Goulding haul earns Éire Óg another bite at the cherry
Éire Óg 1-12 St Michael’s 2-9
IN view of the poor conditions, scores were always going to be hard to come by in this county PIFC quarter-final tie at rain-lashed Pairc Uí Rinn last Saturday evening.
So, Éire Óg had every reason to fancy their chances of advancing after they opened up a six-point lead early in the second half.
It was St Michael’s who came closest to winning the game, however, as Éire Óg were forced to rely on a last-gasp point from a ‘45’ by Daniel Goulding to emerge from the proceedings with a share of the spoils.
Goulding was also the player who sent the Mid-Cork side’s prospects soaring in the 32nd minute when, taking a pass from John Dineen on the right wing, he delivered a high ball into the danger-zone which slipped from the grasp of Michael’s custodian Martin Burke and dropped over the line.
That fortuitous goal made it 1-6 to 0-3, but Éire Óg allowed St Michael’s back into the game after conceding a free four minutes later.
Penalised for dissent, Éire Óg were caught napping when the free was moved closer to goal, from where the quick-thinking Eric Hegarty drilled the ball to the net for St Michael’s to cut the gap to two points.
It seemed as if Éire Óg would make light of that set-back after Goulding, placed by Dineen, posted an excellent point and Colm O’Callaghan fisted over another in the ensuing five minutes.
The trend of the play took a definite swing in St Michaels’ favour after that, and they were duly rewarded for their persistent pressure when midfielder Shane O’Keeffe bagged a goal in the 52nd minute.
It left Éire Óg trailing by 2-7 to 1-9, and they fell behing by the minimum again after points from Cian O’Mahony and Liam Sheehan were negated by St Michael’s scores from Shane O’Keeffe and influential substitute Domhnall Cremin nearing the end of normal time.
The die seemed cast for Éire Óg after Goulding failed to level matters from a long-range free and a ‘45 in stoppage time, but he showed great character in nailing another ‘45’ to earn them a dramatic reprieve with virtually the last kick of the match.
Overall, a draw was a fair result, and, while the conditions ordained that mistakes were plentiful, both sides did enough to suggest they have the potential to go all the way this year.
St Michael’s made the early running, forging 0-3 to 0-1 ahead inside ten minutes, but Éire Óg snatched the initiative as the first half progressed, not least because of the grip established by John Cooper, Alan O’Mahony and Fionn O’Rourke in the half back line.
Ronan O’Toole was to the fore too at midfield, while John Dineen and Colm O’Callaghan showed up well in attack where Daniel Goulding’s dead-ball kicking was a vital weapon in Éire Óg’s armoury.
O’Callaghan pointed to leave Éire Óg snapping at St Michaels’ heels in the 11th minute, and O’Toole, fed by a measured cross from Dineen, brought them level nine minutes later before impressive wing back John Cooper gathered the resultant kick-out to earn a free, which allowed Goulding to nudge them ahead for the first time.
Although fortunate that St Michaels’ Paul Cronin was denied a goal by the crossbar shortly afterwards, Éire Óg’s growing confidence was underlined when a slick build-up involving Dermot O’Herlihy, Cian O’Mahony, both of whom rarely put a foot astray in the full back line, Cooper, O’Toole and Goulding yielded a point from Dineen in the 23rd minute.
Turning over 0-6 to to 0-3 in front, Goulding’s goal put Éire Óg firmly in the driving seat, but St Michael’s, with such as Paul Cronin, Eric Hegarty, Shane O’Keeffe, Andrew Murphy and Domhnall Cremin playing leading roles, looked the more convincing side for the rest of the second half.
Needless to say, Éire Óg’s relief was palpable after Goulding ensured their survival at the death, and, beaten by St Michael’s, 0-12 to 0-9, in round 2A, they will be hoping to make it third time lucky when the teams renew rivalry in the replay.
ÉIRE ÓG: C Kelly; M Corkery, D O’Herlihy, C O’Mahony 0-1; J Cooper, A O’Mahony, F O’Rourke; L Murphy, R O’Toole 0-1; C O’Callaghan 0-2, J Dineen 0-1, P McDonagh; D Goulding 1-6 (0-4f, 1 ‘45’), L Sheehan 0-1f, E O’Shea Subs: D Hurley for O’Herlihy (black card), 42, D McCarthy for Dineen, 49, A O’Connor for O’Shea, 56
ST MICHAELS: M Burke; L Carroll, A O’Callaghan, K O’Sullivan; N Cashman, A Murphy, C Kilcoyne; S O’Keeffe 1-1, E Hickey; K Hegarty 0-1, E Hegarty 1-1 (0-1f), T Lenihan; P Cronin 0-2, E Buckley, L O’Sullivan 0-3 Subs: S Holland for Lenihan, 29, S Keating for O’Callaghan (inj), 38, D Cremin 0-1 for Kilcoyne, 47, T Deasy for L O’Sullivan, 56
REFEREE: C Lane (Banteer)