Ballyragget under lights was the unique Sunday night setting for the keenly awaited city derby in this Section B final of the J.H.C. When the Continent and the Village collide – there’s sure to be fireworks and this occasion proved to be no different. In the end – An Alan Geoghegan master class would be the difference between the teams.
Paddy Cantwell got in an early block to signal intent but Conor McQuillan and Eoin McCormack of James Stephens were to get the first two scores of the game. The same Paddy Cantwell struck a beauty from the sideline to reduce the deficit to a single point. Alan Geoghegan’s equalizer was a cracker off his left and was a portent of things to come. Brian Murphy looked solid around his own house and rose high to take one from the floodlit sky. Huw Lawlor also emerged from his defence twice in as many minutes to clear OLG lines.
Martin Gibbons won possession around the middle and quickly found Brian Dowling who struck to put O’Loughlins in the lead for the first time – on twelve minutes. The Village hit back however with a double of their own to once again take the narrowest of leads. Padraig Meany was prominent at this point and could be seen mopping up an amount of ball. Danny Bolger struck the equalizer on seventeen minutes on the back of some neat Daniel DOC O’Connor work. The game was interrupted at this point by a good old schmozzle - both teams wanted this one badly.
Danny Bolger found Alan Geoghegan who fired a miracle shot from the sideline over the black spot – whatta score! The Village were not to be outdone however and finished the half with four fine points of their own (McQuillan bagging two more). Ricky Leydon battened down the hatches in defence with a superb catch and clearance and OLG added two more points to their tally – a Geoghegan free and a Danny Lenihan special to end the half one point adrift.
H/T: O’Loughlin Gaels 0-07, James Stephens 0-08
An Eoin McCormack free stretched the Village’s lead to two points before OLG hit three on the spin. Two in a row from Danny Lenihan (both from narrow angles) and a neat Brian Dowling point once again, put The Continent out in front. The see-saw nature of the game was to continue – with the Village once more wrestling back the advantage with two unanswered points. But cometh the hour..............that man Alan Geoghegan fired the leveller on eighteen minutes. Then, came the decisive score of the game. Danny Bolger cracked his shot off the crossbar and Paddy Cantwell followed up the rebound to pull hard for a precious three pointer.
The Village were not done yet and added four more points but Alan Geoghegan would strike two beauties (one from a free and one from play) to ensure OLG would run out two point winners of this highly entertaining game.
F/T: O’Loughlin Gaels 1-13, James Stephens 0-14
Sammy Johnston, Alan O’Brien, Brian Murphy, Andy Cantwell, Huw Lawlor, Ricky Leydon, Padraig Meany, Vinny Wallace, Martin Gibbons, Alan Geoghegan 0-6 (2f’s), Paddy Cantwell 1-1, Daniel O’Connor, Danny Bolger 0-1, Brian Dowling 0-2, Danny Lenihan 0-3, Subs Used: Sheamie Cummins
Paddy Cantwell got in an early block to signal intent but Conor McQuillan and Eoin McCormack of James Stephens were to get the first two scores of the game. The same Paddy Cantwell struck a beauty from the sideline to reduce the deficit to a single point. Alan Geoghegan’s equalizer was a cracker off his left and was a portent of things to come. Brian Murphy looked solid around his own house and rose high to take one from the floodlit sky. Huw Lawlor also emerged from his defence twice in as many minutes to clear OLG lines.
Martin Gibbons won possession around the middle and quickly found Brian Dowling who struck to put O’Loughlins in the lead for the first time – on twelve minutes. The Village hit back however with a double of their own to once again take the narrowest of leads. Padraig Meany was prominent at this point and could be seen mopping up an amount of ball. Danny Bolger struck the equalizer on seventeen minutes on the back of some neat Daniel DOC O’Connor work. The game was interrupted at this point by a good old schmozzle - both teams wanted this one badly.
Danny Bolger found Alan Geoghegan who fired a miracle shot from the sideline over the black spot – whatta score! The Village were not to be outdone however and finished the half with four fine points of their own (McQuillan bagging two more). Ricky Leydon battened down the hatches in defence with a superb catch and clearance and OLG added two more points to their tally – a Geoghegan free and a Danny Lenihan special to end the half one point adrift.
H/T: O’Loughlin Gaels 0-07, James Stephens 0-08
An Eoin McCormack free stretched the Village’s lead to two points before OLG hit three on the spin. Two in a row from Danny Lenihan (both from narrow angles) and a neat Brian Dowling point once again, put The Continent out in front. The see-saw nature of the game was to continue – with the Village once more wrestling back the advantage with two unanswered points. But cometh the hour..............that man Alan Geoghegan fired the leveller on eighteen minutes. Then, came the decisive score of the game. Danny Bolger cracked his shot off the crossbar and Paddy Cantwell followed up the rebound to pull hard for a precious three pointer.
The Village were not done yet and added four more points but Alan Geoghegan would strike two beauties (one from a free and one from play) to ensure OLG would run out two point winners of this highly