Champions do just enough to see off gritty Fr Dalton’s

Castletown Geoghegan 1-23 Fr Dalton’s 4-11

Paul Doolin

The second of last Sunday evening’s games saw last year’s Senior ‘A’ and ‘B’ champions go head-to-head in TEG Cusack Park and the sizable crowd was treated to a rip-roaring contest that had everyone on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

This was full blooded, manly stuff where no quarter was asked or given and Senior 'A' champions Castletown Geoghegan had to go to the well on many occasions as the new kids on the block, Fr Dalton’s, pushed them all the way.

In truth, the result was decided in the third quarter where Castletown outscored their opponents 11 points to four and that was with just 14 men after the dismissal of Naoise McKenna on the stroke of half-time for an off the ball incident.

They needed that advantage as Dalton's kept pressing to the final whistle and with a bit more composure, they could have gotten something out of the game. However, big game players show their quality in times of adversity and Castletown somehow managed to repel the Ballymore-based side to just about deserve the two points.

Cormac Jackson opened the scoring for Castletown after three minutes and was the most influential player in that opening quarter, adding an opportunist goal ten minutes later.

Further Castletown points came from wing-back Aonghus Clarke and Niall O’Brien (two, one free). But Dalton's were adept at scoring too and after Owen McCabe opened their account, a long range free from Jack Kearney found its way to the net. Kearney then added a brilliant long-range point as the game ebbed and flowed.

Shane Clavin increased the lead to three for the black and ambers but Dalton's were level again moments later when another calamitous mistake saw Brian Finerty's free slip in for goal number two.

John Gilligan put the green and golds ahead with a super point only to see Jackson negate that with an equally fine strike. But three McCabe frees in a row saw Dalton's open up a three-point advantage as the Castletown defence disintegrated.

O’Brien steadied the ship with a free, while Peter Clarke added his first score of the game. Morgan Gavigan had Castletown level right on the stroke of half-time, but just as the whistle blew McKenna was dismissed on a straight red. The half-time score read Fr Dalton’s 2-6 Castletown 1-9.

McCabe put Dalton's ahead once again on the restart with two more frees that were split by a fine score from Clavin.

Castletown then upped their game considerably with eight points without reply (O’Brien adding three frees, Gavigan, Peter Clarke, and two superb points from substitute Conor Murphy).

It looked at this stage as if the champions had weathered the storm and would cruise to victory.

Enda Kincaid pointed for Dalton's to stem the leak, but points from Clavin and O’Brien, both worth the admission money, seemed to have settled the affair. McCabe pointed two frees to keep Dalton's in touch but O’Brien added another to his tally followed by Murphy’s third.

Just when it seemed that Castletown had done enough, Dalton's decided that they were not for lying down easily. A brilliant goal from sub Jack Duncan was followed 90 seconds later by Brian Finerty flicking to the net for goal number four.

There were now just two separating them with the momentum in Dalton’s favour. Try as they might, though, they could not regain parity and that man Niall O’Brien sealed the win with a late, late free to the relief of the Castletown faithful after a thoroughly entertaining and well contested game.

Man of the match: Kearney, McCabe, Gilligan, Finerty and substitute Duncan were excellent for Fr Dalton's, while Gavigan, Jackson, sub Murphy and Aonghus Clarke stood out for the winners. However, Niall O’Brien dug his team out of a crisis time and again and just gets the nod here.

Scorers - Castletown Geoghegan: Niall O’Brien 0-9 (6f), Cormac Jackson 1-2, Shane Calvin, Peter Clarke and Conor Murphy 0-3 each, Morgan Gavigan 0-2, Aonghus Clarke 0-1. Fr Dalton's: Owen McCabe 0-8 (7f, 1 '65'), Brian Finerty 2-0, Jack Kearney 1-1, Jack Duncan 1-0, John Gilligan and Enda Kincaid 0-1 each.

Castletown Geoghegan: Ciaran Glennon; David Maloney, Johnnie Bermingham, Naoise McKenna; Aonghus Clarke, Dean McDermott, Morgan Gavigan; Plunkett Maxwell, Aaron Glennon; Cormac Jackson, Shane Clavin, Ciaran O’Brien; Peter Clarke, Niall O’Brien, Jack Gallagher. Subs: Conor Murphy for Ciaran O’Brien (36 mins), Joe Clarke for Aaron Glennon (43), David Fennell for Jackson (51).

Fr Dalton's: Eoin Moran; Liam O’Neill, Brian McCabe, Ronan Hanley; Jack Kearney, Ciaran Clear, Eoin Ryan; Sean Keena, Sam Maxwell; Kieran Martin, John Gilligan, Ivan Smyth; Owen McCabe, Brian Finerty, Enda Kincaid. Subs: Jack Duncan for Finerty (22 mins), B Finerty for Smyth (52).

Referee: Barry Kelly.