Munster Express Online » GAA Football

Comeragh men reach ‘B’ Summit

The Munster Express — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 13:14:27 +0000

By Tony Ryan

Pic4: Comeragh Gael's Jason Dunford and P.J Coffey in this aerial contest with St. Mary's Alan Fitzsimmons.

Western champions Comeragh Gaels played their divisional final on the 26th of April and it certainly showed in the first half of the county final in this grade which was played in the Fraher Field last Sunday morning.
On the other hand, St Mary’s played the Eastern final as recently as the 5th of July and after a tough encounter then against Portlaw/ Ballyduff which they won by 1-17 to 3-9, they were the better prepared side for Sunday’s game.
St Mary’s looked a class apart in the first half and led by a whopping 0-10 with 24 minutes on the clock on a scoreline of 2-9 to 1-2.
At this stage it was difficult in the extreme to see the Gaels making any impact, let alone winning the match.
Three late points before the short whistle by Gavin Dalton put a slightly better look on the scoreboard for the westerners as the teams welcomed the reprieve from the 20 plus degrees of heat at the Shandon venue, 2-9 to 1-5.
St Mary’s were far more alert from the outset and centre back Ryan Gallagher had the first score of the hour inside three minutes. Four different players produced the first four points for Des Stafford, Conal Queally and John Sheehan’s charges in Gallagher, Ciaran Kirwan, Dylan Power and Jack Dee.
Despite carrying an injury Mike Kearns was to play a big part in this final and he scored early on for his side but a key moment arrived at the end of the first quarter after Reece Stringer had saved at point blank range from Niall Dunphy, Dylan Power followed up to slam the ball into the net at the country end of the grounds, 1-4 to 0-2.
It became worse before it got better for the Western champions when Alan Fitzsimons placed Ciaran Kirwan for a second St Mary’s goal and just 20 minutes played.
Points followed before the break from Ciaran Kirwan (2), Alan Fitzsimmons and Niall Dunphy while a goal for the winners by Cian O Byrne from a pass by his captain Rian Reddy didn’t at this stage seem to make any impact on proceedings.
Trailing by 2-9 to 1-5 at half time Comeragh Gaels were in a much better position as early as four minutes into the second half.
Ciaran Kirwan opened the scoring for Mary’s but a pointed free by Gavin Dalton was followed by a penalty goal by the same player after Mike Kearns was upended in front of goal, 2-10 to 2-6. Kearns was central to Comeragh Gaels second half comeback.
He won ball after ball when placed at full forward and he made a goal and scored a goal that were crucial to his team winning this game.
Credit St Mary’s, they responded well to Comeragh Gaels bright start to the second half. After missing a pointed free attempt, they kicked three of the next four scores via Alan Fitzsimons, Ciaran Kirwan and Adam Walsh with Corey Kennedy and Dan Cusack dominating the midfield fielding from kickouts up to this point, 2-13 to 2-7 and forty minutes on the clock.
Entering the final quarter St Mary’s still held their 0-6 advantage but Comeragh Gales won the remaining period of time by 2-2 to 0-1 as the game climaxed in a welter of excitement. Excellent freetaker Gavin Dalton pointed at one end and St Mary’s missed at the other. The game was really in the melting pot after the 49th minute when Mike Kearns somehow found room to blast the ball to the net and there was now just 0-2 the difference at 2-14 to 3-9.
What proved to be St Mary’s final score came in the 50th minute from Alan Fitzsimons but there was no holding Comeragh Gaels now and after St Mary’s failed to take a goal scoring chance, Nicky O’ Donovan scored a peach of a point for the winners, 2-15 to 3-10. The western champions took the lead for the first time with seven minutes of normal time remaining. Mike Kearns fielded yet another high delivery in front of the country end goal and he put Cian O Byrne in for his second green flag of the day, 4-10 to 2-15.
There was a further eleven minutes of play including a row in front of the Comeragh Gaels goal but there was no further scoring which added greatly to the tension. St Mary’s kicked two point scoring opportunities wide and the Gaels held out for a thrilling victory in the most dramatic of circumstances.

COMERAGH GAELS: Reece Stringer; Richie McGrath, Gearoid Hallinan, Jack Skehan; Ronan Gleeson, Dylan McCarthy, Sam Murphy Nix; Jason Dunford, Mike Kearns; Rian Reddy, PJ Coffey, Cian O Byrne; Killian Tobin Gavin Dalton, Nicky O Donovan.

SCORERS: Gavin Dalton 1-7 (1-4f, 1’45’), Cian O Byrne (2-0), Mike Kearns (1-2), Nicky O Donovan (0-1).

SUBS: Keith Hickey for Richie McGrath, Charlie Whelan for Killian Tobin, James Walsh for Charlie Whelan.

ST MARY’S : Mike Dunphy; Conor Keane, Cian Hally, TJ Veale; Jeff Hally, Ryan Gallagher, Luke Foran; Corey Kennedy, Dan Cusack; Adam Walsh, Ciaran Kirwan, Alan Fitzsimons; Niall Dunphy, Jack Dee, Dylan Power.

SCORERS: Ciaran Kirwan (1-6), Dylan Power (1-1), Alan Fitzsimons (0-4), Ryan Gallagher, Jack Dee, Niall Dunphy and Adam Walsh (0-1 each).

SUB: Brian Walsh for Niall Dunphy.

REFEREE: Noel Kelly (Erin’s Own).

