’Ford survive against odds
Fitzpatrick free earns replay for relieved Rathgarogue
FOURTEEN-MAN Craanford earned a deserved second chance against all the odds in Bellefield on Saturday when they overcame a numerical disadvantage to share the spoils with Rathgarogue-Cushinstown in this novel Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior ‘B’ football championship final.
The north county side had a major task on their hands when player-manager Shane Kavanagh received a straight red card in the 18th minute after an off-the-ball incident that left Pádraig McGrath requiring treatment.
His side trailed by 0-2 to 0-1 at that stage and were facing the wind, but they only conceded one more score before the interval – albeit a goal – before thundering into the game on the re-start, driven on by the excellent James Byrne.
Indeed, Craanford actually hit the front with a penalty goal eleven minutes from the finish, and Rathgarogue-Cushinstown ended up forcing the replay when Brendan Fitzpatrick converted a free via the post with 50 seconds of normal time remaining.
This was the first-ever Junior ‘B’ decider between two sides who hadn’t won their respective District titles en route, a situation made possible by the decision to give runners-up a second chance and play county quarter-finals.
Indeed, surprise packets Craanford have never been successful in the Gorey District in a championship that stretches back to 1977, while Rathgarogue-Cushinstown haven’t triumphed in New Ross since they followed a second title in 1990 with a one-point county final victory against the now defunct Dan O’Connell’s.
The persistent rain hadn’t fully cleared by throw-in time, and this ensured scores were hard to come by on the slippery surface.
Having said that, it only took 21 seconds for Craanford to get off the mark when John Lancaster picked out wing-back Eoin Doyle who drove forward for a well-taken point.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown had first use of the wind blowing towards Bellefield Road, and with joint captain Jimmy Whelan an effective playmaker at centre-forward, they drew level when Paddy Barron set up Eoin Burke in the sixth minute.
A foul on veteran James Bolger led to Brendan Fitzpatrick giving the New Ross District men the lead, but they weren’t making full use of their possession and breathed a collective sigh of relief when Eoin Doyle lashed a low shot across goal and wide in the 15th minute.
Craanford centre-forward Kavanagh saw red shortly afterwards, and they shipped a second blow just three minutes later when Fitzpatrick was pushed after latching on to a Bolger ’45.
Paddy Barron stepped up to take the penalty and sent Derek Finn the wrong way, leaving Rathgarogue-Cushinstown looking good with a 1-2 to 0-1 lead.
They didn’t capitalise fully, though, and Craanford drew a lot of heart from a strong finish to the half that yielded points from Ollie Doran and James Byrne.
Byrne pushed forward on the re-start, with veteran Michael Shortall dropping back to sit in the centre-back pocket, and the move worked so well that the extra man for the opposition wasn’t a huge factor.
Byrne kicked his second excellent point from distance inside three minutes, and when he then set up Doran to do the same, Craanford were back on level terms (0-5 to 1-2).
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown finally got back on the scoresheet after 16 barren minutes when Jimmy Whelan restored their lead moments after moving to corner-forward, and a Brendan Fitzpatrick free then left them 1-4 to 0-5 clear midway through the third quarter.
A successful placed ball by Paddy Barron was cancelled by Ollie Doran’s third point after a one-two with captain Jim Redmond, and the game swung in Craanford’s favour with ten minutes left.
Pádraig McGrath was booked for a footblock on a Shane Greene shot, and Martin Wadding fired home the penalty to leave the Fr. O’Regan’s with a 1-6 to 1-5 lead.
Now it was the turn of Rathgarogue-Cushinstown to chase the game, and it was no easy task despite their extra man as they were against the elements.
Indeed, it took a full ten minutes before a foul on substitute Shane Whelan led to Fitzpatrick standing up to the pressure and kicking the equaliser.
His team did have chances to sneak a win late on, with Whelan and Paddy Barron dropping efforts short into the welcoming arms of goalkeeper Derek Finn, but in the overall scheme of things both sides deserved another chance.
Craanford: Derek Finn; Jack Keogh, Gary Keating, Paddy Lancaster; Stuart Byrne, James Byrne (0-2), Eoin Doyle (0-1); Michael Shortall, Ollie Doran (0-3); Jim Redmond (capt.), Shane Kavanagh, John Lancaster; Martin Wadding (1-0 pen.), Shane Greene, Luke Byrne. Subs. - Peter Kavanagh for Keogh (23), Cian O’Toole for L. Byrne (23), also Paddy Doyle, Calvin O’Toole, Andrew Tighe, Seán Byrne, Martin Kenny, Thomas Furlong, Tony Kavanagh. Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Fionn Slattery; Colm Murphy, Francis O’Brien, John O’Keeffe; Neil Merrigan, Pádraig McGrath, Chris Kent; Ian Kennedy, Mark Carroll; Paddy Barron (1-1, 1-0 pen., 0-1 free), Jimmy Whelan (joint capt., 0-1), Eoin Burke (0-1); Brendan Fitzpatrick (0-3 frees), James Bolger, Liam O’Shea. Subs. - Eoin Whelan for Burke (38), Colm Whelan (joint capt.) for J. Whelan (48), Jack Murphy for Merrigan (54), Shane Whelan for O’Shea, inj. (58), also Seamus Bourke, David Thorpe, Barry Murphy, Paul Murphy, Liam Roche, Seán Kehoe, Shane O’Connor, Peter Aspel, John Bolger, Adam Bookle, Ken Slattery, Jack McGrath.
Referee: Kevin Carty (Sarsfields).