John O’Shea at Canon Hayes Park Bansha
Arravale Rovers are through to the final of the McGrath Oil West Under 21A Football championship following their one point victory over Golden Kilfeakle, after extra time, at Canon Hayes Park Bansha on Sunday.
Played before a small crowd on a damp day, this is a game that Golden would feel that they left behind them, as they came with a late challenge in ordinary time and were denied a goal from the penalty spot by stand-in goalkeeper Orrin Jones deep into added time.
At the finish of this end to end game which needed extra time to separate the sides, Jones was the big difference as he kicked eight points in total from both frees and open play from a variety of distances.
Arravale won the toss and elected to defend the village end for the opening thirty minutes, but it was Eanna Ormond who got the scoreboard moving after four minutes with the game’s opening score.
Three minutes later Caleb Hickey had the sides on level terms for the first time, before Sam Hall replied from a mark having fielded a long ball from Jack Leamy.
Eoghan Lonergan had the sides level for the second time on eleven minutes when he put over following an interplay with Seán O’Mahony.
David Ryan was making big penetrating runs out of defence and contributed to the next two scores, one from Orrin Jones and a second from Caleb Hickey on the quarter hour mark.
Golden were back on level terms by the nineteenth minute after Jack Leamy kicked a brace, one from a placer ball. Orrin Jones kicked his second from a free before Alex Webster set up Ciarán Kelly for a green flag to leave the half time score, Arravale Rovers 1.5, Golden/Kilfeacle 0.4, a four point advantage.
Golden/Kilfeacle were back in the game within a minute of the restart when Aaron Colohan and Sam Hall linked up with Ciaran Byrne to find the Arravale net.
Two minutes later Sam Hall had the sides level for the fourth time when he converted a free from the right-hand side. Evan Ryan put one between the sides before Ben Currivan found the net for a second Golden goal after thirty-nine minutes.
Arravale hit a purple patch and Orrin Jones kicked four of the next five points, one a super score from all of fifty meters, as Arravale hit the front as the game headed towards added time.
Lee Hayes set up Ben Currivan who in turn put Sam Hall through on goal, but the corner forward was hauled down as he was about to pull the trigger. Orrin Jones went into goal replacing the injured Evan Hawkins for the resulting penalty kick, which he saved from Jack Leamy.
However, Leamy redeemed himself when he put over the equaliser, six minutes into added time, to bring the game to extra time with the score Arravale Rovers 1.10, Golden/Kilfeacle 2.7.
Arravale dominated the first period of extra time and points from Jones (2), Adam Ryan and Shane Quigley had them four up at the break, but a Lee Hayes goal brought the game to life for the second period. In the end the town side held out by the minimum and will now meet Galtee Rovers in the final.
Scorers:
Arravale Rovers: Orrin Jones (0.8, 5 frees), Ciarán Kelly (1.1), Caleb Hickey (0.2), Eoghan Lonergan (0.1), Evan Ryan (0.1), Adam Ryan (0.1), Shane Quigley (0.1)
Golden/Kilfeacle: Jack Leamy (0.5, 3 frees), Ciaran Byrne (1.0), Ben Currivan (1.0), Lee Hayes (1.0), Sam Hall (0.2, 1 free), Eanna Ormond (0.1)
Teams:
Arravale Rovers: Evan Hawkins, Raymond Kelly, Shane Maher, Evan Carrie, Michael Bowes, Micheál Lowry (Captain), David Ryan, Evan Ryan, Eoin Doocey, Seán O’Mahony, Eoghan Lonergan, Ciarán Kelly, Alex Webster, Orrin Jones, Caleb Hickey
Subs used: John Paul Lohan for Evan Carrie (HT), Adam Ryan for Caleb Hickey (41), Shane Quigley for Alex Webster (45), Seán Lewis for Eoghan Lonergan (59), Marcus Kinane for Evan Hawkins (inj 63). Peter Ryan for Shane Maher (ET), Eoghan Lonergan for John Paul Lohan (ET), Shane Maher for Micheál Lowry (ET)
Golden Kilfeakle: Tyler Barry, Bryan Marnane, Ciaran Byrne, Michael Coman (Captain), Jack Lonergan, Ben Currivan, Jack Dalton, Gavin Dalton, Jack Leamy, Eanna Ormond, Jack Bergin, Padraig Dalton, Sam Hall, Aaron Colohan, Cian Ryan
Subs used; Aidan Tuohy for Bryan Marnane (40), Lee Hayes for Aaron Colohan (55), Jason Morey for Michael Coman (63), Michael Coman for Cian Ryan (ET)
Referee; Paul Carew (Lattin Cullen)