DEISE AIMING FOR PROVINCIAL GLORY

Thomas Keane — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 11:46:57 +0000

Waterford's Aileen Wall goes past Kerry's Aisling O'Connell during their TG4 All Ireland Senior Championship game at Birr last July. | Photos: Dan McGrath/Editorial Images

This year’s Munster Senior Ladies Football Final pairing at Mallow on Saturday next has something of a novel look about it, as it doesn’t feature reigning Munster and All-Ireland champions Cork.
In their absence Waterford and Kerry will do battle for the first time in a provincial final since 2003 and this is the 12th time in total that the pair clash will clash in a provincial final.
The most recent meeting of the two counties at this stage of the competition resulted in a 2-12 to 2-10 win for the Kingdom, while you have to go back to 1995 for the last time Waterford came out on top in a Provincial Final between the two when the great Waterford side of the 90s emerged 2-12 to 3-7 winners.
However we don’t have to go back too far for the last Championship meeting between the two sides, as they clashed in the wind and rain at Fraher Field in May, a game that Waterford emerged as victors on a 2-9 to 1-9 score line.
For that game the ladies from the Kingdom arrived into Dungarvan believing that they would overcome the challenge of a Waterford side that in their first year back playing in Division Two in the National League after a three year stint playing in the third tier of the competition, and with Waterford finishing in seventh place, winning two and drawing one of their seven games.
But on the day, Waterford proved to be very much the better of the two sides, as Pat Sullivan’s side fought tooth and nail for every ball and were the much sharper of the two sides.
Waterford, that day, retired at the break holding a 0-7 to 0-6 lead on the scoreboard, adding goals through Michelle Ryan and Róisín Tobin in the second half.
And while Waterford did concede a goal late on as Laura Rogers sent in a dipping effort into the Waterford goal past Jessica Fitzgerald, the hosts ran out as 2-9 to 1-9 winners.
Despite the earlier defeat, Kerry will travel to Mallow confident that they can beat the Déise Ladies at the second time of asking this year, especially after beating Cork recently in Killarney in a game which determined who’d get a rematch with the white and blue.
They will be looking to the likes of Aisling Leonard, Sarah Murphy, Lorraine Scanlon, Amanda Brosnan, Sarah Houlihan, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Laura Rogers to help them secure this year’s crown.
While some will argue that Waterford didn’t have the best of springs, finishing seventh of eight teams in the Second Division of the National Football League, many of Waterford’s players this year are now clearly excelling.
Last day out against Cork both Caoimhe McGrath and Aileen Wall were outstanding. Against Kerry in the League, Maria Delahunty, Gráinne Kenneally and Katie Murray were outstanding.
Katie Hannon was selected as the best goalkeeper in Division Two of the National League but since coming in for Katie in the first game against Kerry, Jessica Fitzgerald hasn’t put a foot wrong and it will be interesting to see which of the pair gets the nod this coming weekend.
Róisín Tobin is possibly having her best year in the white and blue. Michelle Ryan, having missed the start of the League is showing her ability since returning to the team while the likes of Mairead Wall, Michelle and Karen McGrath, Dearbhaile Ni hAodha and Emma Murray are all proving to be as reliable as ever.
This game promises to be as tight affair as the previous three games played in this year’s Munster Championship.
Kerry, despite being defeated last time out against Waterford could well be the favourites to add to their Roll of Honour. Their experience, after all, has to count for something.
But this is a good Waterford side, one that will not leave Kerry or anyone else for that matter have things all their own way.
Can Waterford record a third win in this year’s Championship and win silverware for the ninth year in a row in the case of some of the panellists. If we were to put it to former US President Barack Obama, the answer would surely be “Yes We Can.”

DEISEMEN MUST BELIEVE AS DERRY TRAVEL SOUTH

The Munster Express — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 11:52:51 +0000

By Thomas Keane

Waterford's Michael Curry in action with Cork's James Loughrey during the Deise's close-run thing with the Rebels in the Munster Championship at Fraher Field. | Photos: Sean Byrne

Three weeks on from an excellent performance against Cork, Tom McGlinchey’s Waterford Senior footballers are back in action in Fraher Field on Saturday afternoon when they take on Derry in the first round of the All-Ireland Qualifiers.
“Yeah, it was great to get the home draw, and it would have been a lot worse if we’d have had to face into a six-hour journey up to Derry, that wouldn’t have been great for the players or the County Board either, so there’s a sense of reward in coming out the hat with a home draw,” said Tom McGlinchey.
“Fair enough, Derry were the team every other county were trying to avoid, and unfortunately we got them, but it’s a challenge no more than Cork was a challenge and we’re really looking forward to next Saturday.”
The qualifiers have not been kind to Waterford down the years, with the white and blue recording just a handful of victories in both the qualifiers and in the now disbanded Tommy Murphy Cup.
Since the inception of the qualifiers, if results have not been kind to Waterford, the same could be said of the draws, as the Déise County have more often than not found themselves having to make long journeys all around the country to fulfil fixtures.
While Waterford could have received a kinder draw for this weekend’s fixture, all involved will be very happy that they did not have to make the long journey to Celtic Park in Derry to fulfil the fixture.
The Oak Leaf County side will travel to Dungarvan as favourites, but they will not be underestimating this Waterford side.
The Ulstermen will have seen that Waterford pushed Cork all the way just over two weeks ago and will know that the home side had chances to win. They will also know that at Fraher Field Waterford are a very difficult side to beat.
Derry are not having the best of years and could well arrive in Dungarvan lacking somewhat in self belief.
They were relegated from the second Division of the National football league their best result coming when they beat Kildare in Celtic Park on a 1-18 to 1-17 scoreline.
In the Ulster Championship they recently played Mickey Harte’s Tyrone, who recorded a double score 0-22 to 0-11 victory in Celtic Park.
Derry trailed 0-10 to 0-5 at the break and at one stage early in the second half of that game only trailed by three points but the winners turned on the style after that and coasted to victory.
When they arrive in Dungarvan they will be looking to the likes of Niall McLoughlin, Niall Keenan, Enda Lynn and Benny Herron for big performances.
“Look, they’re going to be favourites,” said McGlinchey of Derry, “but favourites are there to be taken down. Obviously they have the pedigree of playing at the higher level, albeit that they were relegated this season. But three years ago, they were playing in a Division One Final and they’ve played in Croke Park numerous times and come into this match having had the experience of playing Tyrone…and that will stand to them and I’ve no doubt they’ll be using this game as one that can get them back into the Championship. But for our lads, this is a huge challenge, but it’s something that they’re relishing. They want to be testing themselves against the best teams. We showed against Cork potentially what we can do but we need to take it to the next level now with a victory and that’s what we’re aiming to do against Derry.”
However while many will make Derry favourites, they could well have another afternoon to forget as Waterford will be looking to the likes of Stephen Enright, Brian Looby, Thomas O’Gorman, Tadhg Ó hUallacháin, Stephen and Tommy Prendergast, Paul Whyte, Donie Breathnach, Gavin Crotty, and Michael O’Halloran for big games.
The question on the lips of most will be can Waterford serve up another good performance and advance to Round Two of the qualifiers. The answer is, most definitely, yes.
“The belief is in the players that they can compete at this level,” said the Deise manager, “but competing isn’t enough now and words can be cheap: we need to go out and do it on the field.”
Let’s hope Waterford can keep themselves in the headlines this Saturday, and who knows, they might even warrant a name check on The Sunday Game this time around!

