SARSFIELDS 1-12 STRAFFAN 0-09
THE next time the ‘Sash’ update their inventory of titles won, they can certainly include the 2009 Jack Higgins Cup but apart from statistical interest this delayed final proved exactly what it said on the tin – a delayed final with just the amount of interest commensurate with such a fixture.
That may well explain why Straffan agreed to field without the services of their only county player, Robert Kelly. Indeed the north Kildare team looked, for the most part, like men who wanted to be somewhere else rather than in Naas on Saturday night last.
Playing into the pavilion end goal, the winners took advantage of a contrary wind to lead by eight points to four at the change of ends, John Walsh and Geraghty (3 each), Conor Tiernan and Ciaran Dempsey their first-half marksmen. Andy O’Neill finally opened the losers’ account 18 minutes in and promptly added another point to give them hope.
Austin Allen pegged it back to four-three with eight minutes remaining but that was as close as Straffan got, Scott Neville completing their first – half tally.
The goal that this came craved from a neutral perspective came within five minutes after the restart but when it came it was at the wrong end. A second Tiernan point had just scraped over the bar; when almost from the kickout Declan McKenna fastened onto a Ciaran Dempsey pass to rattle Straffan the net with a strong shot. Game, set and match to the ‘Sash’ – the rest merely for the statisticians.
Sub Robert Fagan pointed for Straffan but McKenna quickly replied for the winners, then it was the turn of the losers’ Austin Allen to swap points with John Geraghty before the Straffan man added his third of the evening to leave seven points between them, 1-11 to 0-7, at the three-quarter stage.
Tiernan and Allen again exchanged scores to bring the weary saga to finality, with not even the inclusion of bustling veteran, Kenny Byrne, who in fairness tried all he knew, providing the losers with even a smidgeon of inspiration. That said, his fellow substitute, Robert Fagan, laid down a marker for the year ahead with two fine points. Alan Lagrue was an unobtrusively impartial referee.