Rampant Rathgormack coast to fourth Conway Cup in a row
Rathgormack celebrates after Waterford County GAA Board Chairman Neil Moore presented the Conway Cup to Rathgormack captain Jason Curry. Photo: Noel Browne
Rathgormack are Waterford senior football champions for the fourth year running as Kenny Hassett’s side delivered one of their most impressive performances yet to see off the Nire by nine points at Fraher Field.
It’s a first ever four-in-a-row for the green and red and they become the first side to achieve the feat in 21 years, as a Stephen Curry goal and a late insurance from Reece O’Mahony capped off yet another memorable year for the champions.
The Nire started brightly, opening the scoring within two minutes as Conor Gleeson teed up Dylan Guiry to find the target, before a great turn from Gleeson afforded him room to double their tally moments later as they played against a strong breeze.
The reigning champions opened their account on six minutes through a Jason Curry free just inside the arc, and they took the lead a minute after when the same man cleverly cut inside on his left foot and unleashed a pearler to draw the first orange flag of the afternoon.
A lightning transition from defence to attack saw Adam Murray play in Francis Roche off the shoulder and he blazed over from close range, but a free from Dermot Ryan kept The Nire firmly on their coattails.
A smartly-worked free was well-finished by Roche to grab his second point, and Rathgormack were firmly in the ascendancy on 19 minutes when Glen Power picked out Adam Murray and he superbly sliced over outside the arc to yield another two-pointer.
Dermot Ryan wriggled through to score another at the opposite end, but Rathgormack were in dreamland on 21 minutes with a score that truly exemplified their class. Jason Curry found a pocket of space on the right flank and played a superb handpass to his onrushing brother Stephen, and he duly cut inside before calmly slotting under Stephen Ryan to the bottom right corner and the scoreboard read 1-7 to 0-4.
A fine effort from Peter Walsh and another from the lively Roche extended the advantage to eight as Rathgormack’s outstanding counter-attacking paid real dividends, before an Aaron Ryan free made it 1-9 to 0-5 at the interval. Advantage Rathgormack, but with the strength of the breeze in Dungarvan, it wasn’t a case of game over just yet.
The Nire very nearly made it game on immediately upon the resumption as Dylan Guiry played through Michael O’Sullivan but his effort flew just over the crossbar instead of into the net.
The challengers moved back within five through substitute Chris Ryan, but they couldn’t live with Francis Roche as he slalomed through to score his fourth point and settle his side. Jason Curry’s fourth from a free kept Rathgormack comfortably in front, as two-point attempts from The Nire continually failed to find the target.
On 43 minutes, Thomas O’Gorman produced a fantastic block to deny Conor Murray what looked like a certain title-securing goal, but Rathgormack recycled it well to Michael Curry to come away with another crucial score.
Two scores in quick succession from Aaron Ryan brought arrears back to six, and it was very nearly all to play for on 51 minutes as The Nire stormed forward and Tholom Guiry squared to Conor Gleeson, but his palmed effort crashed off the crossbar and Rathgormack escaped by the skin of their teeth.
A close-range free from Jason Curry on 56 minutes brought Rathgormack ever closer to glory, before another dead ball by Aaron Ryan made it 1-13 to 0-10 going into five minutes of additional time.
The Nire huffed and puffed but once again it was the clinical counter-attacking that proved decisive, as Rathgormack marauded forward like lightning on 62 minutes, and Tom Skehan offloaded to Stephen Curry and he squared to Reece O’Mahoney to bundle to the net to seal a thoroughly deserved fourth Conway Cup on the spin.
Rathgormack will face Clare champions Eire Og Inis for the second year running in Munster on November 8th.
Jason Curry (0-5; 0-3f; 0-1 tp); Francis Roche (0-4); Stephen Curry and Reece O’Mahony (1-0 each); Adam Murray (0-2; 1tp); Peter Walsh and Michael Curry (0-1 each)
Aaron Ryan (0-4; 0-3f); Dermot Ryan (0-2; 0-1f); Dylan Guiry, Conor Gleeson, Michael O’Sullivan and Chris Ryan (0-1 each)
Padraig Hunt; Liam Mulligan, Sean Hahessy, Willie Hahessy; Glen Power, Tom Walsh, James Power; Billy Power, Michael Curry; Francis Roche, Peter Walsh, Jason Curry; Adam Murray, Stephen Curry, Conor Murray.
Reece O’Mahony for Peter Walsh (30; inj); Thomas Skehan for Adam Murray (49); Cathal Crowch for Francis Roche (57)
Stephen Ryan; Paddy Spelman, Tadhg Walsh, Thomas O’Gorman; Dermot Ryan, Tom Barron, Evan Spelman; Tholom Guiry, Michael O’Sullivan; Dylan Guiry, Sean Walsh, Michael Morrissey; Aaron Ryan, Conor Gleeson, Pat Walsh.
Chris Ryan for Tholom Guiry (30; temp); Tholom Guiry for Chris Ryan (36); Chris Ryan for Michael O’Sullivan (47); Jamie Barron for Pat Walsh (50); Shane Ryan for Michael Morrissey (57); Oisin Walsh for Dermot Ryan (57)
Killian O’Sullivan (Cappoquin)
