Cooley rescue a quarter final spot with draw against Brides

Cooley Kickhams 1-11

St Brides 1-11

For the second week running, we were treated to late drama, on a Monday night under lights in the Louth club championship, with a magnificent strike from Fergal Malone deep into stoppage time rescuing a draw for Cooley Kickhams, and with it a place in the quarter finals of the Senior Football Championship, at the expense of St Brides on score difference. 

The Knockbridge side must have been shell shocked at how they let things slip at the end, and how 5 minutes of added time allowed Fergal Malone to majestically intervene with the last kick of the contest.

The Brides had the lead heading into added time at 1-11 to 1-9, thanks to a poacher’s goal from Kieran McArdle. However, poor game management, and an inability to keep possession would cost them dearly, as Cooley responded with a late free from the excellent Michael Rafferty, before a score for the ages from Fergal Malone, sent Kickhams’ supporters into a frenzy. 

In truth, the Knockbridge side will rue a first half, which saw them hit 7 wides, and spurn two goal chances in a game where tight margins, and feelings of what might have been bubbled to the surface.

Given the wet and slippery conditions on the night, both sides deserve credit for producing some magnificent striking, with Emmet Kirk finding the range with a marvellous effort from the right wing, which was cancelled out by scorer in chief Michael Rafferty, who would finish the evening with 1-6 over the hour from 8 shots.

The reds were happy to move the ball around the Cooley 45 metre line from side to side, before taking on long distance efforts, with goalkeeper Aaron Devin’s point a perfect example. Devin found the range from close to the 45, to close the gap, leaving it at 0-3 to 0-2 in Cooley’s favour after 11 minutes. 

Despite being wasteful, the Brides did manage to stay in contention. Andrew Smyth who emerged from a ruck of challenges with possession on countless occasions over the hour in a wonderful performance, set up Sean Marry to level things up at 0-3 each.

Marry once again levelled things up for the Brides, after he collected a pinpoint Kieran McArdle kickpass to escape the Cooley cover and bare down on goal, only to blast the ball over the bar, instead of below. 

A Richard Halpenny mark kept the Brides in touch, before Sean Marry got on the end of another Brides move involving McArdle, before blasting wide. 

Cooley on the other hand, were purposeful and moved the ball through the hands, with Michael Rafferty on fire. Rafferty (1-4), and Cian Connor (0-3) accounted for their first half tally of 1-7, with the goal coming with Rafferty getting on the end of a flowing move involving Gerry Malone and James O’Reilly to fire low passed Brides’ custodian Devin on 22 minutes, with the Knockbridge side punished for missed chances, and Rafferty grabbing another big goal in a championship match. 

That put Cooley 1-4 to 0-5 ahead, with momentum seemingly on their side, as two scores from Cian Connor, including one from play following a clean catch from a Brides kick out by Enda O’Neill, as well as a Rafferty free, had Cooley 1-7 to 0-5 ahead at the break. 

The second half came, and it was Cooley’s turn to be sloppy in the final third, with 8 of their 15 attacks turned over, with Ronan Bailey, Andrew Smyth, Ross Murnaghan and Richard Halpenny battling hard for the Knockbridge cause.

The Brides enjoyed a purple patch, pressing up on the Cooley sweeper, and not afraid to kick directly on occasions. Andrew Smyth profited with a lovely effort following a solo dummy.

Patrick Reilly collected a delightful foot pass from Emmett Kirk for another score, and the same player teed up Sean Marry for a wonderful strike on the angle, to leave just a point between the sides in a breathless opening 7 minutes after the restart.

Despite being second best for a lot of the half, Cooley displayed moments of leadership, with Peter Thornton’s endeavour engineering a free, which was once again converted by Rafferty. Thornton, who himself had 19 possessions in the match, stretched his side’s lead to three, at 1-9 to 0-9 after 44 minutes. 

Excellent free taking from Emmett Kirk, Sean Marry and Kieran McArdle reminded Cooley that they would not go quietly.

With Cooley fans elated by the introduction of sub Paul Brennan, the narrative appeared to be written, with last year’s Intermediate winners celebrating a quarter final spot.

However, deep into added time and cue the drama. An Emmett Kirk free saw players jump for possession in the square, before Kieran McArdle got the telling touch, to create mayhem in the Clans, and give the Brides a 1-11 to 1-9 lead.

But back came Cooley, with the Brides unable to manage the game, and Kickhams maintained their composure with a trademark left boot stunner from Fergal Malone securing a draw and sending Cooley fans wild with delight in the process, in scenes which mirrored their dramatic penalty shootout win against Hunterstown Rovers in last year’s Intermediate semi-final. They will face the Dreadnots in a SFC quarter final, leaving the Brides to a relegation play off against St Fechins.  

Cooley Kickhams: Neil Gallagher; Ronan McBride, Dean McGreehan, Patrick Hanlon; James O’Reilly, Fergal Malone (0-1), Gerry Malone; Darren Marks, Peter Thornton (0-1), Michael Carron, Enda O’Neill, Cian Connor (0-3) (2f); Eoin McDaid, Michael Rafferty (1-6) (4f), Richard Brennan.

Subs: Paul Brennan for Hanlon (43), Callum O’Hanlon for O’Neill (60), Ian Arnold for O’Reilly (62), Aodhan O’Hanlon for Carron (62). 

St Brides: Aaron Devin (0-1); Robert Mc Caughey, Cillian Kirk, Ronan Bailey; Andrew Smyth (0-1), Ross Murnaghan, Steven Hoey; Liam Molloy, James Costelloe; Patrick Reilly (0-1), Kieran Mc Ardle (1-1) (1f), Richard Halpenny (0-1); Neil Thornton, Emmet Kirk (0-2) (1f), Sean Marry (0-4) (1f). 

Subs: Bernard Laverty for Molloy (39), Jarlaith Cassidy for Costelloe (49), Kevin Hearty for Thornton (49). 

Referee: Cathal Sweeney.