Meaney the man as late scores clinch victory for De La Salle
De La Salle's Colm Morris is tackled by Passage's Thomas Carey and Gary Cullinane during their JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. SHC clash in Walsh Park on Friday night. Photos: Maurice Hennebry.
A week on from coming off the bench and scoring a goal that almost secured a win for De La Salle over Mount Sion substitute Eddie Meaney did it all again in Walsh Park on Friday last but on this occasion his goal was followed by what proved the match winning point as De La Salle caught Passage on the post to gain a seeded draw for the preliminary quarter finals.
This Group B was always seen as the most difficult group to predict and so it was with nothing between the three teams involved. Passage will feel a little dismayed at having lost this game from a winning position after making the running for most of the second half but they served notice that they should not be underestimated going into the knockout stages next weekend.
De La Salle went into this game showing just one change from the side beaten by Mount Sion a week earlier with Colm Morris coming on board in place of the injured Daniel Lalor while retaining Eddie Meaney as an impact sub. Passage started veteran Owen Connors and eighteen year old Sean Kelly in attack in changes from their first round game.
The game started in damp and dull conditions with Gary Cullinane and Rueben Halloran exchanging early points from frees as did Conor Drohan and Colm Morris from play before Passage move two points clear after just five minutes with points from frees by Thomas Carey and Gary Cullinane, the latter’s second from inside his own half. By the end of the first quarter De La Salle were level with Halloran sending over his second from a free followed by a fine score from midfield by Eddie Barrett.
There was no separating the teams as play moved from end to end with Thomas Douglas edging De La Salle into the lead for the first time before Gary Cullinane levelled from play in the 20th minute. Both sides added two further points before the halftime whistle with Rueben Halloran (2Fs) and Thomas Carey (1F) sharing the honours an leaving the sides deadlocked on 0-7 apiece with De La Salle having the slight advantage of the diagonal breeze blowing into the city end in the second half.
Early action on the resumption saw Jack Fagan off target before Sean Kelly gave Passage the lead with a fine point from the left wing. De La Sale responded with points from Thomas Douglas and Brian Cunningham but between the 34th and 44th minutes Passage seized the initiative and moved into a 0-12 to 0-9 lead with four unanswered points from play by Eoghan Reilly, Darragh Lynch, Thomas Carey and Sean Kelly.
De La Salle cut the deficit to a point with scores from play by Barrett and Halloran and that margin continued to be retained as the next four scores between the 47th and 51st minutes saw Carey and Halloran trading points from frees before Eoghan Reilly put his side two points clear once more. De La Salle hit back with a Brian Cunningham point before Rueben Halloran levelled the tie from a free in midfield with just over five minutes of normal time remaining.
Momentum seemed to be moving in favour of De La Salle but Passage quickly regained the lead with Owen Connors finding the range in the 56th minute. From Shaun O’Brien’s long puck out De La Salle attacked on the left wing and, with possession won, the ball was sent on to Eddie Meaney who raced clear and beat Eddy Lynch from close range to give his side a two point lead.
The pressure was now back on Passage as they pushed forward in search of the winning scores for a draw would not be sufficient to gain a seeding in the preliminary quarter final draw. After a 20 metre free from an angle wide of the posts had been saved Gary Cullinane sent over from the ‘65’ to leave a point between the sides but with the game now into the three minutes of added time Eddie Meaney sent over what was to prove the game clinching point.
Passage were awarded another 20 metre free after a player had been dragged down heading for goal along the end line. Had it been an inter county game Thomas Walsh might have considered it an offence worthy of a black card and possibly a penalty but from a similar angle as the earlier free Sean Kelly opted to take the point. However, there was not enough time left to come up with a winning score and De La Salle held on for a one point win.
For the winners, a busy Shaun O’Brien kept a clean sheet for his side while Adam Farrell, Jake Dillon, Jack Fagan, Eddie Barrett, Brian Cunningham and Rueben Halloran also impressed with match winner Eddie Meaney.
For Passage Mark Fitzgerald, Gary Cullinane and Callum O’Neill were strong in defence while up front teenagers Sean Kelly and Thomas Carey impressed.
– Eddie Meaney with his late 1-1 for De La Salle.
– Eddie Meaney’s late green flag.
– How competitive this group has been.
– Preliminary quarter-finals for both of these teams.
– Rueben Halloran 0-8 (7Fs), Eddie Meaney 1-1, Brian Cunningham, Eddie Barrett and Thomas Douglas 0-2 each, Colm Morris 0-1.
– Thomas Carey 0-6 (4Fs), Gary Cullinane 0-4(2Fs), Sean Kelly 0-3, Eoghan Reilly 0-2, Conor Drohan, Darragh Lynch and Owen Connors 0-1 each.
– Shaun O’Brien, Ryan Duke, Adam Farrell, Lorcan Dwyer, Mikey Costigan, Jake Dillon, Jack Fagan, Eddie Barrett, Conor Keane, Jack Twomey, Thomas Douglas, Brian Cunningham, Rueben Halloran, Cormac Dawson, Colm Morris. – Eddie Meaney and Kevin Moran for Dawson and Morris (39)
– Eddy Lynch, Kevin Cullinane, Calum O’Neill, Ciaran O’Neill, Eoin Walsh, Mark Fitzgerald, Gary Cullinane, Thomas Carey, Darragh Lynch, Mikey Cummins, Owen Connors, Conor Drohan, Eoghan Reilly, Liam Flynn, Sean Kelly. – Stephen Lynch for Cummins (40), Mike Hutchinson for K. Cullinane (46), Pa Walsh for Drohan (55), Sean Cullinane for Carey (57), Adam Roche for Connors (61).
– Thomas Walsh (Modeligo).