The Manchester I know and love

Dermot Keyes — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 09:35:16 +0000

My first trip to Manchester was just a few months shy of the Warrington bomb that took the lives of Tim Parry and Jonathan Ball.
Their deaths came to mind last week in the wake of the Manchester Arena atrocity, which ranks among the worst manifestations of inhumanity.
But in the hours and days that followed the deaths of 22 innocent people, who were simply enjoying a night’s entertainment, the people of a city that so many of us are inextricably linked with, showed their true colours. They stood up. They came together. They embraced. And they sang.
They’re a great lot, the Mancs. A lot like us in many ways. The mills. The chat. The cuppa. The pint. The tune. The match. The craic. The bonds are many, be they made through sport, music or over a long weekend. As Tony Walsh might put it, there’s ’sommat’ about Manchester.
October 1992. I was 13 years old, just a few weeks into secondary school life and was beside myself with excitement at the prospect of seeing my beloved Manchester United in the new FA Premier League.
Portlaw United, the biggest United in my football playing life, had organised the trip and a sizeable contingent of us travelled across the Irish Sea, full of the same levels of excitement, I presume, that the youngsters packed into the Manchester Arena had on Monday week last.
Events like this ought to be lifelong memory makers, days and nights that bring a smile to one’s face: I still have the notepad sheet Alex Ferguson signed for me, along with my match programme stub. My friends and I got to come home. Twenty-two innocents didn’t.
To travel to the famed Cliff training ground, where the Busby Babes cut their footballing heels, and see the likes of Denis Irwin, Bryan Robson and Peter Schmeichel training, pretty much left me slack jawed.
A youngster on the United books called David Beckham, who’d played his part in the club’s FA Youth Cup success the previous season, was among the ‘half-time heroes’ who were saluted for their efforts at the Bobby Charlton Soccer School. It’s fair to say he went on to do pretty well for himself!
I’ve had a consciousness of Manchester from the earliest outsets of my memory; United won the FA Cup just weeks shy of my fourth birthday, my eldest brother supported them and the squad featured Kevin Moran, Frank Stapleton, Norman Whiteside and future Après Match legend Ashley Grimes.
They felt like a good fit, even if final opponents Brighton were in Deise blue and white and featured Irishmen Gary Howlett, captain Tony Grealish, future Spanish football pundit Michael Robinson and substitute Gerry Ryan. United won the Final replay 4-0, my elder brother rejoiced, I joined in and the rest is history.
Through highs and lows, and there have been far more highs as a United fan than what most other clubs have enjoyed, I’ve a great love for mighty Manchester United – and that shall never fade.
On a local front, the link to Manchester runs deep. As Orla Fitzgerald noted in a piece published back in May 1999, the Malcolmson family first came to consider cotton production through a North West English business associate.
A Liverpool Quaker named James Cropper visited Ireland in 1824, the same year David Malcolmson had taken control of the Pouldrew Iron and Bolting mill, situated between Kilmeaden and Portlaw.
Cropper was a founding director of the Liverpool-Manchester railway (the world’s first passenger rail link) and he met with David and Joseph Malcolmson in Clonmel on December 13th of that that year.
Fitzgerald writes: “Cropper’s visit coincided with a time when David Malcolmson was beginning to express concern at the effects of what he perceived to be the forthcoming repeal of the Corn Laws. In a letter he wrote in 1825, he said that ‘it is clear that for every barrel of foreign corn imported into England she wants so much less from Ireland’.
“This letter was written six days after he had leased land at Portlaw for the erection of the cotton factory. The site chosen for the factory was situated on the edge of the greatest landed estate in County Waterford, that of Lord Waterford at Curraghmore, valued in 1850 at £22,099 with Curraghmore House the most valuable (property) in the county at £210.
“The leased lands were located at Mayfield where a corn or flour mill had been located. A second area of land, on which the Mayfield dwelling house was situated, was also leased. This became the residence of David Malcolmson’s eldest son, Joseph and the senior partner in the firm after the retirement of David in 1837.”
The 1968 European Cup meeting of Waterford FC with holders Manchester United was another historic occasion: the first time soccer was ever played at Lansdowne Road, thus creating a tradition that would in time see the stadium become FAI co-tenants, along with the IRFU.
The late Shay Brennan would become the greatest single link between both clubs, taking over the Blues as player-manager in 1970, helping the club to win secure back to back League titles in 1972 and 73.
Shay, a Busby Babe, who propelled into the United team in the wake of the 1958 Munich Air Disaster, would make Tramore his home and was taken far too soon back in 2000 when he died suddenly, aged 63.
Famously, in 1976, Bobby Charlton made four appearances for Waterford FC, while eight years previously, Martin Ferguson (brother of Sir Alex Ferguson), then aged only 25, managed Waterford FC to the League title in his sole season in charge at Kilcohan.
Ferrybank’s John O’Shea would match Shay Brennan’s European Cup winning feat in the red of Manchester United in 2008, and made the city his home for 12 senior seasons, during which he also played in five Premier League-winning sides.
“You should see this place on a Saturday,” John told me when we spoke outside Old Trafford in December 2001, having taken the metro from St Peter’s Square in the city centre.
“You get on the metro, which is absolutely packed and you come down here (Sir Matt Busby Way) and you can’t move sideways…I love it here.”
Just a few weeks previously, John had joined the first team squad on a night out. “Ryan Giggs forced me to stand up and make a speech. Himself and the senior lads told me exactly what I had to say and it was pretty embarrassing, to be honest….(but) after getting my first game, it helped me get rid of some nerves. I feel so settled here now.” And things didn’t exactly turn out too badly for John at the Theatre of Dreams thereafter. And part of John shall forever be red.
The city that gave us the Bee Gees, Oasis, The Stone Roses, most of Take That, the Inspiral Carpets, James, Joy Division/New Order, the Happy Mondays, Morrissey (the Smiths played in Waterford’s Savoy back in the 80s), City, United and ‘Corrie’ means a lot of things to lots of Waterfordians.
“Manchester IS Wonderful,” I proudly wrote in the Book of Condolences at City Hall on Wednesday last, having returned there many times since that first magical visit. And no twisted ideology shall ever destroy it.

