Five-try fairytale as Miller brothers lead Athy into All-Ireland semi-final
Athy’s fairytale journey in the Energia All-Ireland Cup continued at The Showgrounds on Saturday afternoon as they produced their best performance of the season to beat Dublin side, Suttonians.
Athy were under the cosh for large parts of the first half and were forced to get through a mountain of work to keep Suttonians from running riot.
But it was the second half where the headlines were written, as the Kildare club scored five converted tries - as well as keeping Suttonians scoreless - to book their place in the draw for the final four junior clubs in the country.
An enormous defensive effort by the Athy pack, coupled with a fine display of leadership from captain Craig Miller, proved to be pivotal in deciding the outcome of this game.
Off the tee, place kicker Josh Miller, brother to the captain, also warrants an individual spotlight. Miller has struggled to find his kicking boots for most of the season, but slotted all five conversions as well as a pair of penalties that were so important to his side’s victory.
Introduced in 2006, the All-Ireland Junior Cup is played on a straight knockout format between the top four clubs from each province. Having ran in seven tries to beat Tuam 47-14 away in Galway in the first round, Athy were given a home draw for the quarter-finals. It was back-to-back away days for Suttonians, who were 26-15 winners over Ballymoney in Antrim in the opening round.
There was just a seven-day turn around since the previous meeting of the clubs, where Suttonians beat Athy 26-19 in Dublin, their sixth consecutive win in Division 1A of the Leinster League. But the form guide goes out the window when it comes to cup competitions as Athy showed a side of their game not seen since last year’s Towns Cup final.
The hosts were under the cosh early, defending three lineouts in their own 22 before losing flanker Jack Henry to the sin bin in just the 6th minute. Athy again repelled the Suttonians lineout but the Dubliners got on the scoreboard in the 11th minute with a penalty kicked by full back Jack Gallagher.
Athy were level after quarter of an hour thanks to a brilliant penalty from centre Josh Miller from just inside the Suttonians half. The home got great purchase out of their kicking game and finally broached the Suttonians 22 midway through the half, but found themselves defending another 5-metre lineout just moments later. Again they pushed the visitors back to halfway as captain Craig Miller marshaled his side well with a series of clever kicks.
Athy found their way back inside the Suttonians 22, but squandered two attacking lineouts as as the sides remained level. But Suttonians’ third visit to Athy’s 22 resulted in the game’s opening try when captain Simon Feeney got over the line after the hosts had repelled several pick-and-goes on their line. Gallagher added the extras with seven minutes remaining in the half.
Athy missed the chance to close the gap when Josh Miller saw his second kick off the tee drift wide if the upright, and they needed a massive defensive effort from their pack to keep Suttonians out right on the stroke of half time. 10-3 to Suttonians at the interval.
The Kildare club started extremely well after the interval and went through phase after phase after patient phase right on the Suttonians try line before Craig Miller finally got over under the posts. Josh Miller’s conversion brought the sides level with half an hour left to play.
The hosts had all the momentum and brought play back into opposition territory right from the restart, but could not find a way through this time.
The fans in The Showgrounds could feel something building, however, as Athy worked their way back to the Suttonians try line with the game approaching the final quarter.
Number eight Patrick Julian was the man to deliver, barging over under the posts to put the Kildare club in front for the first time. Miller again added the extras to make it a seven-point game.
Try number three for Athy came just five minutes later after another beautifully incisive attack. With three backs to beat, big lock Keven Downey powered through as if they weren’t there to dot the ball down for a rare five-pointer. Miller added the extras to make it 24-10 with 14 minutes left on the clock, leaving Suttonians desperate for a score.
Sensing a chance to kill the game off, Athy opted to go for the posts from a very tight angle - Josh Miller justifying the choice with a superb strike to put the hosts 17 points up.
From there, Athy managed the final ten minutes extremely well, keeping Suttonians pinned back in their own 22 and forcing their way in for a fourth try with some brilliant play out wide where Aidan Henry went over in the corner.
Miller’s exemplary day off the tee continued, slotting another kick from the sideline.
The game came to a magical conclusion for Athy, with Craig Miller releasing Hayden Casey-Gray who side-stepped his was past the last defender and over for a fifth try.
That left only time for the conversion, landed sublimely again by Josh Miller to send Athy into the final four in the All-Ireland Junior Cup.
Elsewhere, Down side Dromore thumped their fellow Ulstermen 23-0 to join Athy in the semi-finals, while Creggs of Galway put 60 points on St Mary’s Limerick to end Munster involvement in this year’s tournament.
Seapoint and Wicklow was postponed due to the horrendous rain over recent days; the winner of that will complete the draw, with the semi-finals due to be played in mid December.
Culann Carbery; Cathal Fennessy, Aidan Henry (1 try), Josh Miller (2 pens, 5 cons), Hayden Casey-Gray (1 try); Craig Miller (1 try), Eoin Farrell; Aaron Rowan, Shane Horgan, Conan Dunne; Kevin Downey (1 try), Sean Donohoe; Jack Henry, John Sheedy, Patrick Julian (1 try).
Karol Donohoe, Matthew Henry, Lochlann Kelliher, Tom Sheedy, Daniel Henry.
Jack Gallagher (1 pen, 1 con); Louis Gallagher, Sean Cribbin, Blaise Barnes, James Buckeridge; Hugh Duignan, Josh Oakley; Jack Walters, Simon Feeney (1 try), Frank Keegan; Dean Moore, Cian Buckley; Charlie Lappin, James Reilly, Matthew Linehan.
Guilherme Neto, Daniel Flood, Steve Evans, Ben Gallagher, David Johnston.
