Connolly’s dipping shot seals Cushinstown win
NIALL CONNOLLY grabbed a fortuitous 56th-minute goal as last year’s beaten finalists Rathgarogue-Cushinstown shaded St. Mary’s (Maudlintown) in Friday’s Ashdown Park and Amber Springs Hotels Intermediate football championship Group A first round duel in Taghmon.
St. Mary’s midfielder Martin O’Connor had just tied the scores for only the second time after 55 minutes – the sides previously having been level after eleven minutes – when the ultimately decisive blow was landed.
And it came after 2018 Wexford Minor footballer Connolly dashed through and sent a dipping shot over the head of the ’keeper and to the net on 56 minutes to blow open a 1-10 to 0-10 advantage.
Maudlintown determinedly sought to salvage something as Todd Hynes helped pegged it back to the minimum, before Dáire Bolger shot over from play two minutes into added-time to get Rathgarogue-Cushinstown over the line.
And the result was no doubt most cherished by Dáire and his family, with this being Rathgarogue-Cushinstown’s first outing in the football championship since the tragic passing of his father, James, who had managed the team with distinction for eight years, guiding them to Intermediate ‘A’ glory and passage to the All-Ireland Junior Club decider as well as the county Intermediate showpiece last October.
That came after the Ballinaboola crew had edged Maudlintown in the quarter-final (1-14 to 1-12).
And Maudlintown might feel that their wastage cost them on this occasion, as they kicked eleven of the game’s 17 wides, with six of those arriving for the Wexford town men during a particularly frustrating second-half.
Paul Carty’s side actually sprang into action with three wides before Warren Broaders pointed them in front after six minutes.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown then notched their first wide before making amends when forging ahead by 0-5 to 0-1 with a string of scores between the eleventh and 16th minutes courtesy of Dáire Bolger, Eoin Burke and Paddy Barron.
But Maudlintown, with goalie Paul Dempsey, defender Barry Browne and attackers Emmett O’Connor and Conor Gilbert promoted from their reigning county Junior ‘B’ champions, found their accuracy to close to within 0-6 to 0-4 after 24 minutes through Dermot Flood (two, including a mark) and Emmett O’Connor.
And Martin O’Connor and Todd Hynes converted closing frees to whittle Rathgarogue-Cushinstown’s lead down to 0-7 to 0-6 at the change of ends.
While the eventual winners claimed the first three points of the second-half to lead by 0-10 to 0-6 after 44 minutes, Maudlintown, with substitute Kyle Scallan really making an impression, had seen Ola Sofola go close with a goaling chance before he together with Warren Broaders and Hynes reclaimed parity on 0-10 apiece.
That was before Connolly had some luck on his side when netting the crucial blow, and his team now faces a mouth-watering duel with Horeswood on Friday, while Maudlintown are up against Clongeen on Saturday.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Jamie O’Rourke; Ollie Bolger, Brian O’Neill, Patrick Murphy; Gary Porter, Eoin Porter (capt.), Shane O’Connor; Matthew Cody (0-1), Mark Power; Seán Kehoe, Dáire Bolger (0-4, 3 frees), Niall Connolly (1-1); Eoin Burke (0-3), Shane Cullen, Paddy Barron (0-2). Sub. – James Quinn for Kehoe.
St. Mary’s (Maudlintown): Paul Dempsey; Emmett Nolan, Christy Lane, Alex Lynch; Ramesh Badhan, Graham Carty, Barry Browne; Eddie Pitman, Martin O’Connor (capt., 0-2, 1 free); Emmett O’Connor (0-1), Warren Broaders (0-2), Ola Sofola (0-1); Todd Hynes (0-3 frees), Conor Gilbert, Dermot Flood (0-3, 1 mark). Sub. – Kyle Scallan for E. O’Connor.
Referee: Collie Byrne (Clongeen).