Ashford get the better of Kilcoole in JAFC
ASHFORD 0-11 KILCOOLE 0-09
WHEN Danny Kavanagh stepped up to take that last gasp free for Kilcoole from 14 meters out you could feel the will and the unity of the entire community of Ashford coming together to block him out.
Such was the ferocity of the shot that it’s difficult to know whose limb it was or what part of the human body is be thanked for the block on that ball to stop it going over the goal line but what we do know is that the shot was deflected away from goal and shortly afterwards referee John Keenan sounded the final whistle prompting wonderful celebrations from the Ashford side who now deservedly take their place in Intermediate football for 2017.
Ashford manager Ronnie Philips was delighted after the game and not just for his loyal band of warriors who clinched victory on the field of play but also for the wider club within which tremendous work is going on at all levels.
“This is just incredible,” said Ronnie. “I have spent 15 years with a lot of these young lads coming up and I have to say that a day like this is just magnificent.
“Now, it is tinged with sadness because Will (Hender Philips) is not here but he knows and he’ll be there for the Leinster final.
“Putting the new dressing room up has given the club such a lift and now we have a platform and now this has just crowned it altogether,” he added.
Ronnie added that watching his side play has made him feel quite old due to stress and worry because of their slow starts but he was comfortable that they could do as they have done all season and come good in the second half.
“Lee made a great save right at the end but I feel like a 90-year-old man watching them because we can never get off to a good start, we struggle all the way along in the first half but our second half all year long have been just magnificent and we went into that dressing room and we said, “Lads, do the same again and we’ll be there or thereabouts.
“It has been a full man squad all year. It’s absolutely fantastic,” he added.
This was a tough Junior ‘A’ football final, hard hitting, unforgiving, tense, dramatic and in the pot right to the last kick of the game.
Finals will give you that. Finals will give you added tension.
Adrenalin rushes through the body. Bigger crowds, bigger stage, more at stake, it effects everybody differently, some rise, some take a while, but nothing was left on the field of play on Saturday evening in Arklow by either team.
Kilcoole were ahead by the minimum at the end of a tight first half at 0-04 to 0-03. There was no way this was ever going to be a free-flowing affair and so it transpired.
Lee Dutton opened the scoring with Kilcoole’s first point of the day after five minutes, this coming after a wide each from the unlikely duo of Ashford’s Conor Dowling and Kilcoole’s Glen Tighe.
Six minutes passed before the leveller and this from the boot of Jason Taylor, a man who would have a tremendous second half in this game.
A foul on Luke Evans by Michael Taylor left Matt Gilbert with the chance to point but the centre-half forward was wayward with his effort.
Moments later Eoin Keddy, who lined out at full-forward, swung over a sweet score to send the Goosebank men into the lead with 17 played.
Ashford then won a sideline ball down on the standside, Woodenbridge end, 21 yards out and up stepped Graham Mooney and he dropped over a beautiful curling shot over the crossbar to make it 0-02 to 0-02. Nothing separating the sides.
Lee Dutton returned Kilcoole to the lead and then Lee Fitzpatrick saved superbly from Declan Roper and out for a 45 which was sent wide by Matt Gilbert. It was some save though.
A foul on Thomas Kearns left Aaron Nugent with his first real chance and the talented attacker made no mistake to level the game again, this time at 0-03 to 0-03 after 25 minutes and the last score of the half was registered by Declan Roper who collected a ball off the post from a 45 from Jack Bellamy.
Ashford needed something big in the second half. They needed someone to step up to the mark and they had two such men, one was Aaron Nugent, the other was Jason Taylor.
Nugent had the sides level shortly after the restart and he pushed them ahead 120 seconds later when he converted a free after a foul by Matt Kennedy on Wesley Manning.
Matt Gilbert replied for Kilcoole from play to make it 0-05 to 0-05 before a superb ctahc from Vinnie Quigley from an kickout saw the Kilcoole star feed Matt Gilbert who supplied Roper with the ball and the corner-forward returned his side to the front with a fine score.
Nugent pointed another free, this time for a foul on Taylor by Charlie Mcgovern and then Taylor swung one over from play to send Ashford into the lead at 0-07 to 0-06 with 42 played.
Nugent from play introduced a little bit of daylight between the sides and then Kilcoole sent
in Danny Kavanagh for Declan Roper.
Poor Ashford passing gifted Jack Bellamy with a chance for a point and a young man of his talent rarely refuses such charity.
But Nugent was starting to impose himself on this game big time. He went short, then wide, and then Michael Dickenson pointed to put two between the sides again.
Back came Kilcoole. Matt Gilbert had a shot saved by the solid Lee Fitzpatrick who just wasn’t for beating on the day. Danny Kavanagh went wide with the 45. Back came Kilcoole again. Jack Bellamy was fouled. Kavanagh took the free quickly and the ball was returned to the substitute and he fired over, 0-09 played 0-08.
Taylor from play made it 0-10 to 0-08 and then Aaron Nugent had a great goal chance saved by Glen Tighe. Shortly after this Iaral O’Donnell fouled Taylor and Aaron Nugent sent over an absolute screamer from our on the sideline, stand side at the dressing room end of Pearses’ Park tom ake it 0-11 to 0-08.
Danny Kavanagh went wide, Lee Dutton missed, Lee Fitzpatrick saved superbly at the other end before Danny Kavanagh pointed from play to leave two between the sides with seconds remaining.
Ross Quinn dropped a shot short for Ashford and on came Kilcoole in search of that vital goal they now needed to resuce their championship hopes.
They won a free. Up stepped Danny Kavanagh. He faced a wall of Ashford players on the goal line.
A parish held its breath. Kavanagh struck low for the corner. A body part got in the way. Ball out, final whistle blew, pandemonium. Game over.
Ashford captain Brendan Manning said that the team “grew into the game” against a Kilcoole side who always give his team a great battle.
“We knew it was going to be a battle but we fought hard and we deserved it,” he said.
Brendan had a special mention for Aaron Nugent and for his goalkeeper Lee Fitzpatrick.
“Aaron did what he always did, he kicks points in every game, and I have to single out Lee (Fitzpatrick) at the end, fingertip save off the crossbar, that won us the game really.
“But it was everyone, the whole team. There’s been 20-odd lads down there the last six or eight weeks, we didn’t have a great start but everyone’s been down there the last six to eight weeks, it’s been unreal,” he added.
Scorers – Ashford: Aaron Nugent 0-06 (4f); Jason Taylor 0-03; Graham Mooney 0-01 (S/L); Michael Dickenson 0-01. Kilcoole: Declan Roper 0-03; Lee Dutton 0-02; Danny Kavanagh 0-02; Jack Bellamy 0-01; Eoin Keddy 0-01.
Ashford: Lee Fitzpatrick; Michael Taylor, Conor Dowling, Iarla O’Donnell; Daniel Kavanagh, Wesley Manning, Thomas Kearns; David Dowling, Joseph Doyle; Michael Dickenson, Brendan Manning, Graham Mooney; Jason Taylor, Aaron Nugent, Colm Doyle. Subs: Myles Traynor for G Mooney (40min); Ross Quinn for C Doyle (40min).
Kilcoole: Glen Tighe; Luke Reilly, Charlie McGovern, Keith Reynolds; Dara Keddy, Matt Kennedy, Ronan Keddy; Vinny Quigley, Thomas O’Brien; Lee Dutton, Matt Gilbert, Jack Bellamy; Declan Roper, Eoin Keddy; Luke Evans. Subs: Danny Kavanagh for D Roper (45min).
Referee: John Kennan (Aughrim)