Pat’s made to work hard
IT was a lot of hard work, but St. Patrick’s defeated St. Kevin’s to win the Minor ‘B’ football championship shield after producing a gutsy, determined second-half performance on Sunday afternoon.
The Wicklow town side went into the half-time break in front by a goal, thanks to Max Kearney’s well worked major. Much of the second-half was spent with Pat’s penned in at the back as Kevin’s lay siege, but were able to survive thanks to some inspired defending, while Criostoir Bouchier settled matters with a goal late on.
Sunday was the third occasion on which Pat’s and Kevin’s have met this year, and the third time that Pat’s came out on top. The two previous encounters saw Pat’s edge out the reds by a narrow margin in July, before then having a bit more joy at the end of August. Seeking to break that streak, Kevin’s came out flying at the start of the third match-up.
Unfortunately, they were found wanting when it came to finding scores. Ben Clarke sent two shots wide before that same man had a shot cleared off the line by a Pat’s defender as the Wicklow Town team hung on. They did eventually get the first of the day through Ciaran Clarke’s goal on nine minutes, but Kevin’s shortcomings in front of the posts contributed towards their eventual downfall.
Shortly after the 20th minute, Pat’s were level with a goal of their own. An under pressure Criostoir Bouchier did well to squeeze the ball through to Harry Hodgkinson on the edge of the square. The young forward cheekily clipped the ball over the defence and towards the back post, where Max Kearney was on hand to head the ball into the back of the net.
While Kevin’s would not score again after Ben Clarke’s point that came a minute or so before the Pat’s goal until the second half, Pat’s expanded on their first goal to go into the break in front. Harry Hodgkinson chipped in with two of those, before Fionn Luddy rounded it off with a free to send the teams into half-time at 1-4 to 1-1.
Whatever was said at half-time, Kevin’s surged back at the start of the second half. While the intensity was similar to that which they showed at the beginning of the first, there was less mucking around with the ball. Instead, when chances to kick for the posts were presented, regardless of position on the field, they sought to take them.
The increasingly involved Oscar Cawley produced a pair of efforts early into the half, before Ben Clarke and Charlie Chamney had the two sides level pegging at 1-5 apiece going into the final 15 minutes.
While Pat’s would regain the lead through Fionn Luddy and Mark O’Brien, it was St. Kevin’s who were applying most of the pressure. However, whenever they venture too far into the Pat’s half, they were subject to relentless pressure, being led by the magnificent Mark Evans, Fionn O’Brien, and Matthew Harbourne, all of whom were integral to them surviving the Kevin’s onslaught.
Oscar Cawley tried to drive his team onwards, nonetheless. On three occasions, he sent hopeful frees deep into the Pat’s square, trying to force panic at the back and score a goal from such. Each time, the tactic failed, with Finn Barron, Aaron Lynch, and Matthew Harbourne each breaking the set pieces and getting the ball away from danger.
As Kevin’s got more and more desperate, they were left vulnerable up the other end, to disastrous results.
When Pat’s broke down the right-hand side, the possession was eventually worked to Fionn Luddy in the inside channel. Luddy was brought down under pressure from the defenders, but he showed the wherewithal to move the ball across to Criostoir Bouchier, who was awaiting on the left edge of the square. His resulting deflected shot looped over the keeper’s head and into he back of the net. That goal knocked the stuffing out of Kevin’s, with Harry Hodgkinson notching a beauty of a score on the turn to seal the deal.
ST. PATRICK’S: Aaron Lynch; Darren O’Brien, Tiernan O’Brien, Fionn O’Brien; Finn Barron, Mark Evans, Conor Luddy; Matthew Harbourne, Tom Hodgkinson; Max Kearney (1-0), Ryan Kavanagh, Fionn Luddy (0-4f); Mark O’Brien (0-1), Harry Hodgkinson (0-3, 1f), Criostoir Bouchier (1-0). Subs: Aaron Loughlin for M. O’Brien (20), Mark O’Brien for C. Bouchier (39), Criostoir Bouchier for M. Kearney (40).
ST. KEVIN’S: Wayne McDonald; Eoghan Murphy, Jean Luc Morris, Rory Corrigan; Sam Reid, Lochlainn Cawley, Lee Darcy; Ciaran Coyne, Oscar Cawley (0-2); James Durkan, Padraig Cullen, Charlie Chamney (0-1); Ben Burke, Ciaran Clarke (1-0), Ben Clarke (0-3, 2f). Subs: Trevor Allen for B. Burke (47), Tony Clarke for L. Darcy (51). REFEREE: Darragh Byrne (Ballymanus)