Roche Emmets Intermediate Champions after nail-biting victory over O'Raghallaighs

CTI BUSINESS SOLUTIONS INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Roche Emmets 0-12

O’Raghallaighs 1-8

For the first time since 2006, Roche Emmets will be testing themselves among the elite of Louth football in 2024, following this nail-biting victory over the O’Raghallaighs in the Intermediate decider in a match which imbued all the traits that we come to expect from this crazy world that is the Intermediate grade.

In the game where the tension was palpable with every turnover greeted with major gasps from both sets of supporters, as the sides put their respective fans through the ringer in a game of tight margins.

Deservedly earning the player of the match award, Roche scorer-in-chief, Barry O’Hare landed his 10th point of this decider in the 54th minute to give his side a 0-12 to 1-7 lead.

O’Raghallaighs were coming in wave after wave of attack, after attack, with Roche backs against the wall.

However, unfortunately for Ronan Phillips’s side, the Drogheda side failed to make it count on the scoreboard, with normally reliable shooters misfiring from placeballs late on, as the O’Raghallaighs hit six wides in the last quarter, including five in the last 10 minutes, with their sole response coming from a Kyle McElroy free, as they missed out by the tenderest of margins. Oh those margins!

First Half:
A lively opening exchange saw Roche Emmets establish an early lead inside the first 10 minutes, which saw them 0-4 to 0-2 ahead.

Not long after the ball was thrown in, a long ball from Ben Sweeney was collected by Ben Rogan who found himself through on goal. However, some desperate last-ditch defending from Roche saw Mark Byrne and Peter Lynch manage to smuggle the ball to safety.

Moments later, Barry O’Hare ghosted in behind the O’Raghallaighs cover from a Dan O’Connell kick pass. With goal on his mind, he had to settle for clearing the crossbar for the game’s opening score.

O’Raghallaighs’ own kickout has been a noticeable feature of this year’s championship, with keeper Joe Flanagan’s ability to pick out Ruairi Moore effective, and Moore collected a Flanagan kickout in between the lines, to level things up from play.

The Drogheda side won 15 out of 19 on their own restarts over the hour.

The tireless Liam Dawe who finished with 25 possessions over the hour teed up Gerry Browne for a fine score, which was quickly cancelled by the impressive Danny Morgan for the O’Raghallaighs.

Barry O’Hare put Roche ahead moments later, before a fine turnover from DD Reilly saw the young forward give his side that 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

Despite that bright start, the O’Raghallaighs still possessed that ability to punch holes in that Roche team, and so it proved when dual player Danny Morgan took a Kyle McElroy pass off the shoulder to crash the ball to the net, and the Drogheda side were ahead.

A McElroy free increased that lead, before two more O’Hare placed kicks restored parity at 0-6 to 1-3 approaching the 25th minute.

A fine score from range by Eoin Moore put his side ahead, before Roche created another goal opening, when Shane Byrne picked up a loose ball to feed Liam Dawe, who set up Barry O’Hare. Once again, O’Hare’s major attempt flashed over the bar.
Roche looked more solid defensively when they got their numbers behind the ball, in their shape.

However, it was when O’Raghallaighs were able to move them out of their shape, that chaos ensued.
Roche also looked susceptible to that direct delivery over the top, and so it proved when Ben Rogan again collected a long ball from Emmet King.

Rogan’s low strike beat Roche keeper Jamie O’Hare, however somehow, a sliding James McDonnell managed to scoop the ball over the bar in another huge moment in an action packed first half.

A Kyle McElroy mark did give the O’Raghallaighs the upper hand at the break at 1-6 to 0-7.

Second Half:
The second half turned into a shootout between Roche’s Barry O’Hare and O’Raghallaighs’ Kyle McElroy, with scores from play becoming harder and harder to come by, as the tension and pressure continued.

Having struck the post with a free beforehand, Barry O’Hare regrouped to put Roche ahead with two further placed balls and one from play, with several O’Raghallaighs players beginning to feel the pace at that stage.

It could have got even better for Jamie O’Hare’s charges, but Mark Byrne failed to connect to a James McDonnell pass across the square, as another goal chance came and went.

Chris Smith and Eoin Moore combined for Kyle McElroy to send one over the bar with his right foot to level the sides up once again at 0-10 to 1-7 heading into that final quarter.

A fine catch from an O’Raghallaighs kickout from Glen Stewart who touched the ball 19 times himself, saw Sean Dawe tee up Barry O’Hare for another fine score to give his side a crucial two point lead with five minutes remaining.

With Roche guilty of some needless fouling on occasions, conceding 18 free kicks overall, including seven within scoring range, the O’Raghallaighs had several opportunities to level things up again.

However, six wides in the final stages, including crucially missed late frees, meant that despite a late free from the angle by McElroy, Roche ultimately held on, with Peter Lynch, Aidan Grant and Adam McKay emerging with seismic turnovers in defence, as they ended a 17 year divorce from Senior Football, by the tightest of those margins.

Roche Emmets: Jamie O’Hare; Adam McKay, Peter Lynch, Aidan Grant; Sean Dawe, David Quigley, Gerry Browne (0-1); Glen Stewart, Dan O’Connell; Liam Dawe, Shane Byrne, Mark Byrne; DD Reilly (0-1), Barry O’Hare (0-10) (5f), James McDonnell.

Subs: Ryan Rice Martin for Mark Byrne (57), Harry O’Connell for Sean Dawe (60), Dermot Carthy for McKay (65).

O’Raghallaighs: Joe Flanagan; Eseosa Omoregbe, Stephen Murphy, James Moonan; Ewan Sweeney, Emmet King, Scott Byrne; Ben Sweeney, Ruairi Moore (0-1); Cillian Curran, Eoin Moore (0-1), Chris Smith; Ben Rogan (0-1), Kyle McElroy (0-4) (2f) (1 mark), Danny Morgan (1-1)

Subs: Alan Doyle for Ben Sweeney (27), Danny Reilly for Curran (37), James Smith for Chris Smith (45), Joe Meehan for Byrne (57).

Referee: Jonathan Conlon (O’Connells)