Clinical Clune strike puts Coolkenno down
ANNACURRA COOLKENNO 1-13 1-08
FRANK CLUNE’S stunning strike to the top corner of John Corcoran’s net late on in this Keating Trophy clash in Shillelagh was the final nail in the relegation coffin for Coolkenno as they made the drop to Intermediate football following this 1-13 to 1-08 defeat to Annacurra last Saturday evening.
An injury-blighted campaign had left the Carlow border side struggling and with only two points to their credit in this Keating Trophy campaign it is the tough relegation pill that this proud club must swallow but with some fine young players coming through and injuries healed they might follow Hollywood’s example and jump right back up. One thing is for sure, there’s no Intermediate team who will enjoy a battle with Coolkenno next season.
A lack of scoring threat besides that of the excellent Eamon Rossiter could be viewed as one of the reasons for this defeat to an Annacurra team that looks to be in a better place in recent weeks.
Rossiter returned 1-06 of the 1-08 total in this game despite being closely monitored throughout and when compared with the scoring stats of Annacurra where eight players are listed that might give you some impression of the difference between the teams.
This was an enjoyable battle on a carpet-like pitch under the late October sun and full credit must go to the Shillelagh club for having their grounds in such superb condition.
Annacurra, with Alan Nolan now at the helm, looked in fine fettle early on with Frank Clune and Ian McDonald looking particularly troublesome for the Coolkenno defence.
It was Mcdonald who opened the scoring with an Eamon Rossiter pointed free levelling matters moments later.
Annacurra dominated over the next few minutes and bagged points from Alan Byrne, Mick O’Brien, Gearoid Murphy from a 45, and a ripper from Shane O’Keeffe to make it 0-06 to 0-02 with a second Rossiter free accounting for Coolkenno’s second score.
There were two black cards flashed in this game by referee Damien Byrne from Kiltegan. The first was to Ian McDonald and the Annacurra attacker was replaced by Glen Austin.
A foul on Eamon Rossiter by full-back Martin O’Brien allowed Rossiter the chance to increase the Coolkenno tally and he did just that to make it 0-06 to 0-03.
Two wides from Gearoid Murphy were followed by an uncharacteristic miss from Eamon Rossiter from a free that was well within his range but then the Coolkenno cause suffered a massive blow when they lost centre-half back Philip Timmons to the game’s second black card.
Timmons halted the charging run of Gearoid Murphy on the 45-yard line and referee Damien Byrne flashed the black card with Timmons being replaced by Brian Rossiter.
A tasty Frank Clune point made it 0-07 to 0-03 for Annacurra and things could have improved significantly for Alan Nolan’s charges had Alan Byrne found the net with his second opportunity in front of goal in the opening half but John Corcoran proved too good on the Coolkenno line.
Byrne pointed soon after and Paul McDonald grabbed a sweet score but an Eamon Rossiter free and an Eoghan Dolan effort from play left Coolkenno on the up and in a much better place at the halftime break with Annacurra leading by 0-09 to 0-05.
Early yellow cards for Martin O’Brien and Cathal Rossiter got the second half up and running properly after Gearoid Murphy had dropped a shot short to John Corcoran at the other end.
Coolkenno were almost in for a goal when Cormac Byrne was picked out by Eamon Rossiter and but for brave defending from Shane McAllister the Coolkenno men may well have had a goal. Instead they got a 45 which was dragged wide by Paddy Dalton.
It was around this point that Coolkenno brought Cathal Rossiter out the field and deployed Paddy Dalton inside but the former county star prowled quite far from the Annacurra goal and Martin O’Brien followed.
With O’Brien away from the fullback position, Coolkenno enjoyed something of a purple patch.
A Mick Healy point for Annacurra made it 0-10 to 0-05 but a long Paddy Dalton ball was collected superbly by Eamon Rossiter behind Liam Moules and the Coolkenno full-forward showed nimble feet to dance past a stranded Bob Fitzgerald and finish to the back of the net with aplomb.
Crucially, with Annacurra looking quite vulnerable in O’Brien’s obsence, Coolkenno registered four wides in the immediate aftermath of this goal, but Frank Clune dropped over a fine score at the other end, 0-11 to 1-05, 12 on the second half clock.
Coolkenno’s David Cole re- duced the deficit to two points with a lovely score but Conor Doyle dropped a shot into the hands of Bob Fitzgerald and another chance for recovery went abegging.
A Gearoid Murphy free was followed by a beast of a point from Eamon Rossiter who survived several tough challenges before administering a bulldozer of a shoulder to an Annacurra man before dropping over a bomb of a point.
The man for the big score, Mick O’Brien, popped up after 24 minutes to push Annacurra out to a three-point lead but two minutes later Rossiter landed a free to leave two in it and Coolkenno well within reach of what would be a precious victory.
Alas, for Coolkenno, Annacurra rallied and Gearoid Murphy picked out Frank Clune who had drifted in behind the Coolkenno defence. Clune took it around Corcoran and blasted to the top corner of the net with 29 on the clock.
Coolkenno battled back up the field but could only register a wide and the final whistle sounded to condemn them to the drop.
Annacurra could still have plenty of work to do if other results go a certain way but they look like a team who are united in a common cause and will take beating.
Scorers – Annacurra: Frank Clune 1-03, Alan Byrne 0-02, Mick O’Brien 0-02, Gearoid Murphy 0-02 (1f), Shane O’Keeffe 0-01, Ian McDonald 0-01, Paul McDonald 0-01, Mick Healy 0-01.
Coolkenno: Eamon Rossiter 1-06 (3f), Eoghan Dolan 0-01, David Cole 0-01.
Bob Fitzgerald; James Keenan, Martin O’Brien, Liam Moules; Shane McAllister, Dean Barnes, Paul McDonald; Alan Byrne, Mick O’Brien; Gearoid Murphy, Alan Horan, Michael Healy; Shane O’Keeffe, Frank Clune, Ian McDonald. Subs: Glen Austin for I McDonald (BC), Niall Murphy for D Barnes.
John Corcoran; Shane Walker, Jim Cushe, Billy Lucas; David Cole, Philip Timmons, Robert Keogh; James Gregan, Paddy Dalton; John Kavanagh, Cathal Rossiter, Conor Doyle; Cormac Byrne, Eamon Rossiter, Eoghan Dolan. Subs: Brian Rossiter for P Timmons (BC), Pierce McCarthy for C Byrne.
Damien Byrne (Kiltegan)