Palatine need extra time to see off Asca
Palatine's Cormac McConnon fires a shot at the Asca goal.
Justice was done on Friday in Netwatch Cullen Park when Palatine had a deserved Talbot Hotel Junior Football A Championship quarter-final victory over Asca. It took extra time to decide the outcome but Palatine surely felt they had been deprived of a gilt-edged opportunity to seal their win in the last minute of ordinary time.
Three points up, Cormac McConnon broke from just inside the Asca half and when the foul came he was still clear on goal. To the frustration of the Palatine followers, referee, Lar Murphy, instead of allowing an advantage, blew the whistle and booked an Asca player. The forthcoming free was too far out and was never going to be converted.
Asca still had time to save themselves and in the fifth minute of injury time a high ball into the edge of the small square at the scoreboard end was deflected to the Palatine net by Boni Milinganyo which tied the sides at 3-9 each. There was time for no more and so it was on to extra time.
On reflection, the likelihood of this one being extended was always a possibility. James Ingram scored an early Asca three-pointer but Palatine hit back with points from Tomas Sheehan and Marc Mulhall.
Asca also missed a penalty when John Phiri’s low shot to the right-hand corner at the O’Hanrahan end of the ground was saved by Sean Buggy. Yet another Ingram goal asked a question of their opponents but the answer was emphatic as Mulhall raised a green flag at the start of the second quarter. By half-time Asca led 2-5 to 1-4.
The second half, just like the opening period, hummed. Another Mulhall goal on 37 minutes levelled at 2-6 each. Lively substitute, Peter Lynch scored the second of his three points to put Palatine ahead for the first time. It was point for point for a spell before Conor Buggy eventually tipped the ball over the line as the Asca defence tried frantically to clear a Palatine barrage in the small square.
Chances came and went at both ends. Palatine lost Matthew Farrell to a black card and the Bennekerry side was temporarily reduced to thirteen when Lee Gordon had to leave the field after receiving attention. It was only a matter of seconds but it must have felt longer for the player.
Then came the moment which vexed Palatine supporters and the hurt was intensified when the equalising goal was conceded.
Palatine regrouped. Two minutes into extra time, Lee Gordon converted a penalty after John Hendricken was fouled. A Mulhall point extended the lead but Asca hit back with points from Ingram and Phiri.
The Palatine keeper then saved brilliantly from Conor O’Brien which preserved his side’s advantage at 4-10 to 3-11 after the first period of extra-time.
A well-worked two-pointer from Conor Buggy pushed Palatine further in front. Asca replied with an Ingram point. Events were unfolding. Mulhall had a goal quite rightly disallowed for a square ball. Ingram converted another free to leave his side three points behind with four minutes of the eighty left.
The same player added another free and Milinganyo also pointed to leave the minimum between them.
Right at the end, Asca dominated but Palatine grimly held on. Penalties beckoned when the Sky Blues raided down the left. With it came an opportunity but the attempted equaliser drifted just right and wide. It was tough on Asca.
For Palatine, it was as hard an earned win as any side have ever had in this famous ground. Pulsating to the end and thoroughly enjoyable for the eventual winners.
M Mulhall 2-2, C Buggy 1-2 (tp), L Gordon 1-2 (1-0 pen), P Lynch 0-3, C McConnon 0-2, T Sheehan 0-1.
J Ingram 2-7 (0-3f), B Milinganyo 1-1, J Phiri 0-3 (2f), C Cleary, B Deacon, B Doorley 0-1 each.
Sean Buggy; John Byrne, Conor Lawlor, Cian Fitzpatrick; Adam Seger, Cian Campion, John Hendricken; Conor Buggy, Matthew Farrell; Cormac McConnon, Oran O’Boyle, Thomas Sheehan; Marc Mulhall, Lee Gordon, David Kehoe.
Peter Lynch for Kehoe and Ewan Breen for Fitzpatrick (h/t), Luke Byrne for Seger (40).
William Long; Luke Bramley, Stephen Fennell, Aaron Walsh Myles; Mark O’Brien, Danny Quigley, Evan McAteer; John Phiri, Boni Milinganyo; Andrew Vint, James Ingram, Andre Luiz Carvalho; Ben Doorley, Conor O’Brien.
Dylan Reamsbottom for Vint (39), Cian Cleary for O’Brien (39), Gael O’Rock for Carvalho (45), Stephen O’Brien for Quigley (53), John Jackson for Cormac O’Brien for Fennell (66), Stephen Bayley for McAteer (75).
Larry Murphy (Setanta).
