O’Brien inspires Stradbally to local derby delight over Kilrossanty
Kilrossanty's Tommy Prendergast gets away from Stradbally's Barry O'Brien during the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Senior Football Championship clash at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field. Photos: Maurice Hennebry
An outstanding performance including two late orange flags from talisman Michael O’Brien proved pivotal for Stradbally as they pipped their near neighbours Kilrossanty by the minimum to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Waterford Senior Football Championship.
Stradbally had suffered three consecutive defeats in the group phase, but found another gear at Fraher Field on Sunday to see off their rivals and guarantee their spot in the senior ranks for 2027 - as well as a quarter-final clash against Gaultier.
Kilrossanty, despite another superb display from captain Alan Dunwoody, were left to rue thirteen wides - as they now face Roanmore in a relegation final.
Amid a tense opening, Stradbally took the lead after two minutes when Pa Skehan fired over a close-range free when Kilrossanty were penalised for a breach. Eight minutes went by before another score, but it was worth the wait - Kilrossanty caught sleeping at a short free from Michael O’Brien and Michael Mullaney used the outside of his boot to perfectly split the posts from outside the arc - raising the orange flag as the scoreboard read 0-3 to nil.
Kilrossanty did eventually click into gear on 10 minutes as Dunwoody opened his side’s account from a free - and they were presented with a golden opportunity on 12 minutes as Seamus Fitzgerald was hauled down inside the area by Cormac McGrath and referee Killian O’Sullivan pointed to the penalty spot. Up stepped Dunwoody to fire straight down the middle past Nicky Power and the green and gold lead 1-1 to 0-3.
Kilrossanty found their rhythm as the half wore on, as a measured strike from Fitzgerald, before he turned provider to Eoin Power and the lead stretched to three. However, the sides were level again on 19 minutes as Stradbally plundered a goal of their own.
Conor Fennell retrieved possession in the corner and handpassed inside to the onrushing Rory Fennell, and he calmly slotted past Rian Hogan to the bottom right corner to make it 1-3 apiece. A free from O’Brien gave Stradbally the narrowest of leads again, but it was short-lived as Dunwoody roared back.
First, he calmly sidefooted over when sent through by Daniel Behan to level, but his next score was David Clifford-esque as he went on the run to draw it over outside the 40-metre arc and raise the orange flag with aplomb.
Again, the Stradbally response was strong as they reeled off three points in quick succession - a free from O’Brien, a monstrous Jack Mullaney strike to level, and a Conor Fennell effort to move back in front. Eoin Power’s second point had it 1-7 apiece approaching the break, before a Dunwoody free ensured that Kilrossanty led by the minimum but it was all to play for in the second period.
An O’Brien free levelled matters for the fifth time on 32 minutes, but Dunwoody was again on hand to finish off a sweeping Kilrossanty move as the lead continued to ebb and flow. A beautifully struck two-point free from O’Brien titled the scales back toward Stradbally, before a fine strike from Daniel Weldon doubled their advantage.
Dunwoody finished again off his right foot as he twisted Seathrún Kiersey inside out to reduce arrears, before he cracked the crossbar with Nicky Power stranded on 43 minutes having been played in on goal by Eoin Power.
Darragh Walsh did equalise from the same passage of play, but that effort hitting the upright had a huge bearing on the result at the finish. A Pa Skehan free edged the men in red back to the good, but two placed balls in quick succession from Dunwoody tipped it back to the green and gold approaching the final ten minutes.
O’Brien teed Weldon up and he made no mistake to equalise for a seventh time on 50 minutes, before Seamus Fitzgerald flashed a venomous strike left and wide at the opposite end seconds later. A Pa Cunningham strike galvanised Kilrossanty, but the long-range shooting ability of Michael O’Brien was a sight to behold as another two-point free sailed over the crossbar to make it 1-15 to 1-14 in Stradbally’s favour.
On 55 minutes, the number 11 repeated the trick again to rapturous applause from the Stradbally supporters - and the gap was suddenly three points. That was to be the last of the scoring for Stradbally, as they now needed to survive a Kilrossanty onslaught.
On 57 minutes, Cunningham broke in behind but had to settle for a white flag as his strike had too much purchase on it, before substitute Paul Whyte fired over with roughly a minute and a half left. Three minutes of additional time were called, Kilrossanty threw the kitchen sink - but Eoin Power, Jack Whyte, Paul Whyte and even Dunwoody all fired agonisingly wide and short at the finish, as Stradbally held on for a famous local derby win.
Michael O’Brien (0-9; 0-6 tpf; 0-3f); Rory Fennell (1-0); Daniel Weldon (0-2); Pa Skehan (0-2; 0-2f); Michael Mullaney (0-2; 1 tp); Jack Mullaney and Conor Fennell (0-1 each)
Alan Dunwoody (1-9; 1-0pen; 1tp; 0-3f); Eoin Power and Pa Cunningham (0-2 each); Seamus Fitzgerald, Darragh Walsh and Paul Whyte (0-1 each)
Nicky Power; Donncha Dunphy, Seathrún Kiersey, Paul Connors; Liam Kiersey, Liam Fennell, Aaron Curran; Jack Mullaney, Cormac McGrath; Pa Skehan, Michael O’Brien, Daniel Weldon; Conor Fennell, Rory Fennell, Michael Mullaney.
Brendan Gough for Liam Fennell (30; inj)
Rian Hogan; Rian Hayes, Patrick Whyte, Stephen Prendergast; Seamus Fitzgerald, Padraig Fitzgerald, Caoimhín Walsh; Colm Barry, Patrick Cunningham; Daniel Behan, Darragh Walsh, Jack Whyte; Eoin Power, Tommy Prendergast, Alan Dunwoody.
Michael Hassett for Rian Hayes (20; inj); Jack Power for Tommy Prendergast (42); Paul Whyte for Daniel Behan (47); Jack Crotty for Michael Hassett (52)
Killian O’Sullivan (Cappoquin)
