RATOATH…2-18
DUNSHAUGHLIN/ROYAL GAELS…2-16
Ratoath businessman Gabriel O’Brien has what is perhaps the leading crane hire business in the country, which operates under the advertising slogan “Don’t lift it, let O’Brien shift it”. Now read on…
Whether Bobby of the same surname is one of Gabriel’s gang or not I am not sure, but the experienced full forward certainly bought into the business tagline once introduced.
Lifting them into the contest and shifting them past their typically obdurate neighbours and onto what has turned out to be a meeting with another lot of them – Donaghmore/Ashbourne at the penultimate hurdle.
In reality, though, nearly 48 hours on, Richie Kealy et al must still be working out how they ended up on the wrong side of this cracker at Devenish Park on Sunday.
Well, I say that but immediately that requires qualification as it must be remembered that the four times winners were devoid of the services of both Conor Gray and Ruairi Kinsella due to ACL injuries.
Still, early on here it appeared they were going to defy logic yet again as they sprinted into a four point lead via scores from Mat Costello, Aaron Murphy and a massive two pointer courtesy of Charlie O’Connor.
In the 11th minute Daithi McGowan eventually got the double chasing blues off the mark before the contest took on the look of a shootout between McGowan and Costello before the former played the first trump card of the game when dispatching an Exocet missile beyond Tim O’Sullivan to give the men from Sean Eiffe Park the lead for the first time, 1-02 to 0-04.
Then Conor Duke and Cian Rogers traded scores before a potentially major turning point as Ratoath were awarded a penalty and Dunshaughlin’s Adam Kealy black carded but Eamon Wallace’s uncharacteristically weak shot bobbled wide to the left.
Adam Ducie did flash over a point for Ratoath moments later but when captain Costello sent the umpire for the orange flag again it tied things up at 1-04 to 0-07.
When Kealy marked his return to the fray with a point, Duke hit a two and set Luke Mitchell up for a three it left Richie Kealy’s team 1-12 to 1-06 to the good at the change of ends.
Gut feeling, though, intimidated that this one was far from over and when Daithi McGowan notched yet another score it underlined as such. Then the same man and his brother Gavin shared five points between them in a matter of minutes and all of a sudden there was only the minimum between the sides.
However, if Ratoath thought they had completely caught up at that stage they were made think again as the man reared around Rathbeggan Lakes, Ryan Robinson, sailed through the blue and gold defence and reeled in a goal hook, line and sinker which at that stage cast D.R.G.’s lead out to five, 1-11 to 2-13.
Again, Daithi McGowan sent the umpire for the orange flag before Costello and the introduced Liam Corbett traded scores. Then it was the former Tailteann Cup Player Of The Year again before Robinson once more cruised on through but this time elected to fist the ball over with Devon Burns’s goal seemingly yawning.
Still, with a four point cushion and 13 minutes remaining, the leaders would have been justified in not feeling the need to hit the panic button just yet. I’m not sure if Bob(by) O’Brien) is a builder, but, like the cartoon one of the same name, it was a case of Can We Fix It, Yes We Can once the wily campaigner was deployed at the edge of the square to keep both David Fildes and Jared Rushe busy.
Those trained by Nathan Gavigan – son of Donegal legend Martin ‘Rambo’ Gavigan – then hit a phalanx of wides in succession before Bobby began to construct their revival with a fine point. Initially, though, their opponents appeared unfazed as Aaron Murphy tapped over a close range free after Costello was grounded following a trademark lung busting run.
With four minutes of normal time remaining, Daithi McGowan sent another skyscraper goal ward before the introduced O’Brien made his most telling contribution of all when demonstrating exactly why he is in the mold of ‘Bomber’ Liston full forwards when gathering the pigskin and blasting in to the left corner of the black and amber net.
How often have you heard it said that momentum is the biggest game changer in sport? Thus it transpired to be in the aftermath of the second Ratoath goal as, after the outstanding Liam Kelly, O’Brien and another lively sub who made a telling contribution, Joey Wallace, pointed, Costello’s forced two point shot at salvation drifted wide and one of the best games of club football seen in the county for a very long time was brought to a halt.
Ratoath: Devon Burns; Liam Kelly (0-1), Conor McGill, Ben Wyer; Rob Hayes, Gavin McGowan (0-2), Eamon Wallace; Ben McGowan, Jack Flynn; Glen O’Reilly (0-1), Daithi McGowan (1-9 one free, one two-point free, two two-pointers), Paddy White; Bryan McMahon, Cian Rogers (0-1), Adam Ducie (0-1). Subs: Cian O’Brien for O’Reilly half-time, Bobby O’Brien (1-2) for Rogers 38m, Brian Daly for G McGowan, Joey Wallace (0-1) for Ducie both 43m, Darragh Kelly for B McGowan 52m.
Dunshaughlin: Tim O’Sullivan; Fursey Blake, David Fildes, Niall Byrne; Ciaran McCarrick, Jared Rushe (0-1), Adam Kealy; Charlie O’Connor (0-2 two-pointer), Ryan Robinson (1-1); John McDonagh, Conor Duke (0-2 two-pointer), Mathew Costello (0-6 two frees, one two-point free); Ben Duggan, Luke Mitchell (1-2 one two-point free), Aaron Murphy (0-2 one free). Subs: Jeff Foley for Mitchell 52m, Fiach Hartigan for Byrne, Tadgh O Dushlaine for Duggan both 57m, Colm Keane for Robinson 60m.
Referee – David Gough (Slane).
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