Leixlip deny Two Mile House a dramatic late comeback in Kildare IFC
The Auld Shebeen Bar Athy Intermediate Football Championship Group A, round two
Leixlip 4-14
Two Mile House 2-16
Leixlip beat Two Mile House to get their first win of their Intermediate Football Championship group stage campaign. The scoreline doesn't tell the full story as late drama ensued and the House will rue missed chances to have pulled off an enormous comeback.
The chief of those missed opportunities will have to be attributed to Chris Healy who stepped up to the spot after his teammate Nathan Sherry was fouled inside the box. The goal would have brought his side within two after trailing by 12 points just ten minutes previous.
But the forward dragged his penalty wide of the post as the clock struck 60 minutes and thus put an end to the comeback surge that was most certainly on as six minutes of additional time would follow.
An unfortunate end to the game for Healy was exceptional throughout and his side would have undoubtedly not been in that position without him. He finished proceedings with 1-5.
Healy donned the number six on the day and he was not the only six to be centre of attention. Leixlip’s Ronan Fitzsimons scored two goals from centre back and the man mountain was crucial time and time again going the other direction too, winning countless crucial turnovers for his side.
In the battle of the 6’s, it was Healy who struck first. Nine minutes into the first half he had the ball in the Leixlip net with the most unusual of goals. Adam Conneely sent a long and lopping effort goalwards but it dropped short and Healy waited for Niall McConnell to collect the effort and simply punched it out of his grasp for a goal.
After Conor Lawlor’s goal in response just four minutes later Leixlip began to put together a run of scores without much reply. Their first half was rounded off in the best way possible as they broke on the counter and the ball would find its way to Tommy Moolick who offloaded to the galloping Fitzsimons to smash home.
A healthy seven-point lead at the restart and it all looked to be academic for Leixlip at the 36 minute mark as the ball was sent into Leixlip forward Darren O’Connor who turned quickly and found the net. 3-10 to 1-7.
If the House looked beaten then, they looked buried when Ronan Fitzsimons powered forward again and leathered another effort into the back of the net. If Two Mile House goalkeeper Luke Coy got any contact on the ball he might have ended up in the back of the net alongside it.
Two Mile House however would rally until the very end and scratched and clawed their back into this one, nobody told them 12 points with 10 to go couldn't be done.
The comeback attempt was ignited by a screamer of a goal from Declan Kirwan, the green flag lifted the House and they followed it with points Caomhan Doolan and Kirwan once again.
Ultimately it would be a bridge too far for The House following the penalty miss but no doubt Leixlip fans and management were nearly in for a much tighter finish than they had hoped for.
Scorers: Leixlip, Mark O'Toole 1-4, Ronan Fitzsimons 2-0, Jack Barrett 0-4, Conor Lawlor 0-4, Darren O'Connor 1-0, Tommy Moolick 0-2.
Two Mile House, Chris Healy 1-5, Declan Kirwan 1-3, Jack Collins 0-2, Adam Conneely 0-2, Caomhan Doolan 0-2, Nathan Sherry 0-1, Donnaca Higgins 0-1.
LEIXLIP: Niall McConnell; Brian Gibbons, Jack Quinn, Kevin Conneely; Liam Mahon, Ronan Fitzsimmons, Sean O'Connor; Darren McDerrmot, Tommy Moolick; Luke Mahon, Jack Barrett, Darren O'Connor; Conor Lawlor, Brian Claffey, Mark O'Toole. Subs: Ben Travers on for Jack Quinn (44 minutes).
TWO MILE HOUSE: Luke Coy; Tony O'Connor, Jack Collins, William Burke; Caomhan Doolan, Declan Kirwan, Matt Kelly; Donnaca Higgins, Conor Keogh; Mark Sherry, Chris Healy, Nathan Sherry; James McGuinness, Adam Conneely, Brian Collins. Subs: Peter Kelly for James McGuinness (half-time), Gavin Burke for Brian Collins (half-time).
REFEREE: Fergus Devereux