McGrath snatches victory for Galtee Rovers with last kick of the game
FBD INSURANCE TIPPERARY INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL
GALTEE ROVERS 3-5 GOLDEN/KILFEACLE 1-10
A goal by Darren McGrath with practically the last kick of the game saw Galtee Rovers snatch victory from Golden/Kilfeacle in the semi-final of the FBD Insurance Tipperary Intermediate Football Championship played at Páirc na nGael, New Inn on Friday night.
When Golden/Kilfeacle’s Shane O’Connell ran from deep in his own half to point and extend his side’s advantage to two in time added-on it looked odds-on certain that they would be advancing to the county decider. However, Galtee Rovers had other ideas, and a superb solo goal by Darren McGrath right at the death flipped everything on its head. The Bansha side, in an instant, would be going forward to contest an all-West Tipperary county final, while Golden/Kilfeacle, for the second time in six days, were heartbreakingly losing a county semi-final by just a single point. Their intermediate hurlers lost to Ballingarry last Sunday.
Under the Rockwell Rovers floodlights on a night with a stiff breeze and some squally showers, this proved to be a rather strange game of football, a game of low scoring and one in which, it seemed, both sides were hell-bent on leaving it behind them. In the end Golden/Kilfeacle succeeded in doing just that.
Having won the toss Golden elected to play with the breeze but amazingly found themselves behind at half-time by 2-0 to 0-4. Despite Golden enjoying much more possession and scoring four points from play, it was Galtee Rovers with two Daire Egan penalties from only three serious attacks in the whole of the half who went to the break two points to the good. In that first half Golden kicked six wides while Galtee’s solitary wide came right on half-time. No doubt, Eddy Grace’s side, living on scraps, were in a much better place at the interval. The wide count at full-time was 11 to four, Golden/Kilfeacle the more profligate.
The second half livened up somewhat and at the three-quarters stage Golden had levelled matters at 2-1 to 0-7. It got even better for them seven minutes from time with an excellent goal scored by Niall Heffernan. After a pin-point hand pass over the Galtees’ defence from Ben Currivan, Heffernan, coming through on a diagonal run, gathered the ball and shook the back of the net with a thunderbolt from 14 metres out and Brian Leamy’s side went 1-8 to 2-4 ahead.
In time added-on, Golden were still two points to the good when Darren McGrath innocuously, it seemed, gained possession for Galtee Rovers about 35 metres out from goal on the stand side. Moving slowly across the pitch he twisted and turned past a number of Golden tackles before making space for himself 15 metres from goal. The corner-forward then blasted low and the ball found the back of the net much to the delight of the Galtee supporters. On the kick-out Sean Everard blew the final whistle and Golden/Kilfeacle were left in shock and rueing as to how McGrath had made so much ground towards goal in the circumstances before scoring that late-late winner.
After a slow-start to the game, Jack Leamy with two points in two minutes, the second from 50 metres, had Golden on their way. But in the 12th minute, in perhaps their first real attack of the game, a move linking Eoin Halpin, Shane Egan and Darren McGrath ended with McGrath being hauled down in the area. Up stepped captain Daire Egan with a rocket low to the left corner of the net and a 1-0 to 0-2 lead for Galtee.
By the end of a low-scoring first quarter, Golden were back in front with further points from Jack Leamy and Shane O’Connell at 1-0 to 0-4.
In somewhat controversial circumstances Galtee Rovers were awarded a second penalty in the 24th minute and once again Daire Egan, choosing the keeper’s left hand side, gave Jack Currivan no chance. Egan himself had won the penalty but initially the referee awarded a free further back having, it seemed, played the advantage rule for an earlier infringement. However, in consultation with his umpires the decision was changed and Egan didn’t need to be asked a second time with his second penalty.
With no further scoring Galtee Rovers led by two at the break and it was out to three after goalkeeper Robbie McGrath converted a 65 in the second minute after the resumption.
Three frees in succession, two from Sam Hall and one from Jack Leamy levelled matters after 43 minutes, before another pair of frees for Galtee, from Shane Egan and Robbie McGrath edged the Reds 2-3 to 0-7 ahead on 47 minutes.
Galtee Rovers then cut through the Golden defence and Tony Egan had a chance of a goal well saved by Jack Currivan before Jack Leamy, with the first score from play 19 minutes into the second half, brought it back to a one point game. Yet another free from Robbie McGrath extended the Galtee lead to two points as the pendulum seemed to be swinging the way of the team with the breeze at their backs.
Niall Hefferan’s goal seven minutes from the end of normal time brought his side right back into it, but almost from the kick-out Galtee Rovers were guilty of another wasted goal effort by Bill Quirke at the other end. If they were to lose this game they would greatly regret these missed opportunities.
Substitute Eric Grogan levelled matters shortly after his introduction with a nice point for Galtee Rovers following good work by Bill Quirke, but down the stretch Golden seemed to have taken back control of their own destiny with two late points from Sam Hall (free) and that solo effort from county senior Shane O’Connell to go two points up with the clock now in the red..
Alas, Darren McGrath, put paid to that ambition of county silverware and a possible place at senior level for 2025. It brought an end to a very tough week for the Green and Whites. Having seen their county minor champions of last year lose to Golden/Kilfeacle a few weeks back, it seemed the same fate was facing their senior side up to that piece of individual skill from Darren McGrath. This was, as it needed to be, a solid display from Galtee, and while there wasn’t too much pretty football on show, they got the job done somehow in the end and they now progress to that winner-takes-all county final.
The defence for Galtee worked well as a unit all through and held their opponents to just 1-2 from open play in a battling second half. Ciaran McCarthy and Evan Kennedy led their lines well, and Eoghan Byrnes and Cian O’Dwyer also got through plenty of work.
Bill Quirke and Daire Egan had a good battle with Jack Leamy and Eoin Marnane at midfield, while in the forward division Shane Egan and Darren McGrath were most prominent for the winners.
Golden/Kilfeacle will be hurt for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They definitely had the better of possession and opportunities on the night and while they might have had issues with some decisions that went against them, they ultimately were the architects of their own downfall, and they’ll know that.
In defence Aidan O’Connell, Shane O’Connell (with two points) and Ben Currivan did well, while upfront Jack Leamy contributed four points from play and Niall Heffernan took his goal superbly. After that though, they struggled to find scores.
Galtee Rovers: Robbie McGrath (0-3, 0-2F, 0-1×65), Eoghan Byrnes, Ciaran McCarthy, Peter Carroll, Cian O’Dwyer, Evan Kennedy, Sean Daly, Bill Quirke, Daire Egan (capt., 2-0 pens), Eamon Quirke, Shane Egan (0-1F), Robbie Byron, Eoin Halpin, Shane Power, Darren McGrath (1-0).
Subs: Emmet Bonnar for Byrnes (42 mins), Tony Egan for E. Quirke (45 mins); Eric Grogan (0-1) for Daly (51 mins), Conal Grogan for Byron (54 mins), Tony O’Brien for Halpin (55 mins, inj).
Golden/Kilfeacle: Jack Currivan, Cian O’Connell, Aidan O’Connell (capt), Daithí Bargary, Gavin Dalton, Shane O’Connell (0-2), Ben Currivan, Jack Leamy (0-3, 0-1F), Eoin Marnane, Aaron Colgan, Niall Heffernan (1-0), Eanna Ormond, Sam Hall (0-3F), Ronan Hayes, Jack Bergin .
Subs: Jack Lonergan for Bergin (51 mins), Tom Byrnes for Hayes (53 mins), Padraig Dalton for Bargary (57 mins).
Referee: Sean Everard (Moyne/Templetuohy).