P Graham Tarmac Junior Football Championship
Group 1
Na Piarsaigh 2-11 Rasharkin 1-15
Saturday 22 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc Mhic Ionnrachtaigh
Rasharkin maintained their pursuit for a double on Saturday evening but they were pushed all the way by Na Piarsaigh. The Belfast men were seven ahead in the first half and held a one point lead with just four minutes of the hour remaining but Rasharkin showed a little more composure at the death.
This was a feisty encounter from start to finish with Na Piarsaigh finishing the game with 13 men. The loss of Cormac Gillespie late in the first half certainly having a huge impact on the game with Rasharkin scoring 1-1 before the break and bringing them back into the game.
Na Piarsaigh played with a freedom and tenacity that was refreshing and kept Rasharkin from building any momentum in the first half. Goals from Fionn Grew and Liam Deegan had them in control but the men from Dreen responded superbly in the second half with James Higgins and Pearse McTague pivotal while their winning point was superbly orchestrated and finished by Colm Kennedy.
Na Piarsaigh got off to a dream start with scoring the opening goal of the game with barely 10 seconds on the clock. Fionn Grew collecting the ball from the throw in and tore through the Rasharkin defence and lobbed Rasharkin keeper Ryan Doherty with the ball nestling into the back of the net. A super point from Oisin Grew followed before Oisin Casey opened Rasharkin’s account for the evening in the fourth minute.
Liam Deegan split the posts after a neat one-two with Gillespie as Na Piarsaigh began to make the most of their positive start.
Rasharkin looked to weather the early Na Piarsaigh storm with a brace of scores from Andrew Hasson (free) and Higgins but Na Piarsaigh replied with a brace of their own. Sean Moreland and Tom McFarlane with the scores to leave four between the sides half way through the first half.
Killian O’Boyle split the uprights for Rasharkin in the 16th minute but they wouldn’t add to their tally for another 10 minutes with Na Piarsaigh putting daylight between the sides by adding their second goal of the game.
Phil Murray split the uprights before Deegan’s major put seven between the sides with nine minutes of the half remaining.
Rasharkin hit back with their goal coming in the 26th minute, Andrew Hasson breaking the Na Piarsaigh defensive line before finding Colm Kennedy and he finished well to beat Eamon McKenna in the Na Piarsaigh goals.
The game was turned on its head with Gillespie seeing red for an off the ball incident, much to the disbelief of the Na Piarsaigh players and management while Andrew Hasson kicked the last score of the half with the last action before the break to leave the half time score 2-5 to 1-5 in Na Piarsaigh’s favour.
While Moreland split the posts to put four between the sides with the opening score of the second half, it was almost 20 minutes before Na Piarsaigh would add to their total with Rasharkin making the most of their numerical advantage.
The men from Dreen would fire seven unanswered points from Thomas Hasson (two), Andrew Hasson (three, two frees) and a brace from Killian O’Boyle as they went into a three point lead.
With tempers flaring, referee Joe McCavana had a major job on his hands to keep the game under control. Na Piarsaigh did manage to stop the Rasharkin momentum with points from Orán Sweeney and Fionn Grew (free) before a brilliant two pointer from Grew put Na Piarsaigh ahead once again in the 54th minute.
Killian O’Boyle and Oisin McCamphill (free) split the uprights either side of Moreland’s third point of the contest to leave the sides tied going into the dying embers of the hour.
McFarlane was red carded for an off the ball incident with the game in the melting pot and Na Piarsaigh had a massive chance deep in injury time but Aidan Bannon and Moreland seemed to get in each other’s way. Rasharkin and Kennedy broke however and Kennedy managed to get in behind the Na Piarsaigh defence to fist over the bar with what was the last action of the game in the eighth minute of injury time.
A hectic ending to a compelling game that could have gone either way. Rasharkin maintain their momentum and look to a meeting with Laochra Loch Lao to see who tops the group while Na Piarsaigh and St Malachy’s will face off with a place in the quarters at stake.
TEAMS
Na Piarsaigh Starting XV: Eamon McKenna; Luca Gianetto, Peter Johnston, Jay Collins; Cormac Gillespie, Aidan Bannon, Orán Sweeney; Tom McFarlane, Oisin Grew; Fionn Grew, Cormac O’Neill, Sean Moreland; Liam Deegan, Phil Murray, Piaras Donaghy
- Scorers: F Grew 1-3 (1TP, 1F); L Deegan 1-1; S Moreland 0-3; O Sweeney 0-1, T McFarlane 0-1, O Grew 0-1, P Murray 0-1
Rasharkin Starting XV: Ryan Doherty; Daniel McGurk, Fergus Quigg, Pearce Kelly; Thomas Hasson, Pearse McTague, Liam Quigg; Tiernan O’Boyle, Oran McMullan; Colm Kennedy, Oisin Casey, James Higgins; Killian O’Boyle, Andrew Hasson, Brian Og Neill
- Scorers: A Hasson 0-5 (4F); K O’Boyle 0-4; C Kennedy 1-1; T Hasson 0-2; O Casey 0-1; J Higgins 0-1
Referee: Joe McCavana (St Comgalls)
