Junior Football Championship Group 1 – Round 1
Friday 2nd August
Report by Niall Kelly
Cardinal O’Donnells 1-09 Laochra Loch Lao 0-11
Despite finishing proceedings with thirteen men, O’Donnells somehow still managed to navigate the path to victory and seal an important two points in the process in this captivating Junior matchup. It wasn’t always pretty, but it had heart, tenacity and passion in abundance as both teams left it all out there on the greasy MacRory Park surface. An inspired performance from Pearse Rice was no doubt the catalyst for the hosts. Although tender in years, the young number 11 was composure personified in front of the posts and his tally of 1-06 propelled his side to gain the verdict. In what was a frantic and often tempestuous contest, the men in maroon and yellow just always seemed to grab their scores at the perfect time.
The opening ten minutes were ominous for O’Ds as Laochra came flying out of the traps and stormed into a four point lead. The visitors looked sharp and meant business as PJ O’Prey opened his account with an excellent point in the opening minute shimmying his man this way and that. A mere thirty seconds later and the lead was doubled thanks to Dubaltach MacCrabhagain as the men in yellow and black pushed high to pressurise the O’Donnells kick out.
The home side looked to find some sort of reprieve, but handling mistakes were costing them as time and again, Laochra were seizing the turnovers. The visitors had their tails up and further points from MacCrabhagain and Connla Ó’Coinn had their travelling fans purring with content. In truth, the visitors will perhaps rue this period of the game as they should’ve established a greater lead with a few wayward shots failing to find their mark.
O’Donnells were reeling and in desperate need of a score to gain a foothold in proceedings and midway through the half, Pearse Rice tapped over a close range free to get his side off the mark.
The game was becoming increasingly fractured as we approached Gerard Dougan’s half time whistle with a few off the ball incidents and cynical fouls stifling the momentum and flow of the game. It was the visitors though who remained on top as Conor McGuckin angled over a superb effort from the left flank to reinstate their four-point lead.
With five minutes of the half left to play, the game was turned on its head with man of the match, Pearse Rice, proving the source. Rice latched on to Marc McKenna’s flighted free in before turning and blasting his effort into the roof of the net to send the sideline into raptures.
Rejuvenated, the hosts were a different team following Rice’s major and although O’Prey hit back with a caressed effort off the deck, O’Ds had very much awoken from their slumber. The hosts hit the next three scores in succession with two from Rice and an accomplished effort from Nathan Garland who somehow managed to negotiate an inch of space amongst a melee of players to slot over. Despite the barrage of pressure, somehow the hosts were retreating into the changing rooms a point to the good with the score 1-04 to 0-06.
It wasn’t all roses though for the MacRory Park natives as just before the short whistle, Marc McKenna received his marching orders in an off the ball altercation, one of many that were so prominent a theme throughout the sixty.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, O’Donnells started the half like a juggernaut and seemed undaunted by the task of maintaining their lead. A surging run from Mark Close presented Johnny O’Donnell with an opportunity in front of the posts. The imposing full forward made no mistake with his effort as he flighted it perfectly between the posts to stretch the lead to two. Rice then kept his ever-expanding tally ticking over with a free from close range before sending over a monster effort from range to buoy his side further.
Laochra though were still threatening, and the hosts twice survived close scares. When the visitor’s chief marksman, PJ O’Prey came rampaging down on goal, it looked for all the world his effort would nestle in the bottom corner. O’Ds corner back, Barra Corr, came to their rescue though and thwarted O’Prey with a goal saving intervention as he cleared off the line.
The host’s shotstopper, Conor Murphy, was next to answer the call to action as he stormed off his line to deny a drilled goal-bound effort from Pearse McAuley. The pressure would soon tell though as Laochra began to chip away at the lead. MacCrabhagain sent over a perfectly flighted free from range before O’Prey added two more to his collection, demonstrating his prowess off the deck.
When the towering number 14 hit over his fifth of the evening with ten minutes to go, O’Donnell’s were back to clinging on to the slender one point lead and feeling the pressure. Their challenging task was compounded when star-man, Rice, was brandished a black card for a deliberate pull down and the hosts would have to broker the job with thirteen men.
With five to go, Laochra were ramping up the heat and searched for that all elusive levelling score. However, O’Donnells were brave on the counter and when Padraig McKissock’s effort saw the white flag raised, the roars were deafening.
With the game now in injury time, O’Prey slotted over to cut the gap to one once again and set up a nail-biting finish. Ironically, it was the hosts who finished the stronger. Ciaran McKissock and Joe Wilson both spurned chances to wrap up proceedings as Séan Ó’Eacháin pulled off two marvellous saves in the dying embers. It mattered not though as the home side managed to clamber over the finish line with their lead still intact.
Credit to both sides for a thoroughly entertaining affair. Laochra will certainly look back at this game as a missed opportunity. They just couldn’t quite capitalise on their numerical advantage and will rue their first-half wides. Their period of dominance in the opening thirty though shows the potential they have in their ranks and they will look to build on this in their next outing. O’Donnell’s are no strangers to Championship wins having steered their way to two consecutive Junior finals. Bainisteoir, Joe Herald, will be delighted with his young gun’s attitude. With a few key men currently undergoing a prolonged spell on the sidelines with injury, the character that the charges at his disposal displayed, will surely stand them in good stead for future games.
Teams:
O’Donnells:
C Murphy; B Corr S Smylie, J Rafferty; N Garland (0-01,) J Walsh, M Sloan; C Carville, J Wilson; M Close, P Rice (1-06,) C McKissock; C Walsh, J O’Donnell (0-01,) M McKenna
Substitute scorer:
P McKissock (0-01)
Laochra Loch Lao
S Ó’Eacháin; N McKee, C McCaffrey; T MacSiacais; C Ó’Ceallaigh, C Ó’Coinn (0-01,) S Mac An Bheatha; P McAuley, D McPhillips; D MacCrabhagain (0-03,) K Devine, C McGuckin (0-01;) M Daly, PJ O’Prey (0-06,) O Crawford