Division 2 League match between Roche Emmets and St.Marys, Ardee in Páirc de Róiste at 6pm on Saturday 22nd May 2010.
After a fine days weather with soaring temperatures and only a slight breeze on a perfect playing surface there was nothing hampering both teams producing their best. This was a competitive game with some tough exchanges and played at a pace expected of two teams getting ready for the championship season and trying to remain in the frame for the league promotion places. Roche were looking to get a win to remain in the promotion places following a defeat in their last outing after two wins while St. Marys were trying to get out of the moral sapping bottom half of the table and nearer the business end of the table. There were some fine passages of play with well taken scores and individual skills at winning high ball, tackling, forceful running with the ball and eye-catching nippy forward skills.
Roche Emmets 0-13 (HT 0-5) St. Marys, Ardee 2-7 (HT 2-4)
Ardee hit Roche a knock-out punch straight away as Roche have done on so many other teams this year. Their full forward waltzed through the Roche defence on the first attack to smash home a cracking goal. Their right corner man scored a fine point three minutes later and was a live wire throughout the game, Ardee’s full forward line was the most exciting line on the field and with their midfield providing endless ball to them they were tormenting the Roche full backs, with their half back line also struggling.
In the tenth minute Barry O’Hare registered Roche’s first score, a converted free after he was fouled, making the score 1-1 to 0-1. Number 13 pushed Ardee further ahead with a free from distance. Roche were lucky they did not concede another goal when after a mix up in the goal mouth the ball was defected out for a ‘45’. The ‘45’ sailed wide but from the kick out the impressive left-half back for Ardee pointed from beyond the ‘45’ line.
The play was tough and the tackling robust with play stopped a number of times for repairs to Roche players mainly. Roche were getting to grips with the pace of the game by now and developing more and more chances for themselves and twenty five minutes into the half B. O’Hare converted a free from 45 metres and Martin Craven pointed Roche’s third point a minute later. In Roche’s best move of the half they pulled themselves to within two points of St. Marys. The ball had again come off the Roche wood work into the arms of Sean O’Hare who carried it up field and he moved it to Kevin Callaghan who sent it to Dan O’Connell who grabbed the score in the 27th minute. The Ardee ‘forty yards man’ grabbed a smartly taken point followed by a K. Callaghan converted free to leave the score 0-5 to 1-4.
But Ardee came again with another sucker punch for Roche, with delightful play again from the right-corner man, but his fine effort from far out came off the post and fell into the grateful arms of the opposite corner man for him to dispatch to the net in the 32nd minute. The play was moving from end to end with smart passing and strong tackling. Ardee should have been much further ahead at half time but did miss a handful of points just wide of the posts. Roche were well back into the game coming up to half time despite the game Ardee’s full forward line was having and the number of wides they themselves were registering but the second goal was a real tester to overcome on the stroke of half time. The score at the short whistle; 2-4 to 0-5 for Ardee.
Roche started the second half much more brightly with two points from M. Craven and K. Callaghan but were lucky again in the 6th minute when again the ball was scrambled out over the end line for a ‘45’. Three minutes later K. Callaghan moved Roche two points behind with a converted free but could have been level but for two Roche wides. Ardee moved three ahead before Callaghan reduced again the lead to two points.
Ardee’s play became disjointed and they lost their rhythm and got involved with the official on every infringement they committed. Roche did not seem to have the capability to get beyond the two points deficit. But Joe Bishop had reduced the threat from Ardee’s number 13 and was winning most of the ball coming into this sector and their defence as a unit was much more comfortable. The score was 2-5 to 0-9 in their favour with 12 minutes of the half completed their left half scored his second point from a free to them three ahead yet again. Then they moved four ahead but this was their last score on the 49th minute. Gerry Murphy, Darren McConnon and Martin Carroll where seeing more of the ball and using it much better. Roche added three points in a five minute spell and with Enda Murphy and Robert O’Hanlon introduced onto the right half forward and back positions Roche were very lively. Parity on the score board was reached with a converted free by B. O’Hare in the 59th minute but the winner could not be found by either side after a frantic period of play.
Ardee will feel they dropped a point after the a 5 point half time lead and a commanding four point lead midway through the second half but they lost their way in the last 10 minutes after controlling the game up ‘til then. Roche will feel they gained a point and may believe the win was there especially two ‘45s’ and two point decisions went against their umpires but many of the home support went home relieved with a share of the spoils.
Roche: Aidan McCoy, Sean O’Hare, Dermot Craven, David Quigley, Sean Kirk, Harry O’Connell, Duane Callan, Martin Carroll, Darren McConnon, Paudie Callaghan, Gerry Murphy 1pt, Barry O’Hare 3pts (3F), Kevin Callaghan 5pts (3F), Dan O’Connell 1pt, Martin Craven 3pts. Subs on: Joe Bishop for Callan, Robert O’Hanlon for S.O’Hare, Enda Murphy for P. Callaghan.
Best for Roche: Joe Bishop, Harry O’Connell, Darren McConnon, Kevin Callaghan, Martin Craven, Barry O’Hare.
