Dermody the hero after penalty drama
Paul Dermody was the hero for Éire Óg Corra Choill with two saves the penalty shoot out against Ardclough Photo: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
These two old foes served up a thrilling Preliminary Round tie in the UPMC Senior Hurling Championship on Saturday evening with Éire Óg Corra Choill winning a dramatic penalty shoot-out after extra time to earn their place in the winners section.
Ardclough had started the livelier and only a brilliant save from veteran EOCC goalkeeper Paul Dermody kept them within four points (12-8) after 26 minutes.
But by half time, with the game developing into a free-taking battle between Liam Dempsey and Sean Whelan, EOCC were within a point (0-13 to 0-12) and they started the second half with 1-2 without reply, Paul Dolan putting a quiet opening half behind him to finish their goal to the net from Adam Delmer’s hand pass.
But Ardclough hit back and on 43 minutes Ronan O’Malley’s finish, despite Dermody getting a touch, made it 1-15 apiece.
Back came EOCC with three points in a row but after a Whelan free, Ardclough’s Tim Ryan took possession from a long puck-out from Martin Fitzgerald with eight minutes left and backed himself with a brilliant drive into the left-corner of Dermody’s net.
The hard-working Gary Johnson equalised with a deft shot over the shoulder before Maurice Sexton’s wonderful strike from just outside the ’65 gave Ardclough the lead again with three minutes remaining.
But when Dolan was fouled by Cillian Burke out the field, Dempsey brought up his tenth point of normal time to draw the sides level. One last effort from Scott Cramer for EOCC drifted just wide and we were into extra-time.
Two points from Whelan from play gave Ardclough a flying start but EOCC hit the afterburners with five in a row, thanks to Dolan and Michael Clohessy with two each and a free from Dempsey before Burke and Dempsey swapped points to leave EOCC ahead by three at the interval in extra-time.
The drama wasn’t over by any means. Points from Burke, Seán Coulston and a Whelan free brought Ardclough level again early in the second period and Dempsey and Ryan swapped points as they headed into the last five minutes level.
EOCC seemed to take control at that stage with a massive point from Cramer from midfield and two frees from a cramping Dempsey.
But there was one final sting in the tale as, a minute into injury time, O’Malley was held out the field and Whelan dropped the sliotar into the square where Eoghan Walsh gathered and found O’Malley to plunder his second goal to level the tie once more at the death.
That meant penalties and after Dempsey buried the first for the winners, Whelan saw his shot well saved by former Kildare ‘keeper Dermody. With the next two penalties for each side converted, Clohessy made it 4-2 for the Caragh/Prosperous men, leaving Ardclough substitute Drew Costello needing to find the net.
Unfortunately for Costello, Dermody was equal to his shot, pushing it away to secure an enthralling victory and a place in the winners section alongside Naas, Celbridge and Confey.
Paul Dermody; Conor Sullivan, Fionán Manders, Niall Cramer; Adam Delmer 0-1, James Dolan, Daniel Murray; Gary Johnson 0-3, Jack Higgins 0-2; Scott Cramer 0-3, Paul Dolan 1-3, Michael Clohessy 0-2; Seán O’Neill 0-1, Kevin Connor, Liam Dempsey 0-15 (13fs).
Martin Fitzgerald; Seán Buggy, Aaron Casey, Tadhg McCarthy; Conor Kelly, Maurice Sexton 0-1, David Collins; Tim Ryan 1-2, Patrick O’Malley 0-1; Tony Spain 0-1, Seán Whelan 0-12 (7fs,2’65s), Ronan O’Malley 2-0; Kyle Kelly 0-1, Eoghan Walsh 0-3, Cillian Burke 0-2. Subs: Drew Costello for Spain 38, Seán Coulston 0-1 for Kelly and Michael Freyne for P O’Malley (both HT in ET).
Matthew Redmond.
