Roche Emmets succumb to agonising defeat to Dublin's Scoil Uí Chonail

AIB LEINSTER CLUB INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Roche Emmets 1-11

Scoil Uí Chonail 1-12

This game proved a bridge too far for Roche Emmets on Saturday, after they succumbed to an agonising defeat to Dublin victors Scoil Uí Chonail in a windswept Darver.

Having been playing catch up to their opponents from the start, a late revival from Jamie O’Hare’s side, brought about by a Peter Lynch goal, saw them claw back a six point deficit, to level things up in added time.

However, Scoil Uí Chonail retained their composure despite being under the cosh at that stage, to engineer a free for themselves. Sub Sean O’Flaherty picked up a loose ball, to calmly tee up Brian Fleming who won a free within range.

The free was converted by former Cooley player Emmet Rogan, which proved to be the match winning strike, just as he had done in their Intermediate final victory over Parnells last Monday.

Having secured league promotion via extra time in midweek, Roche had their chances to take the match for another 20 minutes. However, some missed frees, and snatched at efforts, meant that they just could not quite force an equaliser as Scoil Uí Chonail held on for a victory that their performance merited.

First Half:                                                                                                                                                                            An impressive opening quarter from the Dublin champions went a long way to winning this encounter, as they led by 1-4 to 0-1.

Backed by a strong first half breeze, Scoil Uí Chonail were dominant in all areas, with Roche Emmets struggling to navigate a breeze and physically imposing opponents, with defenders Adam Wilson, Martin Tierney and Brian Fleming hugely effective.

Key to this dominance was their captain and custodian Andy Bunyan. As well as producing a crucial save from Liam Dawe in the first half, six out of seven kickouts from Bunyan found a player wearing the stripes of Scoil Uí Chonaill, with Kevin Cagney, Niall Doherty, Brian Fleming and Brian Murray thriving.

Five out of the six starting forwards got their names on the scoresheet for Scoil Uí Chonail, with Ryan Keane, Robert Kennedy, and Brendan Murray giving their side a 0-3 to no score lead inside the opening six minutes.

With the ball being played into their inside line in an incisive manner, Roche Emmets struggled to get to the tempo of the game, with Shane Costello fetching a Jamie O’Hare kickout, before the ball was collected by Brendan Murray, fired to the net via O’Hare’s finger tips, to cements his side’s supremacy.

Sloppy play by Emmets in possession led to corner forwards Neil O’Flynn and Robert Kennedy combining, for O’Flynn to see his goal bound effort tipped over, with Scoil leading by 1-4 to no score.

Roche needed to be patient, shooting into that stiff breeze, and a fine score from Liam Dawe got his side off the mark, which was quickly followed by a Barry O’Hare free, who once again treated supporters to free taking of the highest quality, despite the treacherous elements in that first half, which would also include two magnificent ‘45’s to keep his side in touch.

Brendan Murray, Neil O’Flynn, and Robert Kennedy continued to sparkle with further notches, including a marvellous effort from the left flank by Murray, with Scoil leading 1-7 to 0-3 with three minutes until the break, in a half where they kicked 1-9 from 12 shots, including a 100 percent strike rate from open play.

Shane Byrne grabbed Roche’s second point from play, following neat interplay between Gerry Browne and the hardworking Sean Dawe, but the last word of the half went to Andy Bunyan, whose late free left it at 1-9 to 0-5 in Scoil’s favour at the break.

Second Half:

Upon the restart, a fine strike from DD Reilly, was cancelled out by an Emmet Rogan free, as Scoil Uí Chonaill seemed content to try to pick their opponents off on the counter attack.

Roche managed back to back points for the first time, thanks to a pair of efforts from Mark Byrne and Barry O’Hare (f), which left it at 1-10 to 0-8, ten minutes after the restart.

A fine pick out by Aaron McCrea found half time sub Conor Dixon, who fired over the bar to leave six between the sides, for what proved to be Scoil’s last entry onto the scoreboard until the final minute of normal time.

In a match where Roche still appeared flat, and tired perhaps from their league play off victory against St Brides midweek, the Rathduff side only managed 6 scores from 17 shots in open play over the hour, with Barry O’Hares free taking becoming more and more crucial.

Moments after Andy Bunyan kept out a Shane Byrne strike, an O’Hare ’45 left four between the sides with 6 minutes left as Roche turned up the heat, winning 6 out of 13 on Scoil’s kickout in that second period, with the introduction of Dan O’Connell crucial.

A fine fetch in the square from DD Reilly following a crucial turnover from sub Dan O’Connell, found the onrushing Peter Lynch, who poked the ball to the net, to bring his side right back into the game at 1-11 to 1-10.

With that wind behind them, Glen Stewart who finished with 30 possessions, let fly from range, to level things up, and Roche in the ascendency.

However, credit Scoil Uí Chonail, who did not panic, and sniffed out that free, which Rogan converted, with Roche left to rue some late misses, as this game proved one to many for the Intermediate league and championship double winners.

Roche Emmets: Jamie O’Hare; Adam McKay, Peter Lynch (1-0), Harry O’Connell; James McDonnell, Liam Carthy, Gerry Browne; Glen Stewart (0-1), Marty Carroll; Sean Dawe, Liam Dawe (0-1), Mark Byrne (0-1); DD Reilly (0-1), Shane Byrne (0-1), Barry O’Hare (0-6) (Three ‘45s) (3f).

Subs: Dan O’Connell for Carroll (34), Dermot Carthy for McKay (34), Fionn Connolly for Harry O’Connell, Ryan Rice Martin for Liam Carthy (46), Daire Reilly for Browne (54).

Scoil Uí Chonail: Andy Bunyan (0-1) (1f); Adam Wilson, Martin Tierney, Padraig Conlon; Aaron McCrea, Brian Fleming, Shane Costello; Kevin Cagney, Niall Doherty; Emmet Rogan (0-3) (3f), Ryan Keane (0-1), Brendan Murray (1-2); Neil O’Flynn (0-2), Colm Geraghty, Robert Kennedy (0-2).

Subs: Conor Dixon (0-1) for Geraghty (HT), Conor Coady for O’Flynn (42), Rian Farrell for Doherty (46), Sean O’Flaherty for Murray (51), James Loughran for Cagney (57), Brian Maloney for Loughran (62) (b/sub).

Referee: Andrew Smith (Co. Meath)