with some battling to do.
A Sam Kelly free settled the leaders, but they enjoyed a huge let-off when a Jason Swords lob to the far post came back off the crossbar before Dermot Flood kicked what proved to be the game’s last score in the 55th minute.
St. Mary’s really couldn’t afford another loss after two previous defeats, but that brief burst was shortlived and they lost their attacking edge once again when it was needed most.
While neither side scored again, Crossabeg-Ballymurn managed the end of the game well, albeit with three more late wides bringing the closing tally to 18.
They also had a goal disallowed for a square ball in added time when Evan Kinlough palmed in a handpass from fellow substitute Oran Maddock, but the win leaves them in good fettle for Saturday’s clash with Bannow-Ballymitty in Innovate Wexford Park.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn: Ben Turner; Conor Barlow, Oisín Foley (capt.), Martin Redmond; Seamus Carroll, Bill Eviston (0-1), Conor Devereux; Paddy Devereux (0-1), Ronan Devereux (0-1); Mark O’Connor, Pádraig Foley (0-2), Cathal Devereux; Robert Byrne, Sam Kelly (0-3, 2 frees), Andy Butler. Subs. - Oran Maddock for Byrne (HT), Jack Fortune for Butler (44), Davy Kehoe for Eviston (52), Evan Kinlough for O’Connor (59).
St. Mary’s (Maudlintown): Paul Dempsey; Gary Murphy, Christy Lane, Alan Lynch (capt.); Alex Lynch, Graham Carty (0-2 ‘45s), Mark Doyle; Eddie Pitman (0-1), Dermot Flood (02); Ross Lynch, Dylan Owens, Pierce Dooley; Todd Hynes, Donal O’Leary, Jamie Thomas (0-1). Subs. - Jason Swords for Owens (16), Gavin Cullen for R. Lynch (HT), Tre Long for Alan Lynch (48), Andy Lehane for Cullen, black card (60).
Referee: Paddy Brady (Réalt na Mara).