Raheens into quarters after dramatic draw
Raheens' Conor Murphy tangles with Athy's Darren Lawler and Paudie Behan. Photo: Sean Brilly.
When Referee, Brendan Cawley, signalled five minutes of injury time at the end of the game, defending champions, Athy led by four points in this Joe Mallon Motors Group C Round 3 game at Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Saturday afternoon.
Word coming from the other Group game in Clane between Kilcock and Sallins was that Sallins were in front and heading to the quarter finals at the expense of Raheens, should they fail to win or draw the game. Queue a dramatic last 90 seconds of play when Anthony Rainbow’s charges somehow snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat with a goal from midfielder, Liam Power and a point from a free for an Athy breach by Paddy Woodgate with the last kick of the game.
The draw was enough to qualify Raheens for the knockout stages of the championship, something that appeared unlikely despite a battling performance throughout.
Athy lined out without influential county captain, Kevin Feely, but his replacement, Cian Keaveney, who joined his brother, Callum on the team, turned in an excellent display scoring 1-5 from play including three in a row in a three minute spell at the start of the last quarter.
Raheens, for their part, started without former county U20 captain, Niall Dolan, although he joined the action in the 35th minute. Early two pointers from play by Niall Kelly for Athy and Jack Taaffe for Raheens, had the sides level in the fourth minute but three minutes later came the Cian Keaveney goal. A wonderful ball by David Hyland found the youngster and he gave David McPartlin no chance in the Raheens goal.
A Paddy Woodgate two pointer free from outside the ’45 was the perfect response from Raheens but then the Keaveney brothers took over the scoring adding two points a piece between the 13th and 21st minutes with the only response coming grom Conor Murphy and Athy looked comfortable at 1-7 to 0-5.
Five minutes later though and Raheens were back in the game. Wing back, Daniel Hamill, joined the attacked and when his initial goal bound shot was blocked, the rebound fell to Conor Murphy and he volleyed to the Athy net to leave two between them at 1-7 to 1-5 in the 26th minute.
Michael Spillane, James McGrath and Ronan Kelly, with the fist, closed out the Athy first half scoring while a point each from Taaffe and Woodgate (free) left the defending champions leading by three, 1-10 to 1-7 at the break.
Athy lost wing back, Sean Moore, at the start of the second half with Brian Maher coming on as a Blood Sub which wasn’t reversed. Another a Woodgate free and a point from play by substitute, Niall Dolan reduced the deficit to one, Raheens spurned a great chance of a goal when corner back, Niall Cramer shot wide in the 42nd minute.
Three Cian Keaveney points in a row punished Raheens for that miss as Athy’s lead was now out to four points. Although Luke O’Donovan’s point reduced the deficit to three in the 54th minute, Maher’s fisted point seemed an insurance one in the first of the five minutes of injury time.
In a dramatic last 90 seconds, however, Woodgate and O’Donovan combined to set up Liam Power for the goal and almost from the kick out Athy were penalised for the breach and Woodgate showed nerves of steel to fire over the free from the 20 meter line to send his side into the quarter finals with the dramatic equaliser.
James Roycroft; Darren Lawler, Mark Hyland, Michael Spillane 0-1; James McGrath 0-1, Padraic Spillane, Sean Moore; Cian Keaveney 1-5, David Hyland; Calum Keaveny 0-2, Paudie Behan 0-1, Conor Doyle; Ronan Kelly 0-1, Barry Kelly, Niall Kelly 0-2 (tp).
Brian Maher (Blood Sub) 0-1 for Sean Moore 31, Cathal McCarron for Barry Kelly 42, Conor Kelly for Paudie Behan 51, Ben Purcell for Ronan Kelly 51, Jack Dooley for Conor Doyle 56.
David McPartlin; Niall Cramer, Fionn Tully, Shane Crowley; Daniel Hamill, Conor Earley, Dara Crowley; Liam Power 1-0, Conor Kelly; Luke O’Donovan 0-1, Paddy Woodgate 0-5 (5f), David Malone; Conor Murphy 1-1, Jack Taaffe 0-3 (tp), Gavin Thompson.
Niall Dolan 0-1 for Conor Murphy 35, Graham Waters for Gavin Thompson 51, Daire Gilmartin for Conor Kelly 56.
Brendan Cawley