Waterford Face Tall Order

Dermot Keyes — Wed, 31 May 2017 10:24:49 +0000

The temptation to leave one midfielder (such as Tommy Prendergast) in a deeper position may be considered by Deise boss Tom McGlinchey given Cork's low goal scoring tally during their National League campaign. | Photos: Sean Byrne

While Cork’s form since their 2010 All-Ireland Football Final victory has largely fallen off a cliff, they’ll still go into Saturday’s Munster Quarter-Final in Dungarvan as logical favourites.
As a Division Two side, the Rebels would be expected to get the better of any Division Four opponent, but they didn’t exactly set the world on fire in this year’s League, winning three matches, losing two outings and drawing two.
At present, they are firmly in Kerry’s shadow at present and are not considered to be in the Sam Maguire shake-up, but as their hurlers illustrated in Thurles last Sunday, the men in red will only stay down and out of serious contention for so long.
When the largely similar scoring averages were put to Waterford and Cork during the League were put to Deise boss, Tom McGlinchey, the straight talking bainisteoir spoke frankly.
“Well, to be honest, it’s not completely comparing like with like,” he said. “There is a difference in the competitive levels throughout each division of the League, and that tends to be reflected in the matches between higher and lower division teams come the Championship.”
Tom stressed: “But that’s not me trying to sound defeatist. The record in the Championship,. be it in the provincial series or through the qualifiers, makes things pretty plain, and it doesn’t make for great reading for the so-called ‘lesser’ counties.
“But all we can do, and this is what we’ve been striving to do since the start of the year, through the League and in the build-up to the Cork match this Saturday, is to prepare as well as we can, to make sure we’re as organised and physically ready as we can be, and I feel we’ve managed to do that in the last few weeks, particularly since we got the players back after the first round of the Senior Championship.”
McGlinchey praised the efforts of a group who, let’s face it, rarely generate headlines outside of their own county. “As management, we know how committed the lads are to the Waterford cause, and, to be fair, the group of supporters who have stuck with this team over the years know that too.
“These lads bleed for their county, they’re every bit as dedicated to improving themselves and succeeding as the hurlers are every time they’ll pull on that county jersey. When we have bad days, it hurts a lot. These lads are hungry to play at a higher standard of football, and of course, taking that into account, we were all disappointed with how the League went for us, especially in those matches where we didn’t make our good spells count the way we ought to have – away to Wexford springs to mind.
“And these lads love lining out at Fraher Field. They’ve a great pride in playing there and this Saturday night is, in all likelihood, going to be our biggest night of the year on home soil. Cork may not be quite the force they were, but they’re still a huge county in football terms and it’s great to have them coming to Fraher Field. But our focus in on us, our team, on doing what we do as well as we can do it, and making the most of those opportunities that come our way in Cork’s offensive third. We’ll have to fight hard to find space, we expect the match to be played at a few notches above what we’d be more accustomed to in Division Four, so it’s up to us to raise our game, bring it to Cork and make life uncomfortable for them. We know we’re going to have to dig deep, and work hard, but we’ve got to have some faith in what we can do, and the lads will be determined to honour the jersey on Saturday night.”
Key to Waterford doing well will be the form of captain Paul Whyte, club mate Joey Veale and Gaultier’s JJ Hutchinson. They will need to be supplied with quality ball inside the Cork ‘red zone’ and it’s critical that they make the most of the scoring chances that come they way. For their part, Cork struggled for goals during the League campaign, registering only four in seven outings, so the temptation to drop a deep-lying midfielder in front of the Deise’s half-back line and keep things congested may prove a logical step.
It could well keep Waterford in the contest for a greater period of time than going man for man and letting the ball long, for example.
As for the amended Senior Football Championship, Tom McGlinchey gave the revised format a firm thumbs up.
“I think there was a bit of apprehension going into the games about the new structure, but it was evident in the games I was at that the games were nip and tuck, and that teams were fighting to the end, whereas in previous years, with 15 minutes to go in a first round match, with four more to be played, some teams might have been taking the foot off the gas but all the games were enjoyable and the good weather and good pitches were a big help. But, definitely the competitive nature of the games were there for all to see, and the buzz after the second round draw was made, both in the winners’ section and losers’ section, we’ve never really had that at this time of the year in Waterford, so that augurs well for the Championship when it resumes later in the summer…
“Favourites are there to be taken down and we know we’ll go into Saturday night’s match as huge underdogs, and we’ll be going in to do the best we can.”
Sure, it’s a tall order on home soil, but there’s no harm in dreaming. Best of luck to Tom’s men.

Captain Walsh leads the Kilgobnet surge

The Munster Express — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 11:00:42 +0000

Kilgobnet’s Neil Phelan turns away from Kill’s Richie Cullinane.

County Junior Intermediate Football (Attached) Final

Kilgobnet 3-13
Kill 1-01

Kilgobnet romped to a facile 18-point victory in the Junior Football Intermediate Attached County Final on Sunday last at Walsh Park.

Kilgobnet captain Paul Walsh raises the cup following their facile win over Kill. | Photos: Noel Browne

Kilgobnet captain and man of the match Paul Walsh gave a master class of score taking contributing 2-9 in all. The talented forward converted two penalties, frees, a sideline and a 45 in a complete set of dead-ball scoring opportunities.

Kill who did very well to overcome De La Salle in the Eastern Final had left their best form behind them and endured a very trying afternoon where they failed to register a single point from play and went 49 minutes before troubling the umpires.

A fitter and more eager Kilgobnet dominated every facet of the game. When Paudie Fahey brought down in the small square Paul Walsh calmly stoked home the resulting penalty for goal number one after 16 minutes.

Walsh repeated the act in the 20th minute when an overworked Kill goalkeeper Brendan Mooney had pulled David Crowther to the ground to make it 2-3 to nil. Joe Curtain reacted quickest when the ball rebounded off the post for goal number three in the 23rd minute, 3-3 to nil and by half time the margin had swelled to 3-5 without reply.

Cormac Power (Kilgobnet) solos away from Kill’s Richie Cullinane.

