Super Ferbane return to third consecutive final as Edenderry endure another dispiriting semi-final loss

FERBANE commanded the utmost of respect and admiration as they produced their best performance of the year by a country mile to return to their third Senior Football Championship final in a row with a surprisingly convincing win over Edenderry in O'Connor Park on Sunday.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship semi-final

Ferbane 3-19

Edenderry 0-11

Stuttering and stumbling up to this and absolutely blessed to get past Shamrocks in the quarter-final, Ferbane turned their season around spectacularly with an excellent second half display.

0-9 to 0-8 up at half time, Ferbane were the better side in the first half and led by four points at one stage. It all indicated that they had the measure of Edenderry and would be able to get the win in the second half but the extent of their dominance was a huge surprise.

It was reflected by the fact that some late Edenderry points did not raise even a murmur for their supporters who were soaking in another devastating semi-final defeat. Edenderry have not reached the final since 2015 when they last won the Dowling Cup but have been in the majority of semi-finals since then. They have been close to winning a couple but have endured more than their share of disappointing defeats and this one was close to the top of the pile, or bottom of the barrel, depending on which angle you prefer to look on it from.

It was a particularly dispiriting, disappointing defeat for Edenderry, a really hard one to swallow. They had been going well, walloping Rhode in the first round and qualifying for the semi-finals as group winners. They looked to have turned a corner and were confident approaching this. Alarm bells did ring about them when we saw the teams and the scoring threat in their respective attacks and this proved well founded.

It ended up a really bad beating for Edenderry. They were gone by the 45^th minute mark and it went from bad to worse for them after this – they displayed all the hallmarks of a beaten team, their work rate dipping and taking the easy or lazy option. Ferbane kept going and the scoreline shows just how much better they were in the second half.

You certainly couldn't see such a lopsided second half coming at half time, even if it did look like Ferbane had the measure of them.

As expected, it was an entertaining, open, attacking game with plenty of quality football. It was also played in the right way when every ball hard earned but little malice or ill intent in evidence.

It was also as tight as we expected in the first half. Ferbane held a slender 0-9 to 0-8 half time lead and had been marginally the better side in the first half.

The sides were level four times in the first twenty minutes and were tied at 0-5 each after 18 minutes. Ferbane didn't score from play until Cathal Flynn's 15^th minute kick and they got a run of four without reply from the 20^th to 28^th minute to lead by 0-9 to 0-5 – Adam Egan got a great two pointer and unlike his controversial first half one against Shamrocks in the quarter-final, there was no disputing this one as it was well outside the arc.

It was a nice lead and Edenderry did well to pull it back to a point at half time with Cian Farrell getting a two point free while they almost grabbed the lead when Adam Nugent brilliantly deflected Aaron Murphy's punch on goal over.

Ferbane were excellent in the second half and Edenderry could get nothing going. They didn't score until a Cian Farrell free in the 44^th minute and by that stage Ferbane were heading for the final with 1-13 on the board.

Paddy Clancy's 42^nd minute goal was a real match winner as he finished off a Darragh Flynn pass. Edenderry had almost got two goals just before that as Aaron Murphy tried to bundle a mishit Cian Farrell two point free into the net and Ferbane keeper Adam Nugent made a great save from Cian Murphy.

By the time Edenderry got their second point in the second half in the 53^rd minute, Ferbane had 2-16 on the board and it was all over. Attacking incessantly and with breathtaking efficiency, Cian Johnson was on song, taking his points and set up Ronan Flynn for a quality 50^th minute goal,

Jordan Hayes and Cillian Foran got Edenderry points but only scoring three in the second half on a perfect day for football was just not enough. Ferbane finished with all guns blazing, adding a late 1-3 with Johnson rounding off a great display with a simple goal.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cathal Flynn (Ferbane): Cian Johnson staked a strong claim with a wonderfully sharp performance, scoring 1-4 and having a few more assists. Once again, however, Cathal Flynn stamped his class on the game from start to finish. It is just such a pleasure to watch this young man play football, his pace, movement, footballing intelligence and the quality and imagination of his passing. He was magnificent in the first half when Edenderry were competitive, effectively running the game. He continued to exert a powerful influence in the second half with a fierce, unrelenting work rate and it was another performance that just took the breath away.

Ferbane had so many other players who performed at a high level. Conor Dunican, a fast improving player, had another great game in defence, keeping Cian Farrell out of the game for the most part, Brian Carroll went very well at midfield and Darragh Flynn was excellent in a very good attacking display.

The one positive for Edenderry to take from this is that their beating was so comprehensive that it is pointless to search for scapegoats. It was a total collapse and they just didn't perform in the second half. Jordan Hayes went very well in the first half and Lee Pearson got up the field well but Edenderry were just blown away in the second half.

THE TEAMS

FERBANE: Adam Nugent; Ciaran Cahill, Aaron McCabe, Conor Dunican; David Nally, Mark Wren, Kevin Nugent; Conor Grennan, Cathal Flynn; Brian Carroll, Adam Egan, Paddy Clancy; Cian Johnson, Jack Clancy, Darragh Flynn. Subs – Patrick Taaffe for Wren (HT), Oisin Kelly for Grennan (33m), Kyle Higgins for Carroll (54m), Ronan Flynn for Egan (46m), Stephen Wren for Paddy Clancy (59m).

EDENDERRY:: Stephen McGlynn; Sean Pender, Eoin Dunne, Adam Mahon; Rory Egan, Lee Pearson, Harry Goulding; Jordan Hayes, David Moloney; Alan Harte, Cian Murphy, Cian Farrell; Sean Doyle, Aaron Murphy, Kaelum Bryan. Subs – Dylan Byrne for Pender (33m), Cillian Foran for Moloney (37m), Mark Abbott for Cian Murphy (43m), Mason Farrell for Doyle (43m), Cillian Lowry for Bryan (51m).

Referee – Kevin Williamson (Tullamore)

REFEREE WATCH

Kevin Williamson had an excellent game. He was tuned in and let the game flow but awarded frees and kept control of everything.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Paddy Clancy's first goal in the 42^nd minute put Ferbane 1-13 to 0-8 ahead. It came just after Edenderry had almost got two goals and really ended it as a possibility.

VENUE WATCH

Top marks to the O'Connor Park workers who had the stadium in sparking order after a treble bill on Saturday. Groundsman Jim Kelly could be seen cutting the grass with dark falling on Saturday evening and they got it lined out again on Sunday morning. All litter was removed, the dressing rooms left spotless and things like this are all part of the O'Connor Park match day organisation.

WHAT'S NEXT

Ferbane return to the final while Edenderry's year is over.

STATISTICS

Wides: Ferbane – 7 (5 in first half); Edenderry - 5 (3 in first half).

Yellow cards: Ferbane – 0; Edenderry – 0.

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0

THE SCORERS

Ferbane: Cian Johnson 1-8 (4f), Cathal Flynn 0-4 (1 x 2pf), Ronan Flynn and Paddy Clancy 1-0 each, Darragh Flynn 0-3, Adam Egan 0-2 (1 x 2p), David Nally and Oisin Kelly 0-1 each.

Edenderry: Cian Farrell 0-4 (1 x 2pf), Jordan Hayes and Sean Doyle (1f) 0-2 each, Cian Murphy, Aaron Murphy and Cillian Foran 0-1 each.