Flying start sends Rathvilly on way to Senior final
Rathvilly’s Darragh Murphy celebrates his goal in the opening minute during the win over Palatine. Photo: Michael O'Rourke.
Rathvilly are in the Senior Football Championship final. On Saturday at Netwatch Cullen Park, they saw out a last ditch attempted fight-back from Palatine and emerged deserving winners.
There was a sensational start when a long ball from the throw-in was flighted in to the edge of the small square where Darragh Murphy almost on his knees deflected past the wrong-footed Palatine keeper, Craig Kearney. From the kick-out Peter Burgess took possession and his point extended the Rathvilly lead.
A 4th minute free from Shane O’Neill got Palatine off the mark. Rathvilly were not for turning and by the end of the half Kevin Murphy would score four points, one from a free.
In the meantime, Ciaran Moran landed a two-pointer from play midway through the half while Finbarr Kavanagh was just inside the arc as he steered the ball over the bar for Palatine.
A second Rathvilly goal arrived with just over five minutes to go to the end of the half when Conor Doyle worked hard down the right before delivering into the far post where Liam Gavin was on hand to fist home.
Palatine hit back with a goal of their own when Regan Murphy saved from Ciaran Moran but Conor Crowley steered the ball over the line when it rebounded in his favour.
Dara Curran’s point late in the half helped Rathvilly into a 2-7 to 1-5 lead at the interval.
With both sides trading early second half points, the game went up a notch when an incisive Peter Burgess run took him into the clear and he found the net with a great finish just inside the right-hand post at the O’Hanrahan end.
Moran hit back with a Palatine point but Rathvilly struck again for another goal. This time Brandon Kelly applied the finish after Conor Doyle gave the final pass in a good movement started by Brendan Murphy.
Palatine rallied and Crowley scored his second goal at the start of the final quarter which set up a grandstand finish. Rathvilly refused to be rattled and points from Kelly, Gavin and Kevin Murphy (2) kept a distance between the two.
Palatine never gave up. Even when they were six points down they managed to score a brace of two-pointers, one from Crowley and a Fionn O’Toole free. Time ran out for them but they kept their rivals honest to the end.
K Murphy 0-6 (1f), L Gavin 1-2, B Kelly 1-1, P Burgess 1-1, D Murphy 1-0, F O’Toole 0-2 (1-2pf), D Curran, C Doyle 0-1 each.
C Crowley 2-2, C Moran 0-3 (1-2p), F O’Toole (1-2pf), S O’Neill (2fs), J Egan, B McMahon 0-2 each, B Cassidy, M Buggy, F Kavanagh 0-1 each.
Regan Murphy; Paraic Deering, Josh Moore, Robbie Ryan; Colin Byrne, Dara Curran, Padhraig Bolger; Brendan Murphy, Conor Doyle; Adam Burgess, Brandon Kelly, Peter Burgess; Kevin Murphy, Darragh Murphy, Liam Gavin.
Subs: Ed Finnegan for A Burgess (42), Eric Molloy for Bolger (42), Brian Smith for D Murphy (47), Bryan Nolan for Gavin (55).
Craig Kearney; Gavin Healy, Cian Cashman, Conor O’Doherty; Tomás Kenny, Ciaran Moran, Sam McHugh; Jack Deacy, Finbarr Kavanagh; Josh Egan, Shane O’Neill, Brandon Cassidy; Mark Buggy, Conor Crowley, Jamie Kenny.
Subs: Bryan McMahon for J Kenny (28), Darragh Fitzpatrick for McHugh (45), Eoin Ryan for O’Neill (50), Conor Reynolds for O’Doherty (50), Fionn O’Toole for Cassidy (56).
Jonathan Murphy (St Mullins).