Indeed but for a couple of excellent saves from Brendan Mooney the score-line would have been even more severe on the Eastern champions.

Paul Walsh copper fastened his man of the match award with four unanswered points in the third quarter including a beautiful point from a sideline ball and an excellent strike to convert a 45.

Referee Kieran O’Toole was somewhat generous when he awarded Kill a penalty in the 49th minutes after substitute Jim Murphy stumbled in the small square.

Michael O’Brien converted the penalty while veteran Peter Torpey completed the scoring for Kill with a point from a free just before games end.

Paul Walsh was the toast of his parish after this top class performance but had plenty of support from Conor Kavanagh, Cormac Power, Joe Curtain and David Crowther.

Kilgobnet skipper Paul Walsh wheels away after scoring his side’s first goal from a penalty.

Goalkeeper Brendan Mooney was Kill’s top performer in a disappointing showing from Kill’s reserve outfit.

Kilgobnet: James Fennell; Mark Dunford, John Cass, Eddie Cullinan; Conor Kavanagh, JJ Fitzgerald, Tomas Fahey; Neil Phelan, Cormac Power; David Crowther, Joe Curtain, Paul Walsh; Stephen Coffey, Tommy Cullinan, Paudie Fahey.

Substitutes: Philip Curran for Joe Curtain (38 mins), John Murphy for Tommy Cullinan (42), John Moloney for Cormac Power (54), Jimmy Cullinan for Eddie Cullinan (57), John Fennell for Paudie Fahey (59).

Scorers: Paul Walsh (2-9; 2-0 penalty, 0-3f, 0-1’45, 0-1 sideline), Joe Curtain (1-1), David Crowther, Paudie Fahey and Neil Phelan (0-1 each)

Kill’s Ollie St John under pressure from Kilgobnet’s Stephen Coffey at Walsh Park.

Kill: Brendan Mooney; Colm Casey, Peter Kelly, Gerard Mooney; Stephen Kirwan, Mark O’Rourke, Peter Torpey; John Phelan, Davy Gooney; Michael Joseph Queally, Richie Cullinane, Ben Heazle; Ollie St John, Michael O’Brien, David Casey.

Substitutes: Willie Cullinane for Ben Heazle (16 mins), Mark Hennessy for David Casey (HT) and Jim Murphy for Michael Joseph Queally (38 mins),

Scorers: Michael O’Brien (1-0 pen) and Peter Torpey (0-1f).

Referee: Kieran O’Toole (St Paul’s).

Glee for the Barony as the title goes East

Dermot Keyes — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 15:35:22 +0000

Gaultier: 2016 Under-21 'A' County Football champions. | Photos: Jim O’Sullivan

Under-21 ‘A’ Football Final Replay

Gaultier 0-13 – The Nire 2-05

The young men of Gaultier boosted their club’s morale and the fortunes of East Waterford football in securing the County Under-21 ‘A’ title in Sunday’s replay at a sparsely attended Walsh Park.

The superb double act provided by man of the match Caomhán Maguire and the athletic Billy O’Keeffe, coupled with the steadying influence of Sean White, who struck three second half frees, ensured a notable success for the Barony.

A race for possession between Gaultier's Sean Hogan and The Nire's Liam Cooney.

And let’s hope, in a year when Saint Saviour’s lost their senior status, that this win signals a barometer of improved fortunes for the big ball in the East come future Senior Championship campaigns.

From the off, Gaultier set the pace on the heavily sanded Keane’s Road paddock, opening the scoring through David Jones after fine build-up play by Dean Kearns and Chris Thomas. Three minutes later, the rangy Billy O’Keeffe doubled Gaultier’s advantage before Conor Gleeson opened The Nire’s account in the 11th minute.

Five minutes later, Gleeson inexplicably kicked a free wide from directly in front of the posts on a day when both sides were guilty of some elementary errors during an hour full of honest endeavour.

O’Keeffe and Donal Power, the latter operating as a sweeper cum playmaker, were edging the centrefield battle with Ciaran Looney and Dermot Ryan, and a powerful display from Caomhán Maguire ultimately tipped the tussle in Gaultier’s favour.

The Nire's Tom Barron tries to evade the intentions of Gaultier's Sean Hogan

Gaultier came within a post’s width of a 20th minute goal through Craig Brown, whose initial shot had been well-smothered by Nire netminder Shane Mullen, and there was no doubting whose star was in the ascendant by then.

Sean Kelly landed Gaultier’s third point after 24 minutes before The Nire’s Tholem Guiry, similar to Jones’s opener, sent a shot intended for goal a few feet over the crossbar. Caomhán Maguire, deputising for Sean White on dead ball duties, found his range two minutes from the break to complete the first half scoring to leave the green and gold 0-4 to 0-2 ahead.

Three minutes after the restart, Waterford’s Underage Footballer of the Year Dylan Guiry blasted a magnificent shot into the top left hand corner of the net to send The Nire briefly ahead. But Gaultier retained their composure, with Billy O’Keeffe landing a superb point from just inside the 45-metre line.

Gaultier's Caomhan Maguire accepts the JJ Kavanagh Man Of The Match trophy from Sean Michael O'Regan (Waterford County Board Vice-Chairman) and Waterford County Board Chairman Paddy Joe Ryan.

Caomhán Maguire struck impressively from distance in the 40th minute to restore The Barony’s lead, before Sean White, with his first touch upon introduction, impressively stroked a free-kick between the posts, and he added another pointed free on the three-quarter mark. Maguire capitalised on a poor Nire clearance in the 48th minute before White added his third free of the afternoon to send Gaultier 0-10 to 1-2 clear just moments later.

Gaultier, by then, were cantering, and that score rush was maintained when the superb O’Keeffe didn’t break his stride when landing a 20-metre point from the right flank, running onto David Jones’s incisive pass.

And on the green and gold rush went, as Caomhán Maguire brilliantly finished off a move instigated by impressive substitute David Dawson to send Gaultier 0-12 to 1-2 clear with nine minutes remaining.

Dylan Guiry bridged the 19-minute gap between Nire points to stem the Gaultier flow somewhat, with Gleeson adding a free barely a minute later. And when Dermot Ryan’s deflected shot looped beyond the reach of the already sprawled Patrick Lambe and into the net to, remarkably, leave just two points between the sides.

Gaultier's Sean Kelly surges towards The Nire goal.

