Goals give Piercestown edge
Kilanerin make huge contribution to a thrilling contest
A SIX-GOAL flurry drove Piercestown to an eventual five-point victory over Kilanerin in what could best be described as a thrilling Rackard League Roinn ‘A’ football final in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Wednesday.
In the end Piercestown prevailed with five points to spare, but it was not before they had to withstand a remarkable Kilanerin recovery.
The game was hanging in the balance after the north county side had bounced back into a one-point lead with twelve minutes remaining, but the eventual winners finished strongly to salvage a dramatic victory after a thrilling 50 minutes of football.
The action was fast and furious from the very start, with both sides contributing excellent passages of play, helped by attacking halfbacks.
The finishing of the respective forwards was clinical, which all contributed to a very high standard of football that included excellent defending. Indeed, the controlled play out of the back lines contributed to excellent scores at the opposite ends.
A blistering opening 15 minutes saw Piercestown show their attacking qualities. After Jack Gethings set up Vincent Higgins for the opening point, Piercestown responded with a series of threatening attacks, resulting in their opening goal after four minutes when corner-forward Caleb Whitty found the net following excellent approach play from midfield.
After Conn Mernagh had extended his side’s lead with a point, it was followed by what must be considered the best goal of the championship.
After his team moved the ball forward at pace, Cormac Simpson gathered possession and from some 25 metres sent a tremendous shot across goal and high into the opposite corner of the net, a goal befitting any final occasion.
The play flowed from end to end, but when Piercestown added two further goals through Ciarán Kelly and Bobby Crosbie to lead by 4-1 to 1-1, the eventual winners looked comfortable. The Kilanerin goal in between had arrived courtesy of Vincent Higgins who found the net from 14 metres.
In the following nine minutes, Kilanerin responded with six unanswered points through Higgins, Darragh Forde and Eoin Hughes with four to reduce the deficit to four points (4-2 to 1-7).
Approaching the break the sides exchanges goals through Charlie Conway and Jamie Hughes, leaving Piercestown with a 5-2 to 2-7 interval lead.
The second-half opened with a Cormac Simpson pointed free, but through the early exchanges it was Kilanerin who stepped up the tempo of their game.
Patrick Rooney kicked two neat points, to be followed by a Darragh Gethings goal, leaving the sides level (5-3 to 3-9) after 37 minutes.
The football was to get even better through the closing twelve minutes as both sides sought out crucial scores.
Amazingly, Kilanerin struck the front having put that poor first-half start behind them, thanks to a Patrick Rooney point.
Then came the Piercestown recovery. Simpson pointed the sides back level from a free, while minutes later he saw a point attempt from a further free rebound off the upright, but the ever-alert Ciarán Kelly managed to rifle a low ball through a crowded goalmouth to the net, leaving his side leading by 6-4 to 3-10 with six minutes remaining.
Kelly and Simpson increased the lead further with points, while centre-back Oscar Barry stormed forward out of defence to give his side a six-point lead.
Kilanerin attacked strongly in the remaining minutes but could only manage a Jamie Hughes point as the Piercestown defence got in several blocks to deny them that much-needed goal.
Piercestown: Ryan Sinnott; Paddy Walsh, Eoin Dodd, Niall Hamilton; Adam Connick, Oscar Barry (0-1), Rian O’Dowd; Conn Mernagh (0-1), Kevin O’Mahony; Cormac Simpson (1-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ’45), Ciarán Kelly (2-1), Eoin Dunne; Charlie Conway (1-0), Bobby Crosbie (1-0), Caleb Whitty (1-0). Subs. - Daniel O’Mahony for Walsh, also Luke Molloy, John Dwyer, Sam King, Leon Cullen, Seánie Duggan, Rúairí Pettitt.
Kilanerin: Conor Grannell; Max Buggy, Morgan Timmons, Fergal Noctor; Jack Ryan, Mikey Hughes, Charlie Fleming; Eoin Hughes (0-4), Jack Gethings; Darragh Gethings (1-0), Vincent Higgins (1-2), Jamie Hughes (1-1); Cody Lawless, Patrick Rooney (0-3), Darragh Forde (0-1). Subs. - Cathal Fitzpatrick for Rooney, Niall Harnett for Ryan, also Ben Furlong, Rory Cooper, Ciarán Gethings, Olan Tighe, Ben Hughes, Aaron Gethings.
Referee: Brendan Holohan (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown).