Rhode rally late for deserved win in real dogfight of a final

THEY sort of fell across the line, rallying late on with two injury time points but there was no disputing the merit of Rhode's win in a real dogfight of a Junior Football Championship final in O'Connor Park on Saturday afternoon.

Tullamore Court Hotel Junior Football Championship final

Rhode 0-11

Clodiagh Gaels 1-7

Rhode looked like winning almost the whole way against a Clodiagh Gaels side who didn't really turn up but the winners flirted with disaster and stared defeat in the face late on.

Those injury time points were two of the rare real moments of quality in a dour struggle, excellent scores from sub Shane Lowry and Johnny Moore and Rhode were very grateful to get out with the win in the wind up – Clodiagh Gaels had a late half chance of a dramatic win when Gavin Sheil was at the wrong angle when blasting the ball over the bar and had a more clinical forward found himself in that position, the net could bulged.

They played most of the best football on the day, giving a defensive master class as they held Clodiagh Gaels to only three points from play while the losers didn't score in the second half until the 57^th minute. Yet it will not be lost on them that they went very close to a devastating defeat as Clodiagh Gaels could very easily have got those late scores after coming back almost from the dead in the dying moments.

Had Rhode lost, they would have blamed a very contentious first half penalty when a defender was penalised, apparently for throwing the ball while moving across no go territory in front of his own goals. That was in the 27^th minute and Clodiagh Gaels had been almost at nothing until then, struggling woefully to get anything going.

Without doing anything particularly special, Rhode had been the better team by a country mile until then and their 0-6 to 0-2 lead was an accurate reflection of their dominance – their haul included a two pointer from former senior stalwart Darren Garry.

Clodiagh Gaels' struggles were indicated by a 24^th minute incident when goalie Kevin Kinahan made the long journey from goals to take a thirty metre free and had just arrived when Sean Rattigan took it short, his protests when the ball was intercepted and Kinahan possibly voiced his opinion, suggesting that he didn't know it was to be taken by him. Kinahan had to make two more journeys up the field before half time, both productive as he converted that penalty and then scored a free to send Clodiagh Gaels in level at the break, 1-3 to 0-6.

Clodiagh Gaels were certainly the happier side at that stage but they again found the going very difficult for much of the second half. Ronin Daly made a great block to deny Ryan Murphy an early goal, though it was not far from a foot block but Rhode controlled most of the second half.

It was a physical, uncompromising half with a minimum of open football and both teams having to work very hard for everything. There was no score until the 47^th minute when Darren Garry got a fine point, adding one two minutes later. Barry Coffey fired over a free in the 51^st minute and a 0-9 to 1-3 lead looked more than sufficient.

Almost out of nothing, Clodiagh Gaels came back. Their best player Eoin Dunne got their first second half point in the 57^th minute and then Kevin Kinahan equalised with a great two point lead. Now it was all square going into injury time and Clodiagh Gaels had all the momentum. Rhode did very well to turn that around, showing great character and composure and playing some of their best football when the stakes were highest. They got those two injury time points and in truth, anything other than a Rhode win would have been a travesty of justice when the whole game is taken into account.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Jack Kilmurray (Rhode): Darren Garry's four point contribution and calmness around the middle was instrumental in the game being won but it would be wrong not to acknowledge the excellence and efficiency of the Rhode defence by picking a backs man.

It was a serious achievement to restrict Clodiagh Gaels to only three points from play and 1-7 and this was why the game was won. You could pick any of the defence but Jack Kilmurray gets the nod for such a solid display on the edge of the square. He cut out good ball and scarcely put a foot wrong.

Another former senior stalwart Pauric Sullivan put in a great hard working shift for Rhode around the middle third, making his presence felt throughout.

There is also a strong case to be made for Clodiagh Gaels' midfielder, Eoin Dunne who was immense. Dunne is raw in ways but certainly has footballing potential and he put in a great shift at midfield for them.

THE TEAMS

RHODE: Philip O'Connell; Harry Jones, Jack Kilmurray, Paul Stynes; Dylan Kilmurray, Gareth McNamee, Barry Coffey; Noah Swaine, Darren Garry; Johnny Moore, Pauric Sullivan, Shane Murphy; Ryan Murphy, Jack Murphy, Jordan Kilmurray. Subs – Ciaran Heavy for McNamee (HT), Shane Lowry for Shane Murphy (38m), Jake Molloy for O'Connell, inj. (44m (note: Jack Murphy went back into goals), Gareth McNamee for Molloy (62m),

CLODIAGH GAELS: Kevin Kinahan; Fergal Dolan, Tom Dunne, Ronin Daly; Emmet Curley, Aaron Flanagan, Nigel Cunningham; Eoin Dunne, Jack Kelly; Liam Langton, Clint Horan, Cathal Brady; Sean Rattigan, Ruari Dunne, Aaron Rattigan. Subs – Mark Dillon for Curley (37m), Gavin Sheil for Sean Rattigan (47m), Kevin Healy for Ruari Dunne (56m),

Referee – Christopher Joslin, Daingean

REFEREE WATCH

It was a big game for Christopher Joslin and he was fully tuned in, focused on doing well and not making mistakes. He handled it well, though the Clodiagh Gaels penalty in the first half was a huge talking point. It brought Clodiagh Gaels back into it and was a really big call to make - if it was a throw ball, a penalty was the correct award. Rhode were certainly unhappy at that and some other calls but they also got their share. The penalty was the only incident that merits analysis after the game and that is unnecessary now as Rhode won.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

The point Shane Lowry got in the 61^st minute turned the tide for Rhode when they were on treacherous ground and it was a lovely score from a player who made a big impact when introduced.

VENUE WATCH

O'Connor Park was in great order.

WHAT'S NEXT

That concludes the season for both games.

STATISTICS

Wides: Clodiagh Gaels - (3 in first half half); Rhode - (2 in first half).

Yellow cards: Rhode – 1 (Paul Stynes); Clodiagh Gaels – 0.

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0

THE SCORERS

Rhode: Darren Garry 0-4 (1 x 2p), Barry Coffey (1f) and Ryan Murphy (1f) 0-2 each, Johnny Moore, Jack Murphy (f) and Shane Lowry 0-1 each.

Clodiagh Gaels: Kevin Kinahan 1-4 (Goal from a penalty, 1 x 2pf, 2f), Eoin Dunne, Aaron Rattigan and Gavin Sheil 0-1 each.