In the wake of the Junior and Intermediate Finals of recent Sundays, were we about to witness another smash and grab raid from a side that had been under the cosh for the vast majority of the game? But to give Gaultier their due, they were not about to be swayed from their triumphant course, as the brilliant Maguire send a howitzer of a point over the bar from plum on the 45.

There was still time for one more score, a pointed free by Conor Gleeson, whose talents were well smothered for a second successive weekend over the course of the hour.

Gaultier: Patrick Lambe; Darragh Lynch, Josh Cunningham, Stephen Lynch; Nick Byrne, Billy O’Keeffe, Sean Kelly; Dean Kearns, Caomhán Maguire; Gary Cullinane, Craig Brown, Donal Power; David Jones, Sean Hogan, Chris Thomas.

Substitutes: David Dawson for Dean Kearns (37 mins), Sean White for Chris Thomas (42) and Callum O’Neill for David Jones (60+).

Scorers: Caomhán Maguire (0-5; 0-1f), Billy White (0-3), Sean White (0-3f), Sean Kelly and David Jones (0-1 each).

The Nire: Shane Mullen; Jack Guiry, Jake Mulcahy, Tom Barron; Liam Cooney, Stephen Ryan, Ciaran Walsh; Ciaran Looney, Dermot Ryan; Glen Cullinane, Dylan Guiry, Shane O’Meara; Tommy Cooney, Conor Gleeson, Tholem Guiry.

Substitute: Anthony Gillman for Tholem Guiry (43 mins).

Scorers: Dylan Guiry (1-1), Conor Gleeson (0-3f), Dermot Ryan (1-0) and Tholem Guiry (0-1).

Referee: Pat Casey.

NIGHTMARE FOR NIRE AS CROKES RUN WILD

Dermot Keyes — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 11:00:58 +0000

The despondent body language of Nire skipper Shane Walsh says it all at full-time

Munster Senior Club Football Final

Dr Crokes 3-15
The Nire 0-6

Dermot Keyes in Mallow
Ouch. This was akin to a punch in the guts, the air being let out of your tires and getting dumped on Debs night all in one rapid, unpleasant, stomach-churning sequence of unfortunate events.

This was not the happy ending Deise football aficionados had craved for the gold-clad men from the famed West Waterford valley where the big ball occupies local affection’s box seat.

And this was certainly not the year’s end that Benji Whelan’s charges deserved, having regained the Conway Cup they relinquished last season with such authority and élan.

But sadly, this particular Munster Senior Club Football Final was the type of one-sided encounter which those with early deadlines generally crave, with the vast majority of match reports heavily paragraphed by Kevin Murphy’s half-time whistle.

By the time the tea was being downed by the numbed fourth estate in Mallow, the goals had been scored. The damage had been done. The title had been secured. The Nire’s race had been run.

Still got it: Colm Cooper threaded together several excellent attacks for Dr Crokes at Mallow

But if there’s any consolation to be gleaned from so devastating a day for The Nire, it’s that they lost to a team which, on the basis of the first 25 minutes, could well go the distance, 25 years on from their sole All-Ireland Club title success.

The only major honour to elude the great Colm Cooper, a Croke Park mascot the last and only time Crokes went all the way, may well be within the Gooch’s grasp. But try telling Corofin that, the side now standing between Pat O’Shea’s men and a parade down Jones’s Road on Saint Patrick’s Day.

But if Crokes do get there, and given that Patrick’s Day next year falls on a Friday, mark your card and get to Dublin: right now it might even be the last time Cooper ever graces a stadium he has honoured for so long.

But let’s hope the great man gives it another year with a Kerry panel likely to be infused with fresh talent, and more than likely prove the team best equipped to break Dublin’s vice-like grip on a trophy Kerry regard as rightfully theirs. Anyway, back to Sunday, painful and all as it is to recall it even a few days later.

Dr Crokes' Daithí Casey completes his hat-trick in spectacular fashion at Mallow, slamming the ball beyond Tom Wall and Justin Walsh. | Photos: Brian Morrissey

Despite some promising early play from The Nire, Benji Whelan’s men failed to convert some initial decent territory into scores on the board, with talisman Conor Gleeson suffering three early turnovers.

In contrast, the Kerry champions had no such problems – anything but – in front of a 3,055-strong gate, as their powerful wing backs Gavin White and David O’Leary charged forward with ominous intent.

Full-forward Kieran O’Leary, a thorn in the Nire side all afternoon long, set Dr Crokes on their way with a fourth minute point, added to three minutes later by Ambrose O’Donovan, whose tan also lived up to his father’s from his playing pomp three decades ago.

The Nire laboured under the high ball against the impressive Crokes

The first of three first half goals for the outstanding Daithí Casey arrived in the 10th minute, when he slotted home from point blank range after superb link play by Colm Cooper and Eoin Brosnan.

Casey was next to score via a 13th minute free, with Brian Looney and Kieran O’Leary tagging on further points over the next four minutes, as a bedraggled Nire defence was pulled one way and then the other.

Just shy of the 20th minute, things went from bad to worse for The Nire after Shane Ryan was adjudged to have impeded the waspish O’Leary, an indiscretion not initially leading to outstretched arms from Kevin Murphy.

But after significant protestation towards an umpire by Colm Cooper, the Cork referee signalled a penalty kick, which Casey deliciously finished, to the right of the diving Tom Wall. Game over, in reality, and by then it was a case of bailing water off the submerged deck as far as The Nire was concerned, as Tom Wall’s kick-outs were repeatedly broken down and claimed by either Ambrose O’Donovan or skipper Johnny Buckley.

Dermot Ryan was The Nire's outstanding performer against Crokes, landing four points from play.

O’Leary landed another point before Dermot Ryan, who ended the evening with four points, finally got The Nire off the mark nine minutes from the break.

But Crokes came back with the score of the game from their next attack, when Daithí Casey brilliantly completed his hat-trick, rounding off another sweeping move, sending the ball into the top left-hand corner of the hapless Wall’s net.

And while it was painful to watch from a Nire perspective, it was impossible not to be impressed by the application of the Crokes’ men. Such a display would certainly have seen off at least 20 to 22 inter-county line-ups. No question.

