Laurences move into IFC semi-finals after a night of incredible drama
St Laurences' Mark Glynn is tackled by Castledermot's Dan Grey during this evening's National Electrical Wholesalers Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final Photo: Sean Brilly
An immediate return to the Senior Football Championship remains on the cards for St Laurences after they booked their place in the National Electrical Wholesalers Intermediate Football Championship semi-finals after as dramatic a game as you could wish to see at Cedral St Conleths Park this evening.
Laurences eventually won by three points as Castledermot only managed one score in the extra time period but Castledermot will kicking themselves for a long time through the winter after letting this one get away from them.
After a roller coaster second half when both teams had the game in their grasp, Castledermot were two points ahead in the seventh minute of injury time at the end of normal time but lost their concentration at the crucial moment and were penalised for not leaving three men in the Laurences half. The ball was brought forward in front of the posts but TJ Nolan had no option other than to bring it back beyond the two point arc and from there held his nerve to level the game with the very last kick.
Gavin Keating, who had been absolutely furious at the concession of that late free, put Castledermot ahead with a two point free two minutes into the extra time period but they failed to score again.
Nolan scored his ninth and tenth points either side of the half time break in extra time and then his 11th in the 76th minute put the Larries ahead before substitute Stephen Mann scored two points to wrap the game.
Even before that dramatic conclusion it had been a second half filled with incredible drama.
After trailing by a point at half time, Laurences raced out of the traps and scored 1-4 in the first five minutes of the second half. The goal came just 15 second after the restart when Mark Glynn when Glynn burst through the defence and offloaded to Adam Steed who then beat Shane Nolan at his near post with a powerful rising drive.
Kevin Eustace then fisted over before TJ Nolan scored a two pointer and then one from inside the arc.
Laurences were cruising at that stage in the game but a small moment swung momentum back in the favour of Castledermot. After stripping the ball away from Donnchadh Kinch and being penalised by Fergus Devereux, Mark Glynn handed the ball back to the referee rather than his opponent. The free was brought on, and then brought back outside by the arc by Gavin Keating who converted for a two pointer and the previously shell shocked looking Castledermot were back up and running.
Four minutes later, Emmet O’Keeffe showed the forward instincts from his youth when in a good position and he fired into the Larries net.
Keating equalised from a 45 after Murphy’s shot was blocked by Ciaran O’Sullivan and when Grey, Murphy from two point range and Keating scored again Castledermot were four clear with four minutes remaining.
Six additional minutes gave Larries hope and they chopped away at the lead with points from Ruaidhri Lawlor and Nolan before the dramatic to normal time.
St Laurences will now play either Rathangan or Two Mile House in the semi-final.
The evening’s other quarter-final was almost as dramatic as Milltown came from nine points down in the second half to beat Leixlip by 3-10 to 3-9 to set up a semi-final against Sallins or Suncroft.
Paul Clynch; Luke Gorman, Ciaran O’Sullivan, Niall Clynh, Oisin Grufferty, James Donnelly, Niall O’Connor; Mark Glynn, TJ Nolan 0-11 (2tpf, 4f); Kevin Eustace 0-1, Ruaidhri Lawlor 0-1, Tom Dooley, Eoghan Glancy, Felix Lawlor 0-4 (2tpf), Adam Steed 1-1. Subs: Dylan O’Dwyer for Glancy, 44; Cian Miley for Lawlor, 48; David O’Driscoll for Dooley, 51; PJ Cullen for Glynn, 55; Eoin Curley for Donnelly, 58; Glynn for Cullen, start of e/t; Stephen Mann 0-2 for N Clynch, 65; Roco Roche for Steed, 72; Pierce O’Dwyer for Eustace, 76.
Shane Nolan; Billy O’Gorman, Gavin Farrell, Barry Nolan, Bryan Nolan, Emmett O’Keeffe 1-0, Paraic Murphy; Nicky Jackman, Donnchadh Kinch; James O’Reilly, Paddy Whelan 1-0, Conor Nolan, Aaron Murphy 0-3 (1tp), Dan Grey 0-3, Gavin Keating 0-8 (2tpf, 1f, 1’45). Subs: Niall Dooley for O’Reilly, 26; David Keating for Jackman, 50; Oisin Noan for Murphy, 55; Anto Lawler for Whelan, 60; Tadhg Phelan for Murphy, 76; Anthony Kelly for O’Keeffe, 80.
Fergus Devereux.
