After a dour but fiercely contested battle at The Ragg on Saturday afternoon, Clonmel side St Mary’s saw off the challenge of Roscrea to book their place in this year’s Under 19 A county final against Holycross/Ballycahill.
Deep and slippery underfoot conditions and a stiff wind were never going to be conducive to a classic hurling encounter, the game turning into a grind from which St Mary’s extricated themselves eventually. But it took a second goal from centre-forward Peter McGarry to kill off the honest northerners in the third minute of added time at the end of the second period of extra-time; it was that close all through.
While played in the best of spirits by both sides, somehow the game ended with four red cards brandished, three for players and another for the Roscrea manager. While both sides battled hard in the testing conditions, some of the decisions left many spectators puzzled; it just didn’t seem that type of game at all.
Against the wind in the first half Roscrea had much the better of the exchanges and against a Mary’s side who hit eight wides in that period, the northerners went to the break in a great position, leading 0-6 to 0-2. Indeed St Mary’s hit just a single point from play in the opening 30 minutes, a fine effort from Shane Ryan in the ninth minute; Peter McGarry opening their account with a fifth minute free.
But the first half was Roscrea’s, who, into the wind, used their extra physicality well and deservedly led by four at the break. Josh McMahon had three points from frees, the second of those in the 24th minute giving them the lead for the first time at 0-3 to 0-2. Midfielder Kenny Lee had already scored a point in the 14th minute after good work by Diarmuid McLoughlin. But half-time was to come too soon for them, when they were getting on top by adding three points in the last four minutes of that opening period.
Centre-forward Michael Fitzgerald took a low pass on the 45 metre line before swivelling to point superbly. In the 30th minute Diarmuid McLoughlin stretched Roscrea’s advantage to three with an over-the-shoulder effort before another Josh McMahon free on the stroke of half-time, won by the impressive Lee Doran, made it 0-6 to 0-2 in their favour.
The Clonmel side would need a positive start after the resumption to get back into the game, and it came within 90 seconds with a well-taken goal by centre-forward Peter McGarry who finished low to the corner from about 15 metres out.
Suddenly with their four points half-time advantage reduced to the minimum, Roscrea received a huge blow five minutes after the resumption when midfielder Robert Tynan received a straight red after catching Tadgh Sheehan on the hand. The card’s colour, in the circumstances, seemed harsh and it left Damian Synnott’s side with a numerical disadvantage for the remainder of the game.
But to their credit Roscrea rolled up their sleeves manfully and stayed ahead for most of that second period. Two Josh McMahon frees for Roscrea bookended an excellent McGarry point for St Mary’s leaving the red jerseys 0-8 to 1-3 up at the three quarters mark. And when Peter McGarry pointed a free 12 minutes from time, Roscrea responded with a quick-firing point from substitute Leigh Loughnane to keep his side two to the good as the game entered the final 10 minutes.
A free from inside his own 65, into the breeze, from ciotóg McGarry put ‘The Mary’s’ within one in the 53rd minute and they eventually got that deserved equaliser four minutes from time when a nice move involving the colossus Tadgh Sheehan and Ruairí Leahy was superbly pointed by Oisin Forristal under pressure.
As if conditions weren’t already challenging enough, the heavens opened for the last five minutes of normal time. St Mary’s who might have thought they deserved a late penalty, were then awarded a close-in free, which ended up as nothing as the referee overturned his call due to dissent. There are lessons to be learned here.
Roscrea would have been the more relieved to get to extra-time still alive as the Clonmel side had certainly enjoyed late territorial advantage, but full credit to the never-say-die Roscrea boys, opportunities to shoot were at a premium and most of those only materialised under dogged resistance. It manifested itself in the eight second half wides hit by the Clonmel side.
Roscrea were back to the full complement of 15 bodies with the introduction of Nathan Cummins at the start of extra-time. They took the lead three minutes in with a point from substitute Sean Synnott, waved wide by the near umpire and flagged by the other with the referee signalling for the point. It would be the last time that Roscrea would hold the advantage.
St Mary’s full-forward Ruairí Leahy, who hadn’t been having his best game up to then, repaid the faith of his selectors with two superb points inside 60 seconds to equalise and put his side ahead at 1-8 to 0-10 just before the half-time break of extra-time.
But there was more controversy to follow at the start of the second period of extra-time. After Ruairi Leahy was fouled near goal, Roscrea corner-back Eoin Larkin was given a straight red and Roscrea who had played most of the second half of normal time with 14 men, would have to do the same again for the second period of extra-time. They felt very hard done by.
It was a call that puzzled most, and incensed the Roscrea bench and when manager Damian Synnott entered the field to remonstrate vehemently he too was issued with a red card by the hard-working referee.
With Leahy’s free safely converted after all that commotion, St Mary’s were now two to the good but Roscrea still refused to bow and Josh McMahon’s sixth free of the day left the bare minimum in it with a minute left to play. St Mary’s Paraic Bond was then red carded for an indiscretion and both sides would finish the game with 14 men.
Gambling on pushing men forward in search of an equaliser, Roscrea were to pay the price in the 83rd minute when St Mary’s broke from their own half with McGarry and Leahy playing an intelligent one-two in drawing the defence to allow McGarry apply the coup de grace with his second goal of the afternoon and a place in the county decider guaranteed. It was a game when backs were put to the test and credit to both sets they worked like trojans all day long.
St Mary’s goalkeeper Adam Brannigan needed to be alert on a couple of occasions and produced the goods when summoned. James Morris impressed at centre-back and ran himself into the ground covering space, while the likes of Ross Slattery, Darragh O’Connor and Oisin Power all stood up well. Tadgh Sheehan put in a huge graft at midfield, assisted by Dean Cagney. Peter McGarry’s 2-4 contribution was crucial but Shane Ryan, Oisin Forristal and Ruairí Leahy also came up with vital scores on a difficult day for forwards.
One would have to feel sorry for Roscrea to lose out in a battle like this. They too had many stars on the day with Eoin Larkin, Conor Phelan, Brian O’Rouke and particularly Lee Doran at centre-back all doing well. Kenny Lee and Robert Tynan, up to his dismissal were holding their own in the midfield. But upfront they didn’t seem to have the wherewithal to hurt the St Mary’s defence but Conor Dooley, Diarmuid McLoughlin, Leigh Loughnane and Sean Synnott never stopped trying.
St Mary’s: Adam Brannigan, Oisin Power, Ross Slattery, Darragh O’Connor, Paraic Bond, James Morris, Jake Murray, Tadgh Sheehan, Dean Cagney, Shane Ryan (0-1), Peter McGarry (2-4, 0-3F), Oisin Forristal (0-1), Anthony Keely, Ruairí Leahy (0-3, 0-1F), Alex McSherry. Subs: James Power for McSherry (in ET, 69); Alex Creed for Forristal (in ET, 70).
Roscrea: Harry Loughnane, Eoin Larkin, Conor Phelan, Josh Moriarty, Oisin Moroney, Lee Doran, Brian O’Rourke, Kenny Lee (0-1), Robert Tynan, Josh McMahon (0-6F), Michael Fitzgerald (0-1), Conor Dooley, Diarmuid McLoughlin (0-1), Jamie Ryan, John Donovan. Subs: Leigh Loughnane (0-1) for Ryan (32); Sam Dooley for Donovan (34); Sean Synott (0-1) for McLoughlin (56); Nathan Cummins started extra-time (15 players restored); Jamie Ryan for Fitzgerald ( in ET, 79).
Match report by Jeddy Walsh - Nationalist.
