St Nicholas produce a pulsating finish to win

UNDER-15 A FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS

ST NICHOLAS ST PATRICK’S 3-13 2-05

ST. NICHOLAS put in a pulsating finish late in the second quarter and in the opening period of the second half after a rip-roaring battle in Roundwood on Wednesday evening last.

Back-boned by an All-Ireland winning Féile team, they produced the goods against a strong St. Patrick’s side. A crowded stand added to the occasion, with a very vocal set of supporter baying on both sides. The Wicklow town side were in command in the early stages but the switching of a midfielder and full-forward turned out to be a huge gamechanger.

Dylan Kavanagh opened the scoring for the Wicklow town side with a point in the second minute.

Wing forward Matt Ryan won possession from the kick-out and made a dashing run through the heart of the St Nicholas defence, soloing 40 metres before he superbly dispatched the ball to the net for the first major of the game.

A Jack Grace effort took the paint off the wrong side of the post as Nic’s first chance went wide. Shane Daly pointed a free, that was brought forward a good 13 meters for dissent, to get St. Nicholas of the mark in the seventh minute.

The west side were winning the early exchanges, spraying plenty of good ball into the full-forward line. However, time after time the Nic’s forward’s kept spilling the greasy ball at crucial times, letting Pat’s off the hook.

St Pat’s player Jack Fox pointed a free after a foot block to increase the lead. Jack Grace spilled two more balls as Nic’s could not add to their tally.

A Shane Daly pointed free, again moved in for dissent, was the final score of the opening quarter. Dylan Kavanagh received a yellow card for a high tackle. Jack Reid was introduced as a sub for the west side. The St Nicholas side were applying a lot of pressure but the Pat’s defence were keeping them at bay. Kavanagh kicked another smashing long range point in the 23rd minute to put St. Pat’s four points to the good.

Lively corner-forward Joe Mills made a great run goal bound and was fouled and Mills himself tapped over the resultant free.

Referee Ned Doyle sent one of the St. Pats mentor’s out of the playing area moments later. A Dylan Kavanagh effort crashed back out of the upright as another chance went amiss. St. Nicholas management swapped Alan Miley with their full-forward Jack Grace and what a transformation it turned out to be.

Jack Grace played a sublime pass to Mikey O’Rourke who levelled matters on the score board, with a screamer of a goal in the 30th minute. Joe Mills gave the west side the lead in the next attack with a sweet left footed point.

Jack Reid won the resultant kick-out and found Mills with a great pass, Mills laid off to the on running Alan Miley who fed O’Rourke who smashed the ball past Matt Burke in the Pat’s goal for their second major.

Brian Keogh brought off a point blank save from Mark Whelan, as Pats rallied with the final attack with the score reading 2-04 for St. Nicholas to 1-03 for St. Patrick’s as the half time whistle sounded. Willie Eager dispossessed a Pat’s defender and laid off to Alan Miley who fisted the ball over the bar to increase the lead.

Frank Kelly and Callum Kelly were playing well around centre-field but their forwards couldn’t penetrate a well-marshalled defence, led by a solid Mark Murtagh along with Oisin Traynor who broke down plenty of Wicklow town attacks.

Dylan Kavanagh pointed another free after good work by Jack Meaney. Alan Miley fisted over another point as the west side upped the ante.

Joe Mills increased the lead out to six points with another long- range point.

A brace of points by Shane Daly pushed Nic’s on. Jack Grace who could do no wrong now, fed Alan Miley a peach of a pass and the industrious Miley raised the third green flag of the evening as St Nicholas went into overdrive with 50 minutes on the clock.

Shane Daly and Miley each pointed before Pat’s lost a player on a second yellow. St. Pats wouldn’t lie down and a point by Matt Ryan stopped the onslaught. Dylan Kavanagh added another major for the Wicklow town side as they were roared on by a vocal support with four minutes of normal time. Back came Pat’s again but this time Kavanagh took the paint off the wrong side of the post with the goal at his mercy. Josh Watson made a great penetrating run up the field but Cormac Long could not add to their tally as it seemed that Wicklow town had the extra man at this stage.

However, a pointed free by Shane Daly and a beauty off a point by Alan Miley closed out this highly enjoyable game. St. Nicholas now go forward to meet Éire Óg Greystones in the upcoming under-15 county football final.

Scorers - St. Nicholas: Alan Miley 1-04, Mikey O’Rourke 2-00, Shane Daly 0-06 (4fs), Joe Mills 0-03 (1f).

St. Patrick’s: Dylan Kavanagh 1-03 (1f), Matthew Ryan 1-01, Jack Fox 0-01 (1f)

Brian Keogh; Ronan Kelly, Oisin Traynor, Mark Murtagh; Rory Martin, Tom Moran, Jack Rouse; Alan Miley, Tadagh McCarty; Willie Egar, Shane Daly, Mikey O Rourke; Joe Mills, Jack Grace, Conor Kearney. Subs: Jack Reid, Meitheal Cleary, Séan Metcalfe, Daniel Furlong, Ben Wright, Mikey Byrne.

Matthew Burke; Mark Evans, Josh Watson, Cian Kelly; Mark Whelan, Niall Delahunt, Frank Reynolds; Jack Fox, Callum Kelly; Matthew Ryan, Dylan Kavanagh, Fionn Luddy; Mark O’Brien, Jack Meaney, Cathal O Briain. Subs: Aaron O’Loughlin, Finn Egan Barron, Cormac Long, Ryan Kavanagh. Ned Doyle (Kiltegan)