Eadestown hold out Clogherinkoe in tense Championship opener
Conor McCarthy scores a point late on for Eadestown. Photo: James Lawlor.
Eadestown cast aside the sending off of county hurler Rian Boran and a 20-minute scoreless spell to pip Clogherinkoe in a dramatic finish in Group D of the Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship at Manguard Park on Saturday evening.
Clogherinkoe themselves had overcome the concession of two goals in the opening four minutes to take a grip on it by half-time and with a three-point advantage when Boran was shown a straight red for an off-the-ball incident on 47 minutes, they looked odds-on to take the spoils.
But Eadestown hung in and three minutes from time wing-back Daragh Jameson conjured up a dramatic goal which ultimately proved decisive.
It didn’t look like they would need such late drama when they breached the slow-starting Clogherinkoe for those early goals. Impressive full-forward Ben Fitzsimons and Cloghs talisman Jack Robinson (free) had already exchange points when goalkeeper Keith Wilkinson was unable to hold on to Adam Delaney’s delivery and Fitzsimons pounced to finish to the net on three minutes.
Barely 60 seconds later, Wilkinson was in trouble again. He somehow kept out Michael O’Brien’s initial close-range effort but the wing-forward got it over the line at the second attempt. Fitzsimons added a seventh minute point to bring his tally to 1-2 already, his side now 2-2 to 0-1 ahead.
With Robinson, Céin McMonagle and county under-20 star Jimmy Lynch in attack, Clogherinkoe weren’t going to lie down for long, and Lynch stroked over a 45 in the fashion we’re becoming accustomed to.
Robinson was engaged in a fierce battle with sticky marker Cian Cahill, and the Eadestown man can take great credit from the Kildare forward’s failure to hit the target from play. Robinson’s free on 11 minutes was followed by a classy two-pointer from Lynch and when Robinson sent McMonagle through on goal the experienced attacker slid low to Charlie Carroll’s right to level the game up on 13 minutes (2-2 to 1-5).
Although Eoin Conneff put Eadestown back in front, the second quarter saw Clogherinkoe hit the front. Robinson converted a two-point free, teenager Rian Cully raised another orange flag from play and Robinson converted a free, Eadestown’s only reply coming from O’Brien in the 18th minute.
That gave Clogherinkoe a 1-10 to 2-4 half-time advantage with their disastrous a distant memory.
Their confidence up, they continued to dominate at the start of the second half. McMonagle from play and Lynch and Robinson from a free apiece stretched their advantage to six points.
But Eadestown rallied, with the Borans very much to the fore. Cian Boran ended that 20-minute wait for a score with a point and after Fitzsimons brought his own tally to 1-3, Conan Boran and Cian Bolton added singles in quick succession to make it 1-13 to 2-8 in the 44th minute.
Robinson converted a free to push Cloghs three ahead, however, and when Rian Boran was sent to the line for an off-the-ball incident, you favoured the North-West border side to prevail.
But Charlie Carroll immediately boosted Eadestown with a well-struck two-point free to narrow the gap to one before Down native Joe McIlduff and Fitzsimons exchanged points.
A piercing run from Lynch set up Mark ‘Bluey’ Nolan to push Clogherinkoe two ahead with seven minutes left (1-16 to 2-11). McMonagle had a gilt-edged chance to sew it up moments later, but he couldn’t keep his feet when through on goal and when Robinson hit the post soon afterwards, Eadestown seized their chance from the breakaway. Conor McCarthy fed Jameson coming in from the right and he squeezed his shot past Wilkinson.
McCarthy added a point and a Lynch free was all Clogherinkoe could manage in reply with Grehan’s late effort to equalise falling short.
Charlie Carroll; Cian Cahill, John Lawlor, Harry Carroll; Daragh Jameson 1-0, Jack Sargent, Cian Boran 0-1; Rian Boran, Conan Boran 0-1; Michael O’Brien 1-1, Seán Hynes, Adam Delaney; Eoin Conneff 0-1, Ben Fitzsimons 1-4, Cian Bolton 0-1.
Conor McCarthy 0-1 for Conneff (35), CJ Boran for Delaney (40), Max Sargent for Bolton (45).
Keith Wilkinson; Jamie Boyle, David Hill, Rory Phelan; Andrew Hill, Killian Galligan, Daire Travers; Caelum Flanagan, Daniel Grehan; Jimmy Lynch 0-5 (1tp, 1’45, 2f), Joe McIlduff 0-1, Cein McMonagle 1-1; Jack Robinson 0-7 (1tpf, 5f), Rian Cully 0-2 (tp), Mark Nolan 0-1.
Aeden Boyle for Cully (54), Mark Grehan for Flanagan (59).
Ken Doyle.
