Lough Lene Gaels and Clonkill draw in the dark

Clonkill 4-12, Lough Lene Gaels 1-21 (After extra-time)

Lough Lene Gaels and Clonkill served up a pulsating and drama filled excellent and exciting Slevins Coaches Junior 'A' Hurling Championship final, in front of a large attendance of spectators at Decotek Park on Saturday afternoon November 30.

On the day that was in it, it was not so much counting votes, but registering quality and quantity of scores that mattered in this, a high scoring contest. A late pointed free for Lough Lene Gaels brought the match, not to a recount, but to extra-time, moments after Clonkill had scored their third goal, a score which looked to have declared the Loughegar based club to the position of match winners.

Extra-time, played in the clearly early stages of darkness, failed to separate the teams.

Immediately following extra-time, it seemed that there was a discussion about adjourning to the neighbouring Darren Mortimer memorial pitch, a floodlit facility, to decide the fixture on penalties. That option was not explored any further, and a replay will now be required to decide a winner.

A facet of this contest that could be debated is that were it not for the free-taking ability of the Lough Lene Gaels number eight, Alex Little, scoring 0-15 from 15 placed balls, including a match levelling score in a tension-filled moment at the end of normal playing time, it is possible that victory would have belonged to Clonkill.

Lough Lene Gaels opened the scoring via Alex Little (free), Clonkill responding when Oisin Murray first timed the ball to the Lough Lene Gaels net, following a Clonkill 65m award. After the teams had then swapped wides, Jordan Williams availed of a Marcus Kennedy pass to fire over a second Lough Lene Gaels point.

The pace and standard of play continued to be superb as Lough Lene Gaels drew level, via another Alex Little pointed free, before edging ahead, Jordan Williams pointing, after availing of a Callum Burns pass. Clonkill then struck the next two points, to move ahead by a point, Oisin Murray (free) and Robert Cleary the point scorers, two scores that bookended a brace of Lough Lene Gaels wides.

Clonkill were then guilty of striking wides, three in quick succession, prior to Lough Lene Gaels drawing level when Alex Little pointed a free for the third time in this contest. Moments later Lough Lene Gaels moved ahead, Marcus Kennedy hitting over a brilliant point. Clonkill went on to close out first half match, via a point each from Oisin Murray and Michael McGrath.

The half-time score read, Clonkill 1-4; Lough Lene Gaels 0-6.

Lough Lene Gaels tied up matters in the opening minute of the second half with another pointed free from Alex Little, the Purple and Golds then striking two wides in quick succession. Clonkill then punished Lough Lene Gaels for both a lack of a quick mind and fast movement in a defensive situation, Michael McGrath scoring a goal for the Green and Golds, with a low angled close range shot.

Oisin Murray followed up with a point and a margin of four points, (2-5 to 0-7), now separated the teams. A quick response was required for and by Lough Lene Gaels, if the match was not to start to slip away from them. It came less than a minute after Clonkill had moved in front, Warren Williams dispatching the ball to the left of Andrew Mitchell to the Clonkill net with a 30 metre angled drive, the ball taking a deflection while in flight from the parting drive of the Lough Lene Gaels No12. He then fired over a point to bring Lough Lene Gaels to parity.

Clonkill regained the match lead with a Christopher Austin point, Lough Lene Gaels in turn quickly levelling with another Alex Little point from a placed ball. The Lough Lene Gaels No8 then pointed from yet another free to put his team ahead. But such was the now playing trend of this high speed match, Clonkill restored parity via a Oisín Murray point. The points exchange continued as Alex Little (free) and Jamie Coffey were on target for Lough Lene Gaels and Clonkill respectively.

With the contest in the last five minutes of normal time, Lough Lene Gaels moved 1-13 to 2-8 ahead after Alex Little, from another placed ball, and Daniel Buckley pointed. Clonkill replied via a Oisín Murray point (free), before Alex Little (free) pointed, leaving Lough Lene Gaels 1-14 to 2-9 in front as the end of normal playing time concluded.

As darkness arrived, Clonkill looked to have hit a match winning goal via Senan O’Driscoll, bringing scenes of jubilation from the Clonkill team management and substitutes, jubilation which seemed merited at that point. There was late drama to follow, Alex Little calmness personified as he hit over a match levelling point from a 40m free, sending this by now sporting epic into extra-time.

FADING LIGHT

Extra time started with a concern over fading light, Clonkill striking a wide before moving in front with a point from Christopher Austin. Lough Lene Gaels responded with a Warren Williams point at the midway point of the first half of extra-time. The Purple and Golds with another pointed free from Alex Little moved in front.

Clonkill finished in dramatic fashion, Christopher Austin taking advantage of fudging on the part of Lough Lene Gaels in defence, to crispy hit the ball to the Lough Lene Gaels net to claim his team’s fourth goal.

At the break, it was Clonkill 4-10, Lough Lene Gaels 1-17.

Clonkill added a point to their total in the opening minute of the second half from Senan O’Driscoll. Leading now by three points, Clonkill were looking good to go on to claim victory. Lough Lene Gaels rallied, with two long range pointed frees from Alex Little reducing their deficit by the midway point of the second half of extra time to a single point.

Te same player then levelled matters by pointing a 70m free. The Lough Lene Gaels No8 then, incredibly in the advancing darkness, fired over a point from another placed ball of a distance of 80m, putting his team ahead. It was left to Clonkill’s Oisín Murray to close out match scoring by pointing a free, leaving the teams deadlocked, and another future occasion required to divide them.

Scorers - Clonkill; Oisin Murray 1-6 (0-3 frees); Christopher Austin 1-2; Michael McGrath 1-1; Senan O’Driscoll 1-1; Robert Cleary 0-1; Jamie Coffey 0-1.

Lough Lene Gaels; Alex Little 0-15 (frees); Warren Williams 1-2; Jordan Williams 0-2; Marcus Kennedy 0-1; Daniel Buckley 0-1.

Clonkill: Andrew Mitchell, Scott Murtagh, Luke Kelly, Ciaran Morrison, Brian Gaffney, Alan McGrath, Ciaran Nooney, Shane Power, Riley Sheahan, Robert Cleary, Oisin Murphy, Matthew Glynn, Oisin Murray, Michael McGrath, Christopher Austin. Substitutes: Jamie Coffey for Shane Power, Eoin Kenny for Robert Cleary, Mark Keegan for Brian Gaffney, Ciaran Egerton for Ciaran Morrison

Lough Lene Gaels: Paul Murtagh, John Dermody, Eric Fitzpatrick, Kevin Hogan, Philip Reilly, Jason Malone, Fergal Moran, Alex Little, Aaron Kennedy, Marcus Kennedy, Jordan Williams, Kian Reilly. Mark McNicholas, Callum Burns. Substitutes: Daniel Buckley for Callum Burns, Brian Caffrey for Fergal Tiernan, Callum Burns for Aaron Kennedy.

Referee: James McGrath (Turin).