Flying Fitzpatrick
James shines as Valleymount progress to JAFC decider
VALLEYMOUNT progressed to the Fitzgerald Kitchen’s Junior ‘A’ football championship final after surviving a late scare by Blessington on Friday evening last.
In ideal conditions for football, Valleymount produced some excellent football against their arch-rivals, who were going in search of a trio of semi-final wins over the Reds in recent times.
James Fitzpatrick was the star of the show, pulling all the strings for Valleymount, a menace in the Blessington rearguard throughout the game and was well supported by Jack Slattery and Declan Cahill.
Valleymount suffered a huge loss early on when losing two key players through injury, however a return of 1-4 from placed balls, proved crucial to a Valleymount at the end. Valleymount were in control for three quarters of the game, but Blessington, with strong showings from Jordan McGarr and Adam Boland, dominated the final quarter but could not harvest a badly needed major, just falling short in a dramatic finish under the floodlights.
James Fitzpatrick opened Valleymount’s account with a pointed free in the second minute after Jack Miley was fouled. Both sides traded a couple of wides before settling into the game. A powerful run by Tadgh Miley through the Blessington defence was halted by a push in the back on the lively centre half-back. Up stepped Jack Slattery to double the lead, from the resultant free.
Valleymount harvested the opening major of the game after Jamie Miley was adjudged to be fouled just inside the large parallelogram by the match referee. Declan Cahill rifled the ball home past Stephen Kitt from the penalty spot as the Reds got off to a dream start.
Eoin Devlin was off target with a placed ball after Ethan Cotter was fouled. Moments later Valleymount suffered a double blow when the lost the services of full-back Steven Cahill and full forward Stephen Byrne, both through injuries.
Another pointed free from the boot of James Fitzpatrick stretched the lead out to six points before Blessington finally opened their account with a well-executed free from 45 out from Adam Boland just before the water break was signaled.
Blessington finally settled in on the restart with some fine penetrating runs by Jordan McGarr. Eoin Higgins pointed after a great passage of play from Conor Ryan. A monster of a point again by Adam Boland further cut into the deficit.
James Fitzpatrick was on fire for Valleymount, with incisive runs, tearing the Blessington rearguard wide open at times. Declan Cahill
played a great cross field pass into Fitzpatrick who curled over a sweet point.
Moments later Michael Richardson pointed after a great passage of play between Brian Miley and James Fitzpatrick, as the Valleymount dominance surged.
Blessington were in for a goal chance as an Eoin Devlin free dropped into the dangerzone, however a square ball was signaled by the referee. Sean Byrne played a long ball into Jordan McGarr who dinked over the Blues fourth point of the evening.
Again, after a monster of a kick-out, Jack Slattery fielded possession and laid off to Robbie Miley whose fine point restored a five-point cushion going into injury time.
Centre half-forward Eoin Devlin closed out the first half with a smashing point to leave the score reading 1-6 to 0-5 at the break.
Blessington introduced a trio of subs on the restart, however that thorn in the Blues’ defence all evening, James Fitzpatrick,
notched up his third point of the game after fine work from William Kavanagh.
James Fitzpatrick and Jordan McGarr both traded points in the next period. A sensational point by Robbie Miley was quickly followed by another from Jack Slattery, to put the score out to 1-10 to 0-6 and things were looking bleak for Blessington.
Two bad wides followed for Blessington as they slowly found some badly needed momentum, Eoin Higgins and Eoin Devlin harvested a brace of badly needed points to put the Blues back in the hunt.
At this time, Michael Richardson would land the Reds’ 11th and final score of the match as the whistle sounded for the water break. Valleymount suffered another blow just on the restart, losing Shane Browne to the sin bin for the next ten minutes.
Blessington upped the tempo and a sweet point from Jordan McGarr cut the deficit to four. Another point chance for Blessington dropped short into Paul Miley’s grasp, as all the momentum was with the blue’s now.
Blessington should have goaled in the next play, a very lax clearance by the Valleymount defence fell straight into the hands of Conor Ryan, who drove goalwards, his piledriver was brilliantly parried out for a 45 by Paul Miley, at a crucial stage of the game.
Another brace of point chance went abegging for the Blue’s before Jordan McGarr harvested a brace of white flags to put the game in the melting pot, going into the dying embers of the game. Another high ball into the Valleymount square ended with Jordan McGarr picking up a Black card after fouling a defender and a free out.
The ball was cleared up the field as the final whistle sounded, Valleymount will seek revenge after an opening round defeat to Ashford earlier in the season, in what has the makings of a great game in Aughrim, to see who will return to the Intermediate ranks
for 2021.
Paul Miley; Shane Browne, Steven Cahill, Robbie Behan; William Kavanagh, Tadgh Miley, Jamie Miley; Declan Cahill (1-00, pen), Jack Slattery (0-2, 1f); Jack Miley, James Fitzpatrick (05, 3f), Robbie Miley (0-2); Brian Miley (0-2), Steven Byrne, Micheal Richardson. Subs: Aidan Miley, Sean Higgins, Brian Flynn,
Sean Geoghegan.
Stephen Kitt; Glen Farell, Conal O’Gallchobair, Ciaran Mescall; Barry Finan, Danielius Sarkauskas, Jordan Nolan, Eoin Higgins (0-2), Sean Byrne; Ethan Cotter, Eoin Devlin (0-2), Conor Ryan; Fionáin Leahy, Jordan McGarr (0-5), Adam Boland (0-2). Subs: Sean Mescall, Bryan Carroll, Ruairi Finan, James Kearns. Bradley Foster.