Spirited Rhode snatch dramatic win from jaws of defeat

RHODE showed serious spirit to dig deep and snatch a fantastic victory from the jaws of defeat in a compelling Offaly Senior Football Championship tussle in Ferbane on Friday evening.

Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship Group 1 Round 2

Rhode 0-19

Ferbane 1-15

In a fiercely contested, hugely enjoyable game of football, Rhode had it under control when they led by double scores, 0-14 to 0-7 after 41 minutes. A stuttering Ferbane finally found their A game after this and powered into a 1-15 to 0-14 lead just ten minutes later.

With the wind on their back, Ferbane looked to have the points in the bag but Rhode showed terrific fighting spirit to pull it out of the fire. The game turned with a very careless three man breach by Ferbane and Rhode opted for the two point shot in the 56th minute.

Former county star Niall McNamee floated over the score and suddenly Rhode were back in it and playing like men possessed. Ruari McNamee levelled it up with a delicious score from play and a free to make it 0-18 to 1-15 as it drifted into injury time.

Over five minutes of injury time was played and it proved to be absolutely frantic. Both sides spurned chances, particularly Ferbane. Cian Johnson was short off his weaker right foot while Brian Carroll dropped a ball with a score on the cards. Niall McNamee showed that class is timeless with a sensational winner from well out on the right of the two point arc – McNamee had been very quiet, a peripheral figure until late on but when those late chances fell to him, he had the head and the skill to deliver spectacularly.

With the Rhode management demanding the final whistle, referee Eamon O'Connor allowed play to continue and Ferbane had one last chance of a dramatic win when Paddy Clancy was fouled and goalkeeper Adam Nugent came up the field. It was a long way out, close to 55 metres, but with the wind on his back, it was within range for Nugent but his well struck kick flew just left and wide.

Rhode were very relieved to have held on and Ferbane will certainly look at it as one that slipped away. Four points up inside the last ten minutes, they should have been able to win from there but failed to score again while there was a significant element of merit in Rhode's win.

They were clearly the better side for 40 minutes while they did really well to find a new lease of life late on. With three points from two games, Rhode now head into their free round in a very strong position and are odds on to claim one of the four qualification spots from the group.

It is Ferbane's second year in a row to fall to Rhode in the group stages and the reason they lost here was for the way they played in that opening forty minutes when they were very mediocre.

Ruari McNamee, Ross Kellaghan and Billy Quinn were outstanding for Rhode when they had the wind on their backs in the first half. They played most of the football and were full value for their 0-11 to 0-7 half time lead. The very lively Quinn got three of their points while Ruari McNamee got two two pointers, one of them a free.

Ferbane just didn't get going, managing just two points from play and six of their scores came from Cian Johnson. It was in the 31st minute when Kyle Higins alleviated sole scoring responsibility from his shoulders and that left Ferbane four behind at the break. Rhode should have been further ahead as they left a lot of scores behind them in the opening quarter, dropping a few chances short.

The home side were very unlucky when Cian Johnson rattled the underside of the cross bar in the opening seconds of the second half but they then fell asleep as Rhode struck for a decisive three points, two of them from the brilliant Ruari McNamee and one from Anton Sullivan.

A 0-14 to 0-7 lead with just twenty minutes left was a very big one but Ferbane were outstanding for the next ten minutes. Three great Joe Maher two pointers, two of them from frees, brought them right back into it . David Nally was now running the game and a super ball forward to Brian Carroll led to a goal from Ciaran Cahill after Jack Murphy saved smartly from Carroll in the 51st minute.

Ferbane were in control but there were to be plenty of more twists and turns before Rhode took a huge win.

MATCH ANALYSIS

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MAN OF THE MATCH

Ruari McNamee: An easy choice here as Ruari McNamee was quite magnificent for Rhode. His footballing intelligence shone through as he stamped his class on proceedings from start to finish. McNamee ended up with ten points, six of them from play, and he showed real leadership when the game was slipping away from them. On this performance, McNamee certainly has something left to offer Offaly and he was the difference between the teams.

David Nally was instrumental in Ferbane going so close to the win. He grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half and the quality of his football commanded complete admiration.

Rhode have unearthed some bright new talent and Billy Quinn had a superb first half before his influence declined in the second half. Ross Kellaghan also had a great first half but was not as prominent after the break while Adam Kellaghan did some great work.

Leon Fox, Patrick Taaffe and Paddy Clancy also impressed in defence while Joe Maher turned the game on its head in the second half. Cian Johnson's accuracy was radar like in the first half but as a unit, Ferbane just didn't do enough from midfield up and don't have a hard luck story to tell.

THE SCORERS

Rhode: Ruari McNamee 0-10 (1 x 2pf, 1 x 2p, 2f), Niall McNamee (1 x 2pf) and Billy Quinn 0-3 each, Adam Kellaghan, Anton Sullivan and Ross Kellaghan 0-1 each.

Ferbane: Joe Maher 0-8 (2 x 2pf, 1 x 2p), Cian Johnson 0-6 (5f), Ciaran Cahill 1-0, Kyle Higgins 0-1.

THE TEAMS

FERBANE: Adam Nugent; Aaron McCabe, Leon Fox, Patrick Taaffe; David Nally, Paddy Clancy, James Wren; Ciaran Cahill, Conor Grennan; Kyle Higgins, Eoghan Grennan, Brian Carroll; Cian Johnson, Joe Maher, Darragh Flynn. Subs – Oisin Kelly for Conor Grennan (38m), Jack Clancy for Darragh Flynn (57m).

RHODE: Jack Murphy; Keith Murphy, Jake Kavanagh, James McPadden; Ryan Kellaghan, Conor McNamee, Aaron McBride; Sean Hurley, Dylan Kavanagh; Adam Kellaghan, Ruari McNamee, Ross Kellaghan; Billy Quinn, Anton Sullivan, Niall McNamee. Subs - Eoin Smith for Conor McNamee, inj. (1m), Ryan Murphy for Quinn (57m).

Referee – Eamon O'Connor, Ballycommon.

REFEREE WATCH

There is a bit of history between Ferbane and Eamon O'Connor after Ferbane's controversial defeat in the senior football final by Tullamore a couple of years ago. It meant he was very tuned in for this and he was determined to referee it well and not walk into any haymakers. One of the top referees in Offaly, O'Connor handled it well – he knew it would be a tough, physical battle and he was in control the whole way.

There was the usual comments from the sideline, though both sets of mentors kept it country and didn't cross the line. Rhode are developing something of a siege mentality as regards referees and it would serve them well to drop that. Referees are not engaged in a great conspiracy against Rhode and neutral people are not against them in any way. Everyone admires Rhode football and the set of officials here went out with only one intention – to do their job fairly and honestly.

They certainly did that. There was the odd hairy call but they very much balanced out. Ferbane got a first half free for an off the ball foul but Rhode got a similar one a few minutes later. Rhode got a three man breach while Ferbane had late appeals for one rejected – it was hard to judge it quickly but Ferbane were adamant there was a breach.

O'Connor was fair and the officials communicated very well with players with linesmen telling them when they were to cool it or about to commit a breach. The amount of time allowed at the end was questionable.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

The game turned with Niall McNamee's two point free after Ferbane committed a three man breach. It was a definite breach by Ferbane and a cardinal sin at that stage of the game. Without that, they almost certainly would have won it.

VENYE WATCH

Ferbane had plenty of help to manage this home fixture and their venue was in top condition.

WHAT'S NEXT

Ferbane play Edenderry while Rhode have their bye in round 3.

STATISTICS

Wides: Ferbane - 7 (4 in first half); Rhode - 5 (2 in first half).

Yellow cards: Ferbane – 1 (Patrick Taaffe); Rhode – 3 (Jake Kavanagh, Dylan Kavanagh, Aaron McBride).

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0