| Narrow victory for Joes over Na Piarsaigh |
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| Monday, 04 July 2011 08:50 |
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Half back Alan Lynch opened the scoring for the Joes in the fifth minute with a smartly taken point from the left wing. Mark Larkin soon replied for the home team when he finished a move that came down their left side. Des Mc Cann added a close in free to put them into the lead, but it would be last time that they scored for 23 minutes. During this period both sides missed a number of scoring chances as the game, which lacked intensity was error strewn. All this being the said, it was the Joes who were controlling the game and scored five unanswered points! The first coming after Tomas Smyth put in some great work in the build up to an attack, where he was fouled for Alan Mc Kenna to pop over a 21 yard free. Mc Kenna got the next two as well, within the space of a minute he kicked one with the right boot from the right corner, before hitting a sweet finish with the left boot from the left corner. Peter Mulligan fielded well for the Joes throughout in the middle and one of his fetches started the move that saw Tomas Smyth get a well deserved point. The compliment was returned for the next score as Smyth did the ground work before Mulligan finished the move off. With 29 minutes gone in the half the Joes lead by 6 to 2, but then Alan Mc Cartney got Na Piarsaigh back on the scoreboard with a point from play. When the ball from the kick was worked straight back in, Des Mc Cann was on hand to shoot across the Joes goal and into the net with the assistance of the inside of the post. It was also Mc Cann who dispatched a 21 yard free deep into injury time, to give his side an unexpected half time lead. Half Time Score: St Josephs 0-6, Na Piarsaigh 1-4 The Joes looked to be back on track when Peter Mulligan won the throw in for the second half, he drove forward and pointed. This was not to be, as the team went through a barren period for the next 15 minutes, as the town team upped their game considerably and scored six points without reply. Mc Cann hit an immediate response to Mulligans point, with Larkin winning the resultant kickout and driving forward to fire over his second point of the game. It was Larkin who got the next also with a free from the left wing, before Mc Cann also pointed from a free. With twelve minutes gone in the half David Boyle also got in on the scoring act when he nailed a shot from 50 yards out. Larkin again profiting from the Joes kickout and pointed in style. The Joes eventually got back on the scoresheet with an Alan Mc Kenna point from the forty, to finish a move started by Conor Murtagh deep in the Joes defence. This would kickstart a Joes period of dominance, as they went on to hit seven points without reply. Derek Mulligan, who had been having an unusually quiet evening up until this point, hit the next two within a minute, the second of which was an excellent score, with Peter Mulligan winning a Na Piarsaigh kickout and playing the ball into Derek, who drove hard at the their defence before firing over. He was involved with the next score also, as he set up Conal O Hanlon for a simple point. Alan Mc Kenna hit a free from the right corner, before Peter Mulligan hit the leveler. The home team were rocking and the kickout was hit straight to Alan Quigley and when the ball was passed into fellow substitute Brendan O Donoghue the Joes were eventually back in the lead with 27 minutes played in the final period. The home team did fight back at this stage and with a number of Na Piarsaigh stoppages during the third quarter, there was always going to be a few minutes injury time to be played. This lead to a highly dramatic finish to the game, which was like two prize fighters standing toe to toe! Des Mc Cann hit the leveling score for Na Piarsaigh, but Pete Mulligan deftly flicked the kick out to Conal O Hanlon, who in turn found Alan Quigley to restore the Joes one point advantage. David Boyle responded with another good point from distance. But crucially for the Joes they hit both of the next two points, from Alan Lynch and Alan Quigley to give them that most dangerous of late leads. With 33 minutes played in the game Na Piarsaigh were awarded a 21 yard free in front of the Joes goals, with injury time running out Mark Larkin fired the free under the crossbar, where Conal O Hanlon was on hand to palm it over the bar. With time being blown up from the kick out, the Joes held on for the narrowest of wins and all in attendance had a chance to get their breath. Full Time Score: St Josephs 0-17, Na Piarsaigh 1-13 Best for the Joes on the evening were Peter Mulligan, Tomas Smyth and Alan Mc Kenna, with Alan Quigley having a notable cameo. Joes Team: Robert Sansom, Sean Mc Quillan, Kevin Woods, Anthony Keenan, Daire Mc Kiernan, Conor Murtagh, Alan Lynch (0-2), Peter Mulligan (0-2), John Murtagh, Tomas Smyth (0-1), Peter Brennan, John Mc Guinness, Alan Mc Kenna (0-6)(2frs), Conal O Hanlon (0-1), Derek Mulligan (0-2). Substitutions: Conor Lynch for Sean Mc Quillan (inj), Alan Quigley (0-2) for John Mc Guinness, Brendan O Donoghue (0-1) for Peter Brennan. Na Piarsaigh Scorers: Des Mc Cann 1-5 (3frs), Mark Larkin 0-5 (1fr), David Boyle 0-2, Alan Mc Cartney 0-1. Referee: Paul Finnegan [Report: Michael Kinahan] |