Extra-time senior football league glory for Thomastown

The first major club silverware of the year went the way of Thomastown after they beat a gallant James Stephens team in last Friday’s senior football league final in Dunmore.

The final 12-point winning margin doesn’t tell half the story of what was a very entertaining affair as Thomastown required a stoppage time Roy Monks free to force the game into extra-time.

In that extra period, it proved to be all one way traffic as the Grennan men outscored the city side 2-7 to 0-1 in the final 20 minutes with their extra experience at this level of football really telling.

A pair of goals from Fionn Cody looked to have set up James Stephens for victory but outside of Sean Manogue, they lacked the required scoring power to get over the line.

Manogue got the game’s opening point inside five minutes before Adam Power replied for Thomastown a couple of minutes later with a lovely effort of his left foot.

The ’Town then hit the front when team captain Rory Monks caught Anthony Corr off guard with his point attempt going over the James Stephens stopper’s head and into the net.

Brian Staunton then got forward to make it a four point game by the 11th minute with a lovely effort from distance and Thomastown looked to be in a fair degree of control at this stage.

James Stephens replied with two quickfire efforts from Sean Manogue and with the score reading 1-2 to 0-3 by the halfway mark of the opening period, it looked all to play for.

After a spell of scoreless action, the Village won a penalty in the 24th minute after Niall Brassil and Eoin Deely combined to set up Niall Delaney whose effort towards goal resulted in a foot block in the mind of referee Eoin Maher.

Fionn Cody stood up confidently and slotted past Jamie Lanigan as the side in green and red retook the lead.

Sean Manogue followed up with an expertly taken free off the ground near the sideline as James Stephens led 1-4 to 1-2.

It was Thomastown who had the last say of the half when Rory Monks slotted a placed ball between the posts and just the minimum separated the teams at the interval.

It was a very stop start beginning to the second half with both teams proving guilty of wayward shooting in front of goal.

From a James Stephens point of view it was a trait that followed them throughout the 30 minutes of play as they failed to score a point during that period though they did grab a vital goal.

Before that goal it looked like Thomastown would be next to rattle the net after Thomas O’Hanrahan had a shot well saved by Anthony Corr.

Brian Staunton then got his second point from play and with the teams deadlocked at 1-4 each, the South Kilkenny team looked in prime position to strike for home.

James Stephens had other ideas however and in the 46th minute, they struck for their second goal with Fionn Cody benefitting from a poorly directed Thomastown clearance before shooting past Jamie Lanigan.

The Village maintained that three point buffer on the scoreboard inside the final 10 minutes but a Thomastown rally was always expected and it started when Rory Monks knocked over another free with six minutes remaining.

One of James Stephens main men in attack Sean Manogue was then black carded for a cynical pull down on a Thomastown player and it was all hands on deck for the city men as they looked to keep Thomastown out.

Successive scores from Conor and Rory Monks levelled up the contest but there was still to be late drama before full-time.

James Stephens managed to win a late free but with Sean Manogue off the field, the options were limited and Jim Ryan’s effort dropped short with the full-time whistle arriving seconds later.

Unfortunately for the Village, that was to be their big chance as Thomastown took complete control of the game in the extra period with Eddie Donnelly and Eanna O’Keeffe bagging match winning goals.

Teams and Scorers

Thomastown - Rory Monks (1-6, 0-5 frees); Eddie Donnelly (1-2); Eanna O’Keeffe (1-0); David Prendergast, Brian Staunton (0-2 each); Adam Power, Ned Kirwan (0-1 each).

James Stephens - Fionn Cody (2-1); Sean Manogue (0-4, 0-2 frees).

Thomastown - Jamie Lanigan; Ned Kirwan, Richard O’Hara, Oisin O’Reilly; Brian Staunton, Nathan Sherry, David Griffin; Diarmuid Galway, Alex Cass; Thomas O’Hanrahan, David Prendergast, Eanna O’Keeffe; Adam Power, Rory Monks, Eddie Donnelly.

Subs: Conor Monks for Griffin, 48 mins; Sean Denieffe for Power, 48 mins; Sean O’Keeffe for Donnelly, 52 mins; Jack Cullen for Cass, 64 mins.

James Stephens - Anthony Corr; Jim Ryan, James Tyrrell, Sam McEvoy; Oisin Bateman, Niall Delaney, Luke Murphy; Niall Brassil, Eoin Deely; Sean Manogue, Allen Larkin, Jamie O’Keeffe; Fionn Cody, David McCormack, Eoin Larkin.

Subs: Ross Whelan for McCormack, 38 mins; David Walton for A Larkin, 44 mins; Josh O’Rourke for O’Keeffe, 65 mins; Jacob Breslin for McEvoy, 65 mins.

Referee - Eoin Maher (Mullinavat)