Sarsfields come storming back to pip rivals by a point

Sarsfields 1-9 Moorefield 0-11

It took them a long time to wear down neighbours Moorefield, but Sarsfields eventually did enough to edge a tense Newbridge derby at Manguard Park and set up a semi final meeting with Celbridge in the Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship.

With the wind behind them in the opening half, and despite the absence of Aaron Masterson and the loss of Adam Sweeney to a black card, Moorefield had looked the better side for a long time, and they extended a four-point interval lead out to six early in the second period.

Sarsfields were looking increasingly frustrated at that stage, having opened the second half with rushed wides from Ben McCormack (twice) and Shane Doyle.

But, after McCormack had opened his account with a point, they took advantage of a miscued pass from Anthony Durney in his own half and launched a counterattack that involved Callum Bolton and Karl Hartley before Shea Ryan’s low show was saved by Tom Kinsella only to run loose for Doyle to finish to the net.

That was nine minutes after the break and suddenly Sarsfields were only two points behind (0-8 to 1-3).

The game sizzled from there to the end, and in truth, a draw might have been a fairer result.

But from looking rudderless, Sarsfields began to find their rhythm. Karl Hartley was fed by brother Conor, a recently arrived substitute, and although Evan O’Brien’s free gave Moorefield a two-point advantage again, Conor Hartley and McCormack levelled matters by the 47th minute at 1-6 to 0-9.

O’Brien, with another free, pushed Moorefield ahead again but Conor Hartley was having plenty of influence and he fisted another equaliser with seven minutes left. Brother Karl then added his second a minute later and Sarsfields were ahead for the first time since the opening score of the game.

With the clock running down, Moorefield might have goaled when Dan O’Callaghan palmed wide from a cross by fellow substitute Liam Callaghan. Mark Murray was then wide from a difficult free from over 40 metres into the wind.

Sarsfields were counter attacking dangerously, though, and on one such sortie, Ethan Mountaine drew a foul 45 metres from the posts and with the wind behind him, veteran substitute Alan Smith launched an Exocet missile high and true straight between the posts.

Murray narrowed the gap to the minimum a minute into the four signalled for injury time, angling over a free from the left corner after Alan Scully had fouled the ball, and when Callaghan crossed to O’Callaghan again, his touch looked like another wide. But after consultation with his umpires, referee Kieran Harris signalled a ’45.

Again, the wind made that one difficult and Murray’s effort dropped around the goalmouth and was deemed to have been touched wide by a Moorefield hand. That proved to be their last chance to push it into extra time.

In a game that was tough though never dirty, Harris had lain down a marker with a yellow card to Sarsfields’ Cian Byrne in the second minute and went on to show six yellows and one black, all but one of those coming before half-time.

Sarsfields opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Doyle bustled through on the end line and fired over.

Their town rivals opened their account from long range from Ryan Moore straight from the kick-out and O’Brien then chipped in with two in a row, the second a brilliant score in the right corner under pressure from two defenders.

Doyle pulled one back from a close-range free, but Ryan Houlihan made it 4-2 for Moorefield after a fine surging run and kick under pressure but they lost Sweeney to his black card for a trip on the raiding Colm Harnett after sixteen minutes.

That didn’t seem to trouble Moorefield. Indeed, it was they who added two more points before Sweeney returned. Murray converted a free after the overlapping Liam Healy was fouled close to goal and with Sweeney readying himself to return Jason Phillips pulled a Moore delivery from the skies and converted an inspirational mark.

That gave Moores a 0-6 to 0-2 half-time advantage but despite midfielders Moore and Sweeney stretching that advantage shortly afterwards, Doyle’s goal would prove pivotal in wrestling the advantage and ultimately the tie away from them.

SARSFIELDS: Marc Courtney-Byrne; Alan Scully, Tom Aspell, Colm Harnett; David Shalvey, Daragh Ryan, Cian Byrne; Callum Bolton, Matty Byrne; Con Kavanagh, Ethan Mountaine, Shea Ryan; Karl Hartley 0-2, Shane Doyle 1-2 (1f), Ben McCormack 0-2. SUB: Conor Hartley 0-2 for D Ryan 37, Ben Loakman for C Byrne 42, Alan Smith 0-1 (f) for Doyle 49, Jimmy O’Neill for Loakman 63.

MOOREFIELD: Tom Kinsella; Dylan Cosgrave, Mark Dempsey, Liam Healy; Anthony Durney, James Murray, Ryan Houlihan 0-1; Ryan Moore 0-2, Adam Sweeney 0-1; Eoin Meehan, Kevin Murnaghan, Harry O’Connor; Evan O’Brien 0-4 (2fs), Jason Phillips 0-1 (m), Mark Murray 0-2 (2fs). SUBS: Adam Tyrrell for Meehan 42, Liam Callaghan for Cosgrave 46, Dan O’Callaghan for Sweeney 49, Pádraig Cribbin for Murnaghan 56.

REFEREE: Kieran Harris.