Extra push wins county final spot for Celbridge
Celbridge's Cian Powell tries to avoid the challenge of Sarsfields Con Kavanagh. Photo: Sean Brilly.
The Browne boys ensured Celbridge will be painting St Conleth’s Park blue in two weeks’ time as they overcame a stout Sarsfields challenge in extra-time to secure their place in a second successive Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship final.
Older brother Aaron top-scored with seven points while Killian weighed in with the game-changing goal in the first minute of extra time to regain the upper hand after Sarsfields had come from behind to draw in normal time.
Celbridge, beaten in eight of their ten successive semi-finals since 2014, including all three last four meetings with Sarsfields, had the advantage of a strong wind in the opening half and looked impressive in opening up a five-point lead in the first quarter, the elder Browne accounting for three of those.
Sarsfields got something of a foothold in the second quarter, although only managing two points from frees from Shane Doyle and Callum Bolton, to trail 0-7 to 0-2 with wind advantage to come.
Half-Time: Celbridge 0-7 Sarsfields 0-2
The Newbridge side slowly but surely set about reeling in the gap. Karl Hartley fisted a point, Ben McCormack landed a beauty, as did temporary substitute Daragh Ryan. Tempers frayed a little with one melee seeing John Clarke and Ethan Mountaine booked, as the tension mounted.
With ten minutes of normal time remaining Barry Coffey narrowed the gap to a minimum from a free.
That sparked Celbridge back to life and when the lively Tony Archbold won a free, Aaron Browne converted.
Bolton was among Sarsfields’ better performers, and he pointed superbly with his left foot with seven minutes remaining to make it 0-8 to 0-7.
With four minutes left, Aaron Browne possibly thought he had clinched it with a fine score from the right hand side of the posts and Paddy Brophy should really have put it beyond doubt a minute later when he jinked inside his marker after taking a through ball from Kevin O’Callaghan. But the former Kildare man’s effort placed his goal attempt just left of the posts.
The inevitable late pressure came on the Dublin border side, but Sarsfields were wasteful, with McCormack shooting wide twice and Coffey once. Bolton, however, did hit the target with a minute left to leave one point between them and they seemed to get a lucky break when Aaron Browne seemed to be fouled in the Sarsfields half with no free forthcoming.
The Newbridge men took full advantage of that and at the end of the allotted four minutes of injury-time, after David Shalvey had won a free after a great catch at midfield, the ball was worked out left to Karl Hartley who steered over the equaliser with the last kick of normal time.
Full-Time (Normal Time): Celbridge 0-9 Sarsfields 0-9.
Celbridge must have thought “not again” at that stage, but they took matters into their own hands in the first play of extra time. Hugh McGrillen fisted the throw-in forward for Archbold, whose long ball into the square was collected by Aaron Browne.
Although he slipped and spilled possession younger brother Killian picked up the loose ball and slotted calmly under Marc Courtney-Byrne for the game’s only goal. There was only fifteen seconds on the clock.
Aaron Browne added a free shortly afterwards, but Sarsfields hit back again in the minutes before half-time in extra-time with Coffey knocking over two frees.
However, the profligacy of earlier raised its head again for Vinnie Walsh’s side with Bolton and Coffey both short of the posts and Ryan shooting wide. Celbridge substitute Cormac O’Sullivan punished those misses with a fisted point with two minutes remaining.
Veteran Alan Smith replied from a free to narrow the gap to two points, but Ben Loakman’s shot in the final minute dropped short and although Brophy shot one wide after that for Celbridge, the final whistle confirmed they would be back in a re-opened St Conleth’s Park on county final day.
Shane McNamara; John Clarke, Cian Powell, Mick Konstantin; Dean O’Donoghue, Fergal Conway, Liam O’Flynn; Hugh McGrillen, Mick O’Grady; Niall O’Regan, Kevin O’Callaghan 0-1, Tony Archbold 0-1; Paddy McAteer, Aaron Browne 0-7 (4fs,1m), Killian Browne 1-1. Paddy Brophy for McAteer 45, James Dolan for O’Callaghan 59, McAteer for Clarke 73, Cormac O’Sullivan 0-1 for O’Regan 73, Lee Maycock for O’Donoghue 78.
Marc Courtney-Byrne; Alan Scully, Tom Aspell, Colm Harnett; David Shalvey, Cian Byrne, Con Kavanagh; Callum Bolton 0-3 (1f), Matty Byrne; Ethan Mountaine, Ben McCormack 0-1, Shea Ryan; Karl Hartley 0-2, Shane Doyle 0-1 (f), Conor Hartley. Daragh Ryan 0-1 for Mountaine 38-45 and for M Byrne 49, Barry Coffey 0-3 (3fs) for Aspell 45, Ben Loakman for Doyle 57, Jimmy O’Neill for Mountaine for ET, Seán Campbell for C Hartley for ET, Alan Smith 0-1 (f) for O’Neill HT in ET, Mountaine for Campbell HT in ET, Jake Loakman for C Byrne HT in ET.
Paddy McDermott.
