Johnstownbridge pull away in closing minutes to lift Senior B Reserve title
Johnstownbridge celebrate after winning Osprey Hotel & Spa Senior B Reserve Football Final Photo: Sean Brilly
Four late points from Johnstownbridge were enough to secure the Osprey Hotel Senior B Football Championship after an entertaining game that saw the sides level on new fewer than six occasions over the hour.
It was a game of two missed penalties Johnstownbridge in the opening half and Naas a minute after the restart as the two goalkeepers proved to be the hero's with excellent saves for their respective sides.
The opening exchanges were fast and furious with scores hard to come by as defences were on top Kelvin McNally did eventually get the score board ticking with a fourth minute free for Johnstownbridge. The Bridge had chances to extend the lead but the radar was off. 12 minutes had elapsed when David Lynch opened the Naas account with a fine point on the run. That opening score seemed to ignite Naas as they quickly moved five clear over the next six minutes.
Darragh Gunning and Damien O'Flynn both added left footed points and when Gunning seemed sure to ad his second the ball deceived Tom McDonnell in the Johnstownbridge goal as it dropped under the crossbar.
Johnstownbridge had gone 18 minutes without a score but when Niall Vaughan was foot blocked Colm Kearney pointed to the spot without hesitation. Vaughan stepped up but a combination of Bryan O'Connell's arm and hip kept the ball from crossing the line and the opportunity had gone.
It would prove to be Vaughan's last piece of action as he hobbled off with what looked a knee injury after hitting the penalty.
The penalty seemed to galvanise Johnstownbridge though and after going 20 minutes without a score they added four scores before the break.Kelvin McNally added his second and third frees either side of a lovely Conor Flynn effort. Naas had gone completely to sleep as the half time whistle loomed. Apart from a six minute spell in the opening half Naas were 24 minutes without a score. As we played out three minutes of injury time Eoin O Donoghue got forward from wing back to kick the score of the half, cutting in off the left before splitting the posts.
Johnstownbridge lead 1-4 to 1-3 at the end of a frustrating half for both sides.
The teams returned without any changes and within a minute Naas were given a great chance to hit the front again. Eoghan Maguire was dragged down inside the large square and after consulting with his umpires the referee stuck by his original decision of a penalty. Eoghan Healy's shot was well saved by Tom McDonnell but his opposite number O'Connell sent over the resultant 45.
32 minutes on the clock and we were level again.
Johnstownbridge opened a two point buffer for the first time through two more McNally frees but Eoghan Healy, also from a free, kept Naas within touching distance. Mark O'Hara and Seamus McNally were starting to boss the Naas forwards when McNally found Glen Doran with a quick free he fired over a beauty from 40 metres. Naas as expected weren't going away and two Damien O'Flynn frees levelled it as we moved inside the last ten.
Luke Ennis pushed the Bridge ahead again but when Sean Brennan was fouled some 50 metres from goal it was Naas keeper Bryan Cullen who got forward to level again with his second of the game. Cullen did keep Naas in it when he saved low from pacy substitute Daniel Farrell. Naas failed to trouble the score board keeper over the closing eight minutes as their effort petered out.
Johnstownbridge found a way and Kelvin McNally's sixth free helped open a winning lead. Sean Holton, Daniel Farrell and Luke Ennis all added the late points to secure the title.
Johnstownbridge were full value for their win with their more direct running and link up play proving to much for Naas.
JOHNSTOWNBRIDGE: Tom McDonnell, Ciaran Carey, Mark O'Hara, Kieran Ryan, Eoin O'Donoghue 0-1, Seamus McNally, Shane O'Neill, Sean Holton 0-1, Adam Quinn, Kelvin McNally 0-6fs,Glen Doran 0-1, Luke Ennis 0-2, Jimmy Farrell, Niall Vaughan, Conor Flynn 1-0. Subs: Daniel Farrell 0-1 for Vaughan, 24; Aidan Higgins for O'Neill, 44; Cian Newman for Farrell, 49; Kevin Lynch for Flynn, 59.
NAAS: Bryan O'Connell 0-2 (1 '45,1 free),Eoin Byrne, Cormac Wren, Stephen Ryan, John Hill, Cal O'Flynn, Sean Woods, James Finn, Liam McNeelan, Paddy Dooly, Darragh Gunning 1-1, Damien O'Flynn 0-3 (1f),Eoghan Maguire, Eoghan Healy 0-1f,David Lynch 0-1. Subs: Sean Brennan for Byrne, 24; Padraig Woods for Gunning, 36; Gerry Dunning for Eoghan Healy 42.
REFEREE: Colm Kearney
