Woodgate two-pointer wins it for Raheens
Raheens' Jack Taaffe goes around Sallins' Eoin McConnon. Photo: Sean Brilly.
Championship time arrived in style for both Raheens and Sallins on Saturday afternoon. In a nail-biting finish, it was Paddy Woodgate who was Raheens' hero after his 63rd minute two-pointer helped seal a memorable win in the opening round of the Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship.
The game looked destined for a share of the spoils, but former county player Woodgate backed himself from all of 50 metres to fire over the winner.
It was a game that Raheens trailed for long periods courtesy of an inspired Colm Dalton performance, and when Sallins fired over a pair of two-pointers 20 minutes into the opening half Raheens trailed by seven and the signs were ominous. They did reduce the gap to four before the break to give themselves a chance as the half ended but nobody could have predicted the drama that was to follow.
Last year's Kildare and Leinster Intermediate Champions, Sallins, arrived as favourites to make a winning start. James Dalton opened the scoring with a quick shot just two minutes in.
Raheens responded straight away through Gavin Thompson after he pounced on a loose ball - it was to be the only Raheens score for the next 23 minutes.
Colm Dalton looked to be injury free and back to his best as he pointed his first after five. The attacks were coming thick and fast and Raheens couldn't put a hand on the Sallins attackers. Alan Marshall cut in from the left before tapping over a third. A short Raheens kick-out was intercepted and Colm Dalton punished the Caragh men; 0-4 to 0-1 after ten minutes.
An accidental collision between Eoin McConnon and Gavin Thompson halted play for close on five minutes before both players were forced to leave the field. It was a chance for both sides to take a breath, but on the resumption it was Sallins who continued on the front foot. Stephen Kelly and Cian Grimes both raised orange flags as Sallins moved 0-8 to 0-1 ahead.
Rob Thompson grabbed a much-needed point from a free, but when Daragh Mangan won the kick-out the Daltons combined for James to ad his second.
Raheens finished the half the stronger and following two fouls on Luke O'Donovan it was Jack Taffee and Rob Thompson who punished with the resulting frees.
Sallins did create a rare goal chance, but David MacPartlin made a good save. In late injury time, the excellent Liam Power set up Paddy Woodgate for a fifth Raheens point and the Sallins lead was now 0-9 to 0-5.
Raheens were turned over deep in Sallins territory and quickly found themselves at the other end of the field watching a free from Cian Grimes sail between the sticks. Daragh Mangan and Liam Power were having a real battle in the middle and when Mangan won possession from the restart he quickly set up Colm Dalton for his third as Sallins moved six ahead again.
Eight second-half minutes had elapsed when county panelist Niall Dolan set up David Malone who quickly transferred to Jack Taffee and in a flash the full forward shot left footed past Matthew Farrelly. Two Rob Thompson points followed quickly and suddenly Raheens were within a point. With 20 minutes remaining we were still to witness a grandstand finish.
Good work from Raheens' defence kept Sallins at bay and for a team who weren't goal shy last year they were struggling to create a chance. Graham Waters and Conor Kelly combined to set up Woodgate for a brilliant two-pointer and for the first time Raheens were ahead. Luke O'Donovan extended it to two and Raheens looked to have hit top gear at the right time.
Sallins had other ideas and Dalton was again to the fore with two quick points before Luke Killian edged the men in green ahead before O'Donovan fired over the leveller again.
Woodgate and Dalton kept parity as they traded points, but Sallins had two chances to get the winner - a 45 saw Grimes' shot drift wide before Conor Kelly made an excellent block on a Dalton shot before the same player fired wide from the rebound.
With 90 seconds of injury time left, Raheens mustered up one last effort; and when Woodgate got the ball 50 metres out he edged his way left before firing over an excellent two-pointer that eventually sealed the win.
Sallins will now face county champions Athy in round 2 while Raheens will be eagerly looking forward to facing Kilcock.
David MacPartlin; Niall Cramer, Fionn Tully, Shane Crowley; Daniel Hamill, Conor Earley, Graham Waters; Liam Power, Conor Kelly; Luke O'Donovan 0-2, Paddy Woodgate 0-6 (2tp), David Malone; Rob Thompson 0-5 (3f), Jack Taffee 1-0, Gavin Thompson 0-1.
Niall Dolan for G Thompson (20), Daire Gilmartin for O'Donovan (51), Conor Murphy for Taffee (57).
Matthew Farrelly; Ruairi O Domhnaill, Darren Keane, Sean O Domhnaill; Eoin McConnon, Glen McEvoy, Daragh Mangan; Lorcan McKenna, Cian Grimes 0-3 (1tp,1f); Colm Dalton 0-6, Alan Marshall 0-1, Stephen Kelly 0-2 (tp), Paul Farrelly, James Dalton 0-2.
Luke Killian 0-1 for McConnon (20), Conor Dalton for Marshall (42), Sean Egan for Moynihan (48).
Brendan Cawley.