Johnny Buckley, Colm Cooper and Daithí Casey completed Dr Crokes’ first half scoring, and they went in leading by 3-9 to 0-1 at the break. The Nire departed the fray, surely wishing they could board the bus there and then and crawl under a big blanket.

Both sides emptied their benches during the second half, with young Crokes substitutes Jordan Kiely and Chris Brady illustrating their potential via some excellent point scoring.

Dermot Ryan certainly led by example for The Nire, while Liam Lawlor emptied the tank, as the Waterford champions at long last found some shooting form during the second period.

But a blow by blow analysis of the second half is hardly required given how much damage was inflicted during the opening half hour by a dominant Crokes side.

Their season continues and they now carry the provincial standard into the All-Ireland Series, one in which I certainly hope they prove victorious come March 17th next.

Try as Brian Wall and co undoubtedly did on Sunday last, The Nire were outclassed by the Kerry champions

While there’s never any shame in losing to so talented and supremely coached a side as Dr Crokes, the reality is that The Nire never got out of the blocks the way they needed to, and were never going to challenge on the basis of just two players largely delivering.

Jamie Barron’s 37th minute Black Carding encapsulated a trying afternoon for The Nire, who headed home that evening cognisant that they had not done themselves justice.

And whether those within the group with heavier mileage possess the willingness to commit to another tough pre-season ahead of the 2017 campaign probably won’t be adequately gauged over the coming weeks.

Yet this is an altogether different type of defeat from two years ago to Austin Stacks, and the lack of gallantry in last Sunday’s reversal when contrasted to 2014 might persuade a few of the older players to give it one more go next year. But time alone will tell on that front.

Dr Crokes: Shane Murphy; John Payne, Michael Moloney, Fionn Fitzgerald; Gavin White, Alan O’Sullivan, David O’Leary; Ambrose O’Donovan, Johnny Buckley; Daithi Casey, Gavin O’Shea, Brian Looney; Colm Cooper, Kieran O’Leary, Eoin Brosnan.

Substitutes: Micheál Burns for Ambrose O’Donovan (44 mins), Jordan Kiely for Daithí Casey (48), Tony Brosnan for Gavin O’Shea (51), Luke Quinn for John Payne (51), Chris Brady for Brian Looney (54) and PJ Lawlor for Alan O’Sullivan (56)

Scorers: Daithí Casey (3-1; 1-0 pen, 0-1f), Kieran O’Leary (0-4), Brian Looney (0-2), Colm Cooper (0-2; 0-1f), Ambrose O’Donovan, Johnny Buckley, Eoin Brosnan, Jordan Kiely and Chris Brady (0-1 each) and Shane Murphy (0-1 45).

The Nire: Tom Wall; Justin Walsh, Thomas O’Gorman, Dermot Ryan; James McGrath, Martin Walsh, Jamie Barron; Shane Walsh, Dylan Guiry; Seamus Lawlor, Brian Wall, Shane Ryan; Liam Lawlor, Darren Guiry, Conor Gleeson

Substitutes: Jake Mulcahy for Justin Walsh (HT), Craig Guiry for Darren Guiry (HT), Conal Mulcahy for Jamie Barron (Black Card, 37 mins), Keith Guiry for Brian Wall (54) and Kenny Brazil for Liam Lawlor (59).

Scorers: Dermot Ryan (0-4) and Liam Lawlor (0-2).

Referee: Kevin Murphy (Cork)

Dermot Keyes
Benji Whelan was the last Nireman off the Mallow paddock, having done his best to rally the troops after an afternoon the collective will wish to wipe from their memory with haste.

It was one of those days.
“We knew it was going to be a mammoth task, and we’re trying to keep things as upbeat as possible coming in there, but the movement (Crokes) showed there today was just hard to stay with,” said the Nire boss in the wake of their 18-point reversal.

“Reflecting on it now, we were down a couple of bodies too and that probably cost us too on the day, but you couldn’t take it away from Crokes; they opened the gate in the first 10 minutes and there was no closing it after that.”

Benji said that the build-up to Sunday’s Final had been “perfect,” adding: “you’re taking on a different animal, they’re operating on a higher level and it’s very hard to come up to that level on a once-off basis when you haven’t been exposed to it before.

“And with all due respect to Carbery Rangers, they didn’t have their best forward that day, and maybe if we had been tested in that way, maybe the game would have went differently, maybe we would have come through, maybe we would have had a lot more experience about what was coming to us, but look, they cleaned out a couple of our lads, unfortunately, they opened up spaced and they really killed us when they got that ball into space in the inside line.”

Benji Whelan continued: “I feel gutted for the boys. They did everything we asked of them all the way through. The preparation was fantastic but this is just one of these things that happen and we have to lift ourselves up and get on with it…

“I’m not going to give any excuses as there are no excuses. We were there two years ago and we played in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and acquitted ourselves quite well, I thought, for a good portion of the game. I just felt that these fellas were too good for us on the day and it’s as simple as that. It would have taken a great team to stay with them. I’ve watched a lot of National League games in Division Three, even in Division Two and they’re operating at that level today. We’re not, and that’s the simple fact of the matter.”

The Nire manager saluted the individual contribution made by Dermot Ryan, stating: “Sometimes it takes big days for big men to stand up and he was fantastic today. Now, a lot of the lads worked themselves to the bone…and I’d have no qualms about that, but in fairness to Dermot, he took the game to them, whenever he got a chance and he ended up with four points so The Nire has unearthed something there, so that’s a positive, and we have to try and find a few…it’s still been a very good year.

“I said to them at half-time that, regardless of the score, that we were here on merit and that we deserved to be here and that we had to keep plugging away, keep playing our ball, play for the bit of pride that’s left to be played for and I think they did that in the second half.”

The players in turn should take pride in being managed by such an upbeat, bright and proud football man, and I’ve no doubt we’ll be hearing a great deal more from Benji Whelan in the coming years.

NIRE’S HARSH MEDICINE

Dermot Keyes — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 11:00:50 +0000

Deise champions go down heavily in Munster Final

Dermot Keyes in Mallow
John Wooden, whose wisdom should be tapped into by more than just a scribe seeking inspiration on a Sunday night, once said that “losing is only temporary and not all-encompassing”. How right he was.

