Blue machine marches on
Quinn and Mescall shine
BLESSINGTON VALLEYMOUNT 4-6 0-11
WHAT a difference two months makes. Friday, August 2, Junior ‘A’ group championship, Valleymount 2-18 Blessington 0-6. Saturday, October 5, semi-final, Valleymount 0-11, Blessington 4-6. What a turnaround.
Championship is fundamentally a cup competition, knockout, who wants it most - and when this Junior ‘A’ championship came down to the semi-final stage in Hollywood, the young men from Blessington stood up.
Huge credit to the Blessington management team of Peter Behan and Stephen Doyle who not only overturned a demoralising 18-point loss two months ago but ran out comfortable winners by seven points. Winners when it really mattered: knockout.
Perhaps there was an overconfidence from Valleymount, but in fairness to Blessington, they were hungrier, sharper and seemed to revel in the occasion, a local derby. The underdogs were on fire and Valleymount, last year’s narrowly beaten finalist, had no answers. None, and they can have no complaints. On the day the better team won out.
Most competitive championship matches are decided in the second half, and the first-half warning signs for Valleymount were not heeded. They failed to click in the first half, eight points scored, five from frees, three from play (and one a very fortunate bounced point) and three wides. The warning signs were there and Blessington knew it, they sensed blood.
Blessington only managed four scores in the first half, but crucially two of these were goals. There were gaps in the Valleymount rear-guard and the Valleymount forwards just weren’t clicking. Brian Bohan got the first goal, latching onto a cutting cross-field ball from Michael Nugent, and Eoin Delvin netting the second with great work from the man of the match Kevin Quinn who was almost unplayable.
The local support expected a ‘spoken to’ Valleymount in the second half, but they failed to ignite and only managed two scores in 30 minutes, with their third point coming in injury time.
Blessington got the goals which sucked the spirit out of Valleymount and when an opportunity presented itself, Barry Behan in goal for Blessington was at hand. He saved brilliantly for a good goal chance from Brian Flynn and a five minutes later saved from the penalty spot. It wasn’t looking like Valleymount’s day.
In the crucial third quarter, Blessington’s netted again through Mescall, which left the score at 3-5 to 0-10. Valleymount pushed and left themselves open for another goal from Mescall, again great work from Quinn.
Quinn capped off a great performance with a fine point wide on the right from 35 meters. Blessington defied the form and deservedly won out on a convincing score line, 4-6 to 0-11.
Another long season for Valleymount, a great league season, finishing third in Division 2, but the holy grail has alluded them yet again. With a few influential players the wrong side or 30, could this spell the end of this team or could there be one last hurray in 2020, time will tell.
Blessington take on An Tochar for the Tutty Cup this coming Saturday, which should be a tight affair. Will Blessington make up for Senior disappointment or will An Tochar take the next step up towards former Senior glories? A great final awaits.
– Blessington: Sean Mescall 2-0, Eoin Devlin 1-1, Brian Bohan 1-0, Craig Maguire 0-2, Kevin Quinn 0-2, Fionan Leahy 0-1.
Valleymount: James Fitzpatrick 0-4, Steven Byrne 0-3, Declan Cahill 0-2, Liam Miley 0-2.
Paul Miley; Shane Browne, Steven Cahill, Tadgh Miley; Robbie Behan, Jamie Miley, William Kavanagh; Declan Cahill, Liam Miley; Stephen Flanagan, Steven Byrne, Jack Miley; Brian Flynn, James Fitzpatrick, Brian Miley.
Scorers VALLEYMOUNT: BLESSINGTON:
Barry Behan; Eoin Howlin, Conall O Gallchobhair, Bradley Foster; Brian Bohan, James Kearns, Glen Farrell; Eoin Higgins, Craig Maguire; Fionan Leahy, Michael Nugent, Kevin Quinn; Sean Byrne, Sean Mescall, Eoin Devlin.
REFEREE:
Darragh Byrne (Ballymanus)