Cushinstown in dreamland
Derby delight as second successive title wrapped up
THE GOOD times continue to roll for Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, as the reigning Junior titleholders crowned a dream twelve months in miserable weather conditions in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, on Saturday when they added a first-ever Intermediate ‘A’ championship crown to their list of honours in a cracking contest.
Neighbours Clongeen also contributed in rich measure to the first meeting between the teams since 1994, but ultimately two third quarter goals proved their undoing as their overjoyed rivals were left singing in the rain.
The game was played at a lively pace throughout despite the horrible weather, a tribute in itself to the wonderful state of the pitch which has to be among the very best in the entire county.
And after getting a taste for what success brings last year, and eager to make hay after numerous disappointments beforehand, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown produced a scintillating attacking display to end up with a healthy winning margin of nine points.
Their 5-9 haul was the highest score by a winning team since this championship was introduced in 2012. And in becoming the first New Ross District club to join the roll of honour, their three-goal winning margin was the joint best along with Naomh Eanna last year.
The outcome means that Rathgarogue-Cushinstown will proudly take their place back in the second tier of club football for the first time since 2005 while, in the short term, they have an AIB Leinster Club championship clash with Mooncoin of Kilkenny to look forward to.
Neutrals at this final were royally entertained from the off, with the respective attacks well on top as the play fizzed up and down the field at a blistering pace.
The Cahill brothers, Shane and Paudie, scored 2-3 from play between them for Clongeen in the opening half, with the latter setting up the former for their opening point after 39 seconds.
However, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown rattled the net inside two minutes, with captain Matthew Cody intercepting a handpass and setting up corner-forward Jason Dunne to rifle home the first of his two goals.
A mere 45 seconds later, after a mark by Clongeen’s Páraic Cullen, they replied with their first goal when a quick Jamesie Rochford free put Paudie Cahill in the clear, and he made no mistake.
The goalscorer added a point, with Tadhg Cody responding after a solo run before Clongeen moved into a double scores (2-2 to 1-1) lead with their second goal in the seventh minute.
Jamesie Rochford found Emmet Kent who popped a pass to his left for Shane Cahill, and the joint captain, along with his brother, had the composure to first-time the ball past Nicky Sinnott.
It was one of those games that demanded total concentration such was the constant nature of the action, and it was 2-4 to 1-4 in Clongeen’s favour by the end of a very exciting first quarter.
Eric Cummins pulled back a Rathgarogue-Cushinstown before Paul Curtis responded, but sadly the latter had to leave the fray after 27 minutes as a result of the knee problem that has kept him out for most of the year.
It was undoubtedly a big blow to Clongeen, especially as the county player of recent vintage had worked so hard to get back on the field in the first place.
Matthew Cody and the lively Daire Bolger, after a foul on Eoin Porter, reduced the gap to 2-3 to 1-4, before Emmet Kent set up Jamesie Rochford to leave three between the sides.
Bolger, son of team manager James, then assumed centre stage, converting two more frees before crashing home the second Rathgarogue-Cushinstown goal in the 21st minute.
And while his finishing was first rate, after racing away from Daryl Murphy at the dressing-room end, in truth the score was all about the sheer quality of a sublime raking long-range pass directly into his path from his Wexford colleague, Eoin Porter, which left him in the clear (2-6 to 2-4).
Shane Cahill responded with a good point from the left corner, and defenders Patrick Murphy and Enda Murphy then got in on the scoring act for their respective teams to leave Rathgarogue-Cushinstown with a half-time lead of 2-7 to 2-6.
The break offered supporters – as much as the players – a chance to draw breath, because the entertainment up to that point had been first rate.
And it didn’t relent on the restart either, with the leaders drawing first blood when they added a third goal in the 33rd minute.
An unfortunate slip by Clongeen netminder Ricky Rochford, who had left his goal, was punished to the full, as Daire Bolger nicked the ball away from him after making the initial challenge, and Jason Dunne was on hand to guide it into an empty net (3-7 to 2-6).
Emmet Kent grabbed what proved to be Clongeen’s last point from play, before Daniel Martin Carroll got his first on a Bolger free at the other end, but the ball bounced inches wide.
Bolger earned and converted a free before the arrival of the fourth goal which ultimately broke the brave Clongeen resistance.
It arrived in the 41st minute, and from quite a familiar source too because Tadhg Cody has been tormenting opposing defences all year with his powerful direct running.
And when he took off on this occasion, there was nobody capable of stopping him, as he beat at least three defenders on a memorable run before planting the ball high in the net off Ricky Rochford’s fingertips (4-8 to 2-7).
Two Emmet Kent frees gave Clongeen some hope, but they didn’t score again from the 49th minute onwards as Rathgarogue-Cushinstown never looked like surrendering their lead thereafter.
Bernard Furlong and Brian O’Neill combined to pick out Robert Murphy for the last point, and it was only at this stage that the game became somewhat disjointed as a series of substitutions disrupted the flow.
However, there was still time for the cherry to be added to the Rathgarogue-Cushinstown cake deep into added time. Clongeen, forced to throw caution to the wind, were left exposed at the back when a Furlong pass gave Tadhg Cody a long, clear run at goal.
Full-back Shane Kilkenny eventually got close enough to hack him down, a rash but understandable action in the circumstances which ended his involvement in the dying embers of the game.
Nicky Sinnott came all the way up from the opposing goal to take the penalty kick, and the finish was exactly like what one would expect from this equally handy soccer player as he dispatched it high to the top right corner of the net.
It was the perfect ending to a perfect day for Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, and it was no more than they deserved.
And it brought back memories of 1980 and 1981, when the club put Junior and Intermediate crowns back-to-back to reach Senior ranks for the first time.
The re-structuring since ensures they are still one step away from returning to the top flight, but mentors James Bolger, Donie Noonan, John Michael Porter and Barry Murphy have worked wonders in at least giving them a fighting chance to do so. They kicked eight of the 14 wides, and earned 17 of the 35 frees.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Nicky Sinnott (1-0 pen.); Pádraig McGrath, Peadar Cody, Patrick Murphy (01); Bryan Cody, Eoin Porter, Brian O’Neill; Daniel Martin Carroll, Matthew Cody (capt., 0-1); Tadhg Cody (1-1), Daire Bolger (1-4, 0-4 frees), Bernard Furlong; Robert Murphy (0-1), Eric Cummins (0-1), Jason Dunne (2-0). Subs. - Aaron Ryan for Cummins (52), Ollie Bolger for B. Cody (56), Luke O’Connor for Dunne (59), Neil Merrigan for McGrath (60+3), also Jonathan Kelly, Paddy Barron, Fionn Slattery, Ian Kennedy, Mark Power, Ricky McGrath, Chris Kent, Eoin Burke, David Donnelly, Liam O’Shea, Mark Carroll.
Clongeen: Ricky Rochford; Jamie Keating, Shane Kilkenny, Donal Whelan; Enda Murphy (0-1), Daryl Murphy, Richard Rochford; Robert Farrell, Collie Byrne; Páraic Cullen, Paudie Cahill (joint capt., 1-1), Shane Cahill (joint capt., 1-2); Paul Curtis (0-1), Emmet Kent (0-3, 2 frees), Jamesie Rochford (0-1). Subs. - Adam O’Sullivan for Curtis, inj. (27), Jim Bennett for Byrne (45), Tom Donovan for Richard Rochford (45), Leon Stafford for O’Sullivan (59), Páraic Curtis for Keating (59), Anton Stafford for P. Cahill (60), also Stephen Bennett, Stephen Dundon, Marty Reville, Barry Foxe, Stephen Curtis, Paul Casey, Tony Bennett, Gary Cox, Liam Murphy.
Referee: Damien Donovan (Volunteers).