McCarron's late two-pointer sends Éire Óg into SFC semi-finals
Kyle O'Byrne scores a first half goal for Éire Óg
There was a dramatic end to this Senior Football Championship Fifth Round game at Netwatch Cullen Park on Thursday when Adam McCarron found the posts with a two-point free to level the sides. About 20 metres out on the right at the O’Hanrahan end of the ground the position was suitable for a left-footed kicker but it was still at a devilishly difficult angle.
Yet from the moment the ball left the kicker’s foot there was only one place it was going and that was over the crossbar. There was time for the kick-out but when Éire Óg snuffed out the last Palatine attack, referee, Johnny Murphy blew the full-time whistle. A draw was a fair result and it brings Éire Óg directly to the semi-finals with Palatine heading to the quarters.
Éire Óg drew first blood when Colm Hulton raised a white flag but Mark Buggy quickly cancelled that out when Palatine won the free at the O’Hanrahan end of the ground.
The game ebbed and flowed with Conor Crowley and Buggy adding to the Palatine total. Éire Óg hung in there and Ross Dunphy and Hulton pointed. Buggy landed a two point free but Éire Og hit back prising open the Palatine defence and Kyle O’Byrne found the net from close range.
Their opponents replied with Crowley registering two points on the trot. Palatine kept the pressure on and Josh Egan ran at the defence and found the net shooting low to the bottom right-hand corner. The same player added a two-pointer from play to leave Palatine leading 1-9 to 1-3 ahead at the break.
Crucially for them, Éire Óg scored the first four points of the second half through Dunphy (2), Adam Nolan and McCarron.
Buggy replied with an excellent strike from a difficult angle and Sam McHugh also raised a white flag with a half goal chance on. There was a key moment when Éire Óg prised open the Palatine defence but Bryan McMahon was back to take Dunphy’s close range shot off the line. When Egan posted another point it looked as if Palatine had the momentum.
It was tight in those final minutes. Buggy’s last point threw the gauntlet down to Éire Óg and they responded when drawing the free in injury time. McCarron showed nerves of steel when he pulled the trigger. The football championship is delivering.
Éire Óg join Rathvilly with a direct passage into the last four. Palatine now go on to play Grange in a quarter-final, while champions Old Leighlin face Bagenalstown Gaels, those two games are on the weekend of 12/13 September.
A McCarron 0-5 (1-2p 1-2pf), R Dunphy 0-4, K O’Byrne 1-0, C Hulton 0-3, E Myers, A Nolan 0-1 Palatine: M Buggy 0-7 (1-2pf 2fs), C Crowley 0-5 (1-2p), J Egan 1-2 (1-2p), ÉIRE ÓG: Johnny Furey; Lee Moore, Mark Behan, Shane Buggy; Alex Delaney, Diarmuid Ruth, Kyle Nolan; Kyle O’Byrne, Eoghan Ruth; Adam McCarron, Darragh O’Brien, Mark Furey; Colm Hulton, Chris Blake, Ross Dunphy. Subs: Adam Nolan for O’Byrne (21), Sean Gannon for E Ruth (34), Kieran Nolan for K Nolan (41), Benny Kavanagh for Kyle Nolan (41), Eoin Myers for Moore (47).
Craig Kearney; Gavin Healy, Cian Cashman, Conor O’Doherty; Tomas Kenny, Ciaran Moran, Brandon Cassidy; Finbarr Kavanagh, Sam McHugh, Josh Egan, Shane O’Neill, Jack Deacy; Mark Buggy, Conor Crowley, Jamie Kenny. Subs: Bryan McMahon for Cassidy (41), Eoin Ryan for J Kenny (45), Darragh Fitzpatrick for McHugh (52), Fionn O’Toole for O’Neill (52), Sean Walsh for O’Doherty (57).
Jonathan Murphy (Palatine).
