BLESSINGTON BLISS
Mescall the star man as men from the west beat AGB
BLESSINGTON 3-10 AGB 1-12
THE much-delayed final of the Division 4 Football League finally took place when Arklow Geraldines Ballymoney and Blessington made the journey to Roundwood on Saturday last.
The end result saw the west Wicklow side capture the title with a four-point winning margin after what was a sporting contest between theses great rivals.
The difference between the teams was when Blessington scored vital goals, one on the stroke of half-time and sealed victory with another deep into injury time.
The sides had met in the championship earlier in the year which saw Gers-Ballymoney score a 2-12 to 1-8 victory.
On this occasion the men from Blessington reversed the result which saw corner-forward Sean Mescall give a five-star performance which saw him score 2-5 all from play which gave joint managers Peter Behan and Stephen Doyle a sweet victory and in doing so Blessington proved to worthy Division league champions.
Both sides recorded a wide each in the opening minutes before the pre-match favourites took the game to their opponents and were rewarded with a point each from Jack Darcy and Donal O’Keeffe, which saw the Arklow men leading by 0-2 to no score after seven minutes.
The west Wicklow side received a lucky break which saw two attempts to land a score before top scorer Sean Mescall rounded off a move involving several players by punching to the net, while the winners continued to keep the pressure on they were guilty of missed chances with three bad wides, which included a close in free.
Gers-Ballymoney worked the ball up field which saw a point from their top scorer Alan McBride to bring the sides level on a score line of 1-0 to 0-3 after 12 minutes played.
With a crisp breeze blowing across the Roundwood pitch, however, both sets of players continued to show commitment and hunger.
It was the west Wicklow side who upped the tempo and following a move that was started in their own defence, which saw Arklow Geraldines Ballymoney goalkeeper Kyle O’Connor make a brilliant save which resulted in a 45, which Stephen Carroll sent over the bar to edge his side in front, 1-1 to 0-3.
With both defences on top scoreswerescarebutitwasman of the match Sean Mescall who kept the score board ticking over with a point while another man who caused havoc in the Arklow defence, Stephen Carroll, kicked a point from a free to edge Blessington further ahead.
A rare attack by the Arklow men saw them record their first wide of the half while another should have seen a score, but this time the winners’ defence stood firm, which resulted in another attack and with Sean Mescall in such sparkling form and he continued to play duck and drakes with Arklow defence to record another point.
The winners had so much dominance around the field but failed to to show it on the score board, as they went on record four wides in a row.
To their credit the Arklow men kept plugging away with a move involving several players, attacking wing-back Jonathan Doyle showed his team mates where the posts were when he scored a point from play to reduce the deficit 1-4 to 0-4 with the clock ticking down to half-time.
Arklow were struck a real killer blow when a long ball from the winners struck the upright and fell into Sean Mescall’s hands, who scored his second goal of O’Reilly (two), one from play while Dara Culleton also helped himself to a point, which left four points between the sides
Not for the first time in the game impressive Sean Mescall answered the winners’ call with a point.
At this stage Arklow staged a late rally to record a point each from Dara Cullen (45) and Alan McBride, who added a point from a free.
As the saying goes experience tells in the closing stages and substitute Jonathan Daniels popped over two points in a row to give the winners a four-point cushion, 2-10 to 0-12.
With the clock ticking away up popped another substitute on the other side, which saw Gavin Bentley crash home a goal which left a single point between the sides, 2-10 to 1-12.
As the game entered injury time it was looking like a draw, but the winners had other ideas as they went in search of a score .
They were rewarded with a late goal from Stephen Carroll, to give the winners a four-point winning margin as the curtain came down on Division 4 football after a long drawn out campaign.
Both teams deserve credit for giving committed performances in game that proved to a sporting contest.
After the game C.C.C. Mick Hagan in conjunction with Catherine Finan presented the Gerry Finan Memorial Cup to winning captain James Kearns.
Scorers - Blessington: Sean Mescall (2-5), Stephen Carroll (12), Jonathan Daniels (0-2), Adam Boland (0-1).
Arklow Geraldines Ballymoney: Gavin Bentley (1-0), Alan McBride (0-6), Dara Culleton (0-2), Jonathan Doyle (0-1), Donal O’Keeffe (0-1), Quintin O’Reilly (0-1), Jack Furlong (0-1).
John McEnroy Stephen Byrne, Garret Grogan, Damian Breen, Ciaran Mescall, Aaron Curran, Glen Farrell, James Kearns, Danellius Sarkavkas, Patrick O’Connell, Paddy O’Reilly, Adam Boland, Sean Mescall, Ian Richardson, Stephen Carroll. Sub. - Jonathan Daniels for Paddy Reilly, inj.
BLESSINGTON:
Kyle O’Connor, Michael O’Sullivan, Tadhg O’Callaghan, Brendan O’Suillvan, Tom Hurley, Paul O’Donohoe, Jonathan Doyle, Dara Culleton, Jack Furlong, Donal O’Keeffe, Alan McBride, Gavin Kenny, Quintin O’Reilly, Ian Bracken. Jack Darcy. Subs used: Gavin Bently, Gary Fennell, Shane O’Donohue, Gearoid Kavanagh.
AGB: REFEREE:
Darragh Byrne (Ballymanus).