ALLENWOOD 2-09 SARSFIELDS 0-14
ALLENWOOD eased their relegation worries with narrow but vital one point win over Sarsfields in Sarsfields Park on Sunday afternoon.
It was a game that, particularly in the second half, was played with a championship intensity and fervour as both teams fought hard to claim the valuable points that would help to ensure division one survival.
Allenwood made their intentions known early on as they opened up a 1-3 to 0-1 lead with just ten minutes gone.
Sarsfields responded well after a slow start and scored six successive points including a couple of inspirational ones from Morgan O’Sulivan to leave them one clear as the break approached.
A Jason Judge point, their first in almost 20 minutes, brought Allenwood level before another Morgan O’Sullivan point gave Sarsfields a slender one point lead, 0-8 to 1-4 at the break.
The second half ebbed and flowed as both teams fought for supremacy.
Another purple patch for Sarsfields early in the second half saw them take a three point lead, 0-11 to 1-5, and it looked they might be about to open a comfortable gap between themselves and Allenwood.
Allenwood refused to concede and encouraged by John Doyle from the sideline, they battled on and got their reward for their persistence with a Tom Byrne goal midway through the second half that gave them parity.
Undeterred Sarsfields again struck for home with a John Geraghty point and a Gary White 45 and seemed to have the finishing line in sight. A lack of concentration at times by Sarsfields as the game entered the final ten minutes and a couple of poor passes that were intercepted allied to the determination of Allenwood brought them level on the two further occasions Sarsfields had edged ahead.
A share of the points seemed the likely outcome as the end of normal time approached but an excellent point from Allenwood substitute John Cross in injury time gave them the victory that their efforts merited.
It eaves Sarsfields facing a do or die relegation battle against Kilcock in their final league game.