Big bad Wolfe blows Blesso’s house down!
Eamon’s two goals helps Pat’s through
A hungry and spirited St Patrick’s football side put Blessington to the sword and secured their place in the 2016 Wicklow Senior football championship final in impressive fashion in Aughrim on Sunday last.
Two goals from the abrasive Eamon Wolfe, one in each half, topped a dominant display from Robert Hollingsworth’s men in a game where they lost their inform full-forward Tommy Kelly to a serious injury after 29 minutes of action.
Yet again the men of Blessington were forced to make the arduous journey home from Aughrim empty-handed after they failed to deliver on their potential and reach the county final for the first time since 1988. Much was expected from a side littered with inter-county players but Barry O’Donovan’s men just couldn’t match the St Pat’s side for hunger and tenacity and that lacklustre approach when combined with a bad day at the office from placed balls proved fatal to the west outfit’s ambitions.
Robert Hollingsworth will be absolutely delighted with this victory but his enthusiasm will be diluted by the loss of Kelly and Rory Marron, who replaced the influential full-forward in the opening half. Marron’s injury didn’t appear too serious but there are conflicting reports suggesting that Kelly may be out for up to three months while other sources suggest a possible return for the final.
The attitude of his players is what has to please Hollingsworth more than anything else. The fervour of Conor Ffrench and John Crowe, the electric energy from Brian Doyle, Wolfe’s effort and his preying on any weakness in the Blessington rearguard, his full-back line’s tenacity, the tackling and commitment from Niall Donnelly and Wayne Doyle, the glimpses from Paudge McWalter who was subdued by Bryan Carroll for long periods, and the seamless introduction of the likes of Richard Murphy and Cieran McGettigan has to satisfy the Pat’s boss and will surely leave them in a very healthy place as they head to the county final in search of Miley.
St Pat’s were showing much more gumption and endeavour from early on in this game and an adventurous burst up the field from corner-back Emmett Cullen produced the game’s first wide after 60 seconds.
Brian Doyle and Brian Coen soon got the scoreboard ticking over with two nice points and then a clever ball across the square from John Crowe provided the prowling Eamon Wolfe with a fairly straightforward job of lashing home to the back of Stephen Kitt’s net. 1-02 to no score after seven minutes.
Mikey O’Connor bagged the first of his four points, this from a free after a foul by Dean Healy and then Blessington withdrew midfielder Martin Shannon and sent Barry Finan into the fray with just nine minutes on the clock.
The next score was grabbed by the Pat’s men and came from the outside of Conor Ffrench’s boot before Mikey O’Connor split the Pat’s posts from a tight angle with a fine score.
At this point Kevin John Rogers and Eoin Keogh were working hard for Blessington and Rogers made it 1-03 to 0-03 after he collected a backwards pass from corner-forward Michael Nugent.
This was a decent spell for Blessington. They slowly drew Pat’s back in with points from Nugent who gathered a high ball from Eoin Keogh and Mikey O’Connor pointed a free won by Bryan Carroll to leave just one between the teams after 34 minutes of the first half; the game having been held up in the 29th minute by that nasty injury to Tommy Kelly.
However, Blessington failed to grab the game by the scruff of the neck in the closing minutes of the opening half and Paudge McWalter stormed through their defence to point an inspiration score and send the Pat’s men in leading by 1-04 to 0-05.
Pat’s started the second half on the front foot and were soon 1-06 to 0-05 ahead thanks to points from Johnny Delahunt and Rory Marron.
Blessington found their feet and attacked and Curtis Geraghty found himself in possession close to the Pat’s goal but it was here where the Pat’s spirit and passion were epitomised. Geraghty was swallowed up and the ball had to be worked out to Paul McLoughlin and the Blessington midfielder popped it over the bar to make it 1-06 to 0-06 after 34 minutes.
Pat’s were struck with a second body blow on the day soon after this when Rory Marron went over awkwardly and he was forced to leave the field of play with Stephen Duffy replacing.
Barry Finan collected a breaking ball and reduced the Pat’s lead with a point in what was to be Blessington’s last score and then John Crowe connected with the hungry Eamon Wolfe and took a return pass to make it 1-07 to 0-07.
A wide from each side was followed by a double substitution in the 43rd minute from Barry O’Donovan as he sent in Patrick O’Connor and David Boothman in place of Michael Nugent and Bryan Carroll.
But it was from here that the Blessington challenge malfunctioned. Mikey O’Connor missed frees that he may never miss again, one from 14 yards out and one that brushed off the wrong side of the post and which suggested that it was just not going to be Blessington’s day.
Blessington were going to need a goal as the second half crept towards a close but it wa sPat’s who broke up the field and a high Shane Doyle ball fell on top of Eamon Wolfe and he punched home past Stephen Kitt for a goal that signed, sealed and delivered a county final place for the St Pat’s outfit.
They face Baltinglass and it promises to be a very intriguing and entertaining final on October 9.
Scorers – St Patrick’s: Eamon Wolfe 2-00; Paudge McWalter 0-01; Johnny Delahunt 0-01; Conor Ffrench 0-01; Brian Doyle 0-01; John Crowe 0-01; Brian Coen 0-01; Rory Marron 0-01; Stephen Duffy 0-01 (f).
Blessington: Mikey O’Connor 0-04 (3f); Kevin John Rogers 0-01; Barry Finan 0-01; Michael Nugent 0-01.
St Patrick’s: Ian Murphy; Emmett Cullen, Padraig Higgins, Ciaran Doyle; Niall Donnelly, Patrick McWalter, Wayne Doyle; Dean Healy, Johnny Delahunt; Conor Ffrench, Brian Doyle, John Crowe; Eamon Wolfe, Tommy Kelly, Brian Coen. Subs: Rory Marron for T Kelly (29min, inj); Stephen Duffy for R Marron (36min, inj); Richard Murphy for B Coen (52min); Cieran McGettigan for W Doyle (54min); Shane Doyle for C Ffrench (60min).
Blessington: Stephen Kitt; Barry Murphy, Michael McLoughlin, Jack Gilligan; Kevin Hanlon, Caolan McGorman, Eoin Keogh; Martin Shannon, Paul McLoughlin; Kevin John Rogers, Bryan Carroll, Anthony McLoughlin; Michael Nugent, Curtis Geraghty, Michael O’Connor. Subs: Barry Finan for M Shannon (9min); Patrick O’Connor for M Nugent (43min); David Boothman for B Carroll (43min); Stephen Bohan for K Hanlon (47min); Eddie Boylan for C Geraghty (54min)
Ref: Kieron Kenny (Tinahely)