Sarsfields leave it late to see off Caragh
Sarsfields' goalscorer Conor O'Donovan solos the ball away from Caragh's Conor Sullivan. Photos: Sean Brilly.
Caragh and Sarsfields collided on Friday night in Group B of the Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship at a surprisingly chilly Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge.
Although Sarsfields left as eight-point winners, the game was far closer than the scoreline suggests. With five minutes remaining, there were only three points separating the sides; but Sarsfields closed out the game in style, with Conor O'Donovan sticking the ball in the Caragh net with the very last kick of the game.
The result leaves Sash top of Group B with two wins from two, while Caragh slump to their second straight defeat. The Prosperous club are managed by former Sarsfields great, Mikey Browne - a man who can be incredibly proud of his team's efforts in Newbridge.
Sarsfields took an early lead through wing back Cathal White, scoring almost immediately from the throw-in, before Ryan Kearney added second with four minutes on the clock.
Caragh were sloppy in possession and gifted the ball back to Sash, with Cian Costigan punishing from a close-range free. That left the men in green up by three points after ten minutes, despite them firing four wides in that time.
Sarsfields were five up midway through the half when Costigan landed a two-pointer from just outside the arc, before slotting his third score in a row with a another free after Caragh were penalised for breaching.
Sarsfields goalkeeper, Cathal Moore tried his luck with a long-range free, and while it didn't have the legs, it was claimed by Conor O'Donovan who evaded his man to kick a seventh unanswered point.
Caragh did not get off the mark until the 21st minute when Darragh Swords' effort was helped over by the upright, with the talismanic full forward - torn jersey and all - adding a free for his side 90 seconds later.
Swords had his third score on the trot when he landed another free in the 25th minute, but that was quickly cancelled out by a lovely strike from O'Donovan.
The Caragh fans erupted two minutes before the break when a lovely one/two between Dan Lynam and Conor Sullivan saw Lynam burst through on goal and pick out the bottom corner of the Sarsfields net.
But Sash ended the half with an equally exquisite two-point free from Costigan that left his side four points to the good, up 0-10 to 1-3 at the whistle.
The second half started slowly, but it burst into life in the 36th minute when Cathal McKennedy chipped the ball into the path of Kevin Campbell; the Caragh wing forward gathered the pass and charged in on goal before rippling the net for his team's second goal of the night.
But just as they did before the interval, Sash responded to the concession of a green flag by raising an orange flag of their own, this time courtesy of goalkeeper, Cathal Moore.
Costigan followed up with his fifth score of the game, but the deficit was back to two points after 40 minutes when Darragh Swords floated over a score from outside the arc.
Sash came again with two quick-fire scores from Cathal White, only for them to be wiped out when Swords raised another orange flag, with the Caragh man responsible for all seven of his team's points.
Another score from White left Sarsfields three points in front with five minutes remaining, with a free from substitute Barry Coffey stretching the lead to four heading into stoppage time.
Sash put the gloss on the scoreline going down the final stretch, with Ben McCormack pointing before O'Donovan put the finishing touches on a sublime team move as he rolled the ball under Michael Behan in the Caragh goal.
The final round of group games will see Sarsfields take on Maynooth and Caragh face Carbury.
Cathal Moore 0-2 (tpf); Colm Harnett, Jimmy O'Neill, David Higgins; Daragh Conlon, Alan Scully, Cathal White 0-4; Matty Byrne, Gavin Anderson; Shea Ryan, Callum Bolton, Cian Costigan 0-7 (1tp, 1tpf, 2f); Ryan Kearney 0-1, Luke Mahon, Conor O'Donovan 1-2.
Daragh Ryan for Mahon (42), David Shalvey for Conlon and Barry Coffey 0-1 for Anderson (both 49), Ben McCormack 0-1 for Costigan (52), Kieran Dwyer for Higgins (56).
Michael Behan; Billy Byrne, Paul Dockery, Conor Sullivan; Cathal McKennedy, Matthew McNally, Ryan Burke; Kevin Connor, Liam Blake; Dan Lynam 1-0, Mick O'Toole, Kevin Campbell 1-0; Ronan Doorey, Darragh Swords, Ruadhan Kane.
Dan Murray for O'Toole (49), Eoghan O'Haire for Doorey (50), Alex Kehoe for McNally (59).
Kieran Harris.