Benji Whelan was disappointed but stoical in the wake of The Nire's Munster Final defeat to Dr Crokes. Inset: Conor Gleeson attempts to shake off John Payne on a misty afternoon in Mallow. See Sport 2 and 3 for more. | Photos: Sean Byrne and Brian Morrissey

On the face of it, The Nire’s 18-point reversal to the superb Dr Crokes in a misty Mallow somewhat hollowed out another productive season for the Ballymacarbry-based club. It certainly wasn’t the season ender any of us with a love for Waterford football wished for our senior champions.

And for players of Brian Wall’s and Justin Walsh’s vintage, men who have clocked miles around the pitches of the county and province for over a decade, one wonders will we ever see them feature in such an occasion again. And if that proves the case, well this certainly wasn’t the hurrah their Herculean efforts merited.

During the pre-match preamble to Sunday’s Munster Senior Club Football Final, I desperately wanted to tap into John ‘Jackson’ Kiely’s energy about Dr Crokes: that their midfield was fragile and that Loughmore-Castleiney had shown The Nire the way to get at them.

But by the 22nd minute, as Daithí Casey completed a superb first half hat-trick of goals, Jackson’s words felt as misplaced as Eddie Hearn ‘bigging’ up another underwhelming undercard, let alone another top billing bout drowning in snake oil.

“The biggest club in the biggest town in the country’s biggest football county,” was how Malachy Clerkin described Dr Crokes to WLRfm’s Kieran O’Connor. Before a ball had been kicked, the Irish Times reporter appeared to sense what was coming.

And while it wasn’t the first time a black and amber has engulfed Deise opposition in a major final, even the most biased Nire-tinged perspective tsunami hadn’t anticipated Crokes leading by 3-6 to 0-1 after 22 minutes. By the interval, The Nire trailed by 3-9 to 0-1, and Benji Whelan was left with a near impossible task in a morgue-like dressing room.

“Go out and win the second half,” Clerkin extolled over the airwaves during the break and The Nire almost did that, going down 0-6 to 0-5 against a Crokes side determined to end a 25-year wait for a second All-Ireland club crown.

Dermot Ryan, akin to John Mullane in the 2008 All-Ireland Hurling Final, tempered the Deise despondency via three fine second half points to add to the score he registered after 21 minutes.

Liam Lawlor, straightening up a line of running which had taken him too often away from goal in the opening 30, ran himself into the ground and kicked a fine point off his left foot prior to his late withdrawal.

Youth and experience added a half-dozen points to Crokes’ tally on a soft afternoon, as Pat O’Shea’s men ran up a score any hurling team would be proud of on a hard sod in July.

“You couldn’t take it away from them,” said a sanguine Benji Whelan of Dr Crokes at the end of a scolding hour’s football.

“They opened the gate in the first 10 minutes and there was no closing it after that. There was very little we could do. We were scratching our heads on the sideline. But in fairness to the boys, when we regrouped at half-time, we knew we were playing for pride, and I think in the second half, we played a bit of football…they kept working to the end and you can’t ask any more of a team in that position. And it was great to see that. It was heartening.”

Like the family member who holds it all together following a burial, Benji batted well for his boys in the wake of such a blitzing. A great club remains in fantastic managerial hands –and this defeat, while considerable, was not all-encompassing.

GOING FOR GOLD

Dermot Keyes — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 15:54:28 +0000

Nire aiming to break new ground in Munster Final

That winning feeling: The Niremen are intent on making football history when they take on Dr Crokes in Mallow in this Sunday’s Munster Senior Club Final. | Photo: Sean Byrne

The Nire aim to go where no Waterford football club has ever gone before when taking on Kerry’s Dr Crokes in next Sunday’s Munster Senior Final at Mallow (throw-in: 3.30pm).

In a rematch of the 2006 decider, in which the Waterford champions came within a whisker of history, Benji Whelan’s side is aiming for a third time lucky success in a provincial showpiece, having also missed out against Austin Stacks two winters ago.

Victory on Sunday next, something which cannot be discounted in the wake of their stunning semi-final turnaround against Carbery Rangers in Clonakilty, would represent the biggest Deise football success since the 1957 Munster Championship win over a Kerry side which featured a debutant named Mick O’Dwyer.

And it would certainly constitute the most outstanding result in this code since the Waterford Under-21 team, spearheaded by current Nire skipper Shane Walsh, downed a Kerry side including Colm Cooper, in a memorable 2003 Munster Final.

“Of course we have a chance,” said an upbeat Benji Whelan, whose managerial CV grows all the more impressive in a code which continues to battle for credibility in a county where hurling occupies the dominant GAA position.

“There’s a different level of excitement within the panel, and management, than what there was two years ago, at least as far as I’m concerned. We’ve a job to do on Sunday in Mallow, and it’s a job we’re focused on: and that’s to bring home the trophy.

“This is a very proud and tight group. We realise we’re flying the flag not only for our club, but for the whole of Waterford, and it would be a huge day for football in our county if we could get the better of such a big club from a county with such a great tradition in the game. It goes without saying that we respect Dr Crokes, who have played in so many Munster Finals over the last 10 years. But this is our second run out in three years in such a match, and we’ve learned a lot together as a group in my time as manager, and I hope we can bring that know-how to bear when it matters most.”

“Ideally, we’d have Maurice O’Gorman ready to go next Sunday, but we’ve had to plan without him,” said The Nire boss when asked about the readiness of his squad.

“He had a plate put into his jaw last week (following an injury sustained in the County Final), which sounds a lot worse than the actual reality of it – it’s a precautionary measure above all else to help re-infuse the bone – but it’s what had to be done in order for him to keep playing senior football, and if all goes to plan in Mallow, we’ll have him back in the Spring.” Meanwhile, Martin Walsh, who was knocked out cold against Ballinacourty in the County Final, is available for Sunday’s decider, following a fortnight’s recuperation, “and it’s great to have him back for so big a game”, said his manager.

“There’s not too many clubs who have everyone available in the last week of November, between wear and tear and lads being away from home for work or college. Ideally, we’d have a few more lads around, the likes of Michael O’Gorman, Diarmuid Wall, Gearoid Hearn and Tommy Cooney, but we’re not looking to make any excuses either.

“The focus of the group, since we sat in the dressing room in Páirc Uí Chaoimh two years ago after losing to Stacks, was to get back to a Munster Final, and to win it. We’ve done that. Now it’s all about taking the next step.”