Stunning win catapults wee Curraha into senior ranks
RESERVING your best display for the final is every team’s dream and that is exactly what Curraha achieved as they announced their arrival on the big stage in magnificent style at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday.
It will probably take some time for the enormity of Curraha’s success to sink in as they look forward to Senior football for the very first time following this near flawless display in the IFC decider.
It is only two years since they won the Junior crown and they will probably enter the Senior ranks as the smallest club - but with the biggest hearts.
Playing with a youthful exuberance throughout, Curraha packed their defence when needed, crowded out midfield and then counter-attacked at pace, with willing runners popping up all over the field.
Undaunted by the occasion, Curraha came into this encounter full of confidence and this was embellished early on as, backed by the stiff breeze, they raced into a three-point lead with just four minutes on the clock through a James McEntee brace and one from Conor Moriarty.
The Ciaran Conlan-managed St Michael’s did manage to get off the mark in the sixth minute when Ciarán Lynch’s high, hanging effort dropped over the crossbar.
Following Moriarty’s second point of the game the Carlanstown side suffered a major blow when, after being awarded a penalty for a push in the back on wing forward David Lynch, Shane McDonnell drove his penalty to the left and wide, giving the ‘Ha a mighty let-off.
To add to St Michael’s woes, Matthew Halpin saw his involvement in the final brought to a premature ending moments later when Cormac Reilly adjudged him to have been late with a challenge in front of the stand and issued the wing back with a black card.
The men in green and gold added two points before Peter O’Connell and Oran Meehan got St Michael’s back within touching distance, only for Moriarty and Andrew Battersby to register for Curraha, Battersby’s score coming after he fielded a kickout and raced through to bisect the uprights.
The twin free-taking axis of county senior McEntee and U-21 Moriarty added a brace coming towards the interval before Meehan brought the scoring to a close when he added his second free for St Michael’s. It left the north Meath outfit trailing by 0-10 to 0-4 and with a mountain to climb in the second half.
Whatever was said in the dressing-room appeared to spark them into life at the start of the second half when Ciarán Lynch tagged on two points, but just as they seemed to be growing into the game the life was sucked out of their comeback efforts when Ray Reilly put a point effort wide when presented with a glorious opportunity.
It took them 13 minutes before registering another score, during which time Curraha reeled off four points through David Coyle, Conor Moriarty (two) and substitute Evan McGovern. Curraha then had strong claims for a penalty waved away when Cormac Reilly deemed that Moriarty wasn’t fouled as he attempted to race onto a ball over the top from James McEntee.
Then came the moment which ended this final as a contest as Andrew Battersby soloed through
unopposed through the heart of the St Michael’s defence and rolled the ball past the unsighted Darren O’Connell, leaving Curraha ahead by 10 points.
A raft of substitutions on both sides, one of which was another black card substitution for St Michael’s when Felim O’Reilly made way for Ben Tobin, upset the flow of the game somewhat in the final quarter.
However, Curraha still managed to add three further points through McEntee (two) and Evan McGovern before Ciarán Lynch netted a consolation goal for their opponents.
All that was left then was a couple of minutes of injury time before Cormac Reilly sounded the final whistle, leading to scenes of unbridled joy as the parish of less than 300 houses can now look forward to playing in the Senior Championship. A truly meteoric rise.