Reserve Cup Semi-final
Rossa 2-08-2-09 St Galls
Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Rossa
Michael Hopkins dropped over the winner in added time as St Galls saw off a determined Rossa fight back in their 2-09-2-08 win in the Reserve Cup semi-final at Shaws Road on Wednesday evening.
The visitors were in the ascendancy for the majority of proceedings and looked to have sealed victory when Sean Burke netted with a quarter of an hour remaining to open up a 2-06-0-06 lead.
However, Rossa hit back and by the 59th minute had pulled level thanks to a stunning strike from Liam Carr. With light diminishing rapidly, extra time in the dark looked on the cards until Hopkins popped over the winner for the Milltown outfit- who advance to the decider for the second year on the spin.
Rossa forged ahead through a fine point from Conal McDonnell but St Galls responded with the games opening goal.
Niall Fallon showed determination to reach the loose ball and lay it off to Conor Ryan on the advance and he slipped it across to Conn Doherty to palm home from close range.
The sides traded scores through Ruairi McDonagh and a super angled point from Ruairi Wilson, and successive frees from Colm Fleming would tie the game up on the 23rd minute.
St Galls re-established their two-point advantage with successive Sean Burke points, on both occasions Burke had a high ball flighted into him on the edge of the square and on both occasions, he turned and picked off the scores.
Rory Grant would send a fine shot between the posts before the break as a single point separated the sides at the interval (1-03-0-05).
A third converted free of the evening from Fleming restored parity in the early minutes of the second half, but Rossa suffered a set-back when Ruairc Murray was black-carded.
Conor Stinton edged St Galls ahead again courtesy of a converted free and they made the most of their 10-minute numerical advantage.
They doubled their account when Sean Burke popped the ball off to Eoghan McCurdy to swing over and goal scorer Conn Doherty then dropped a shot over after a nice link-up with Niall Fallon.
Prior to Murray returning to the fray, Rossa found themselves two-goals behind when Sean Burke lifted the ball over Paudie Shortt to give his side a 2-06-0-06 lead and surely seal their place in the final.
A close-range Colm Fleming free momentarily narrowed the deficit, with substitute Daniel Quinn immediately hitting back at the other end.
The hosts were thrown a lifeline in the 49th minute when referee Sean Elliot consulted with his umpires and awarded a penalty for a foot-block in the area.
Colm Fleming took responsibility and sent Niall McCurdy the wrong way with a confidently dispatched spot-kick that left a goal between the sides.
They made further in-roads when Rory Grant burst forward and swept over his second point of the evening, but Sean Burke landed his third point in reply.
Rossa began to push forward in pursuit of an equaliser and their persistence paid off a minute from the end of normal time when substitute Liam Carr lined up a shot and his low effort curled into the bottom corner to draws the sides level at 2-08 apiece.
In a frenzied finish Sean Burke dropped in an angled effort that crashed off the crossbar and out.
The visitors were then forced to see the game out 14-men as substitute Simon Dowds was black-carded three minutes after coming off the bench.
It didn’t deter the Milltown side who claimed victory two minutes into added time when Michael Hopkins steered a shot between the posts.
Despite Rossa being allowed another attack to salvage a draw, St Galls held out and booked their place in the final next Wednesday evening.
Rossa: P Shortt, J McGurk, A Devlin, F McDonald, R Murray, C McDonnell (0-01), P Moyes, C O’Neill, R Grant (0-02), C Walsh, E Flavin, C Fleming (1-04, 1-00p, 0-04f), M McKernan, R Maguire, R McDonagh (0-01). Subs: J Aughey for F McDonald (HT), L Carr (1-00) for E Flavin (38), P Close for R Maguire (38), C Flavin for C O’Neill (56), S McDonald for J McGurk (56).
St Galls: N McCurdy, E McCurdy (0-01), C Burke, O O’Callaghan, C Maguire, R Wilson (0-01), C McCabe, C O’Kane, C Ryan, J Mervyn, C Stinton (0-01f), M Hopkins (0-01), C Doherty (1-01), S Burke (1-03), N Fallon. Subs: D Quinn (0-01) for O O’Callaghan (19), K McGourty for C Stinton (54), J McDaniel for C O’Kane (57), S Dowds for N Fallon (57).
Referee: Sean Elliott (Lámh Dhearg)
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