Nire reach semi-finals with share of the spoils with Kilrossanty
JJ Kavanagh & Sons’ Waterford Senior Football Championship Group A Round 3:
The Nire 1-14 ((1-1-12)
Kilrossanty 2-11 (2-0-11)
The Nire are through to the semi-finals of the Waterford Senior Football Championship but they had to settle for a share of the spoils in their final Group A game as they were reeled in by an excellent display from a spirited Kilrossanty side at Fraher Field.
1-4 from Dermot Ryan looked to have got The Nire over the line with a third straight win, only for substitute Paul Whyte to have the final say - grabbing a late leveller with his first touch. 2-7 from Man of the Match Alan Dunwoody had the green and gold on the cusp of a big shock, but a draw was ultimately a fair result.
Eoin Power opened Kilrossanty’s account with a fine strike approaching two minutes, before Aaron Ryan levelled from a placed ball after the bright Evan Spelman was hauled down. Dunwoody got his first of the day after six minutes with a good effort off the left boot, but Ryan was afforded space at the other end and it was 0-2 apiece early doors.
Jamie Barron burst through and found the target before Ryan was again given too much time and space and duly punished, but Kilrossanty responded with an unanswered 1-2 to assume the lead.
A Dunwoody free kickstarted the sequence, before a superb ball from Padraig Fitzgerald played him through on goal - he was held up illegally by Stephen Ryan and referee Martin Curran pointed to the penalty spot. Up stepped Dunwoody on 19 minutes and he made no mistake, finding the bottom right corner to give his side a two-point lead.
It was soon three as he began to show the peak of his powers when engineering space to score once again - however, The Nire weren’t behind for long as they responded excellently with an unanswered 1-3.
A free from Aaron Ryan was their first score in ten minutes, before Barron teed up Liam O’Brien to get in on the act. Spelman marauded forward and spun to level matters for a their time on 27 minutes, before the second goal of the game arrived on 28.
Dermot Ryan made a lung-bursting run right through the middle of the Kilrossanty defence and he was picked out by Aaron Ryan with an inch-perfect pass from the right - and Dermot duly sat down Rian Hogan with the coolest of feints, before rolling the ball to the unguarded net, giving his side a 1-7 to 1-4 lead at the interval.
A Dunwoody free reduced the gap to two upon the resumption, but The Nire were in the mood now - Aaron Ryan pointing twice in succession from a free and from play, before Michael O’Sullivan got forward to fire over from close range and they now led by five. Not willing to let them have their way, Dunwoody stepped up to the plate.
In a period of two minutes, he hit 1-2. First, he cut in from the left and the ball sailed over, before being sent racing through on 37 minutes and calmly sweeping home along the floor to the net past Ryan again. He was making it look easy, finding room and cannoning over another on 38 minutes - and it was level again at 1-10 to 2-7.
Chris Ryan was shown a black card and now it was Kilrossanty’s turn to kick for home - and that they did. Jack Whyte, Eoin Power and Martin Dunne all found the target and with 15 minutes remaining, it seemed as if the favourites were on the ropes.
As was the ebb and flow nature of this game, the Nire responded valiantly again with four scores of their own. A 45 from Dermot Ryan settled their nerves, before the same man was found in space by O’Sullivan and he duly reset the gap back to one. Five minutes later, on 52 minutes - he got on the end of patient play to take on the strike right in front of the posts, but crucially outside the arc. Up went the orange flag, The Nire led by the minimum again.
It was frantic stuff late on as both sides pushed to no avail - until up stepped Paul Whyte. Great play from Seamus Fitzgerald on 59 minutes gave him room and he cleverly opted to pass to Whyte. With his first touch, the substitute cut inside his man and duly obliged in hitting the target. 1-14 to 2-11. Level for a fifth time with two minutes added time announced.
Kilrossanty had momentum and very nearly landed a late killer blow, but Fitzgerald’s final effort tailed right and wide and the final whistle sounded. The game of the championship so far.
The Nire will have three weeks to recover before a semi-final clash, while Kilrossanty will come up against near neighbours Stradbally in a pulsating preliminary quarter-final clash at the weekend.
Scorers for The Nire: Dermot Ryan (1-4; 1tp); Aaron Ryan (0-6; 0-3f); Jamie Barron, Liam O’Brien, Evan Spelman and Michael O’Sullivan (0-1 each)
Scorers for Kilrossanty: Alan Dunwoody (2-7; 1-0 pen; 0-2f); Eoin Power (0-2); Jack Whyte and Paul Whyte (0-1 each)
The Nire: Stephen Ryan; Paddy Spelman, Michael O’Sullivan, Fionn Hallinan; Dermot Ryan, Tom Barron, Evan Spelman; Tholom Guiry, Liam O’Brien; Jamie Barron, Sean Walsh, Chris Ryan; Aaron Ryan, Conor Gleeson, Pat Walsh.
Subs: Michael Morrissey for Tholom Guiry (32); Dylan Guiry for Chris Ryan (55); Oisin Walsh for Michael O’Sullivan (57)
Kilrossanty: Rian Hogan; Rian Hayes, Patrick Whyte, Stephen Prendergast; Seamus Fitzgerald, Padraig Fitzgerald, Caoimhín Walsh; Colm Barry, Martin Dunne; Daniel Behan, Darragh Walsh, Jack Whyte; Eoin Power, Pa Cunningham, Alan Dunwoody.
Subs: Jack Crotty for Patrick Cunningham (57); Paul Whyte for Daniel Behan (58)
Referee: Martin Curran (An Sean Phobal)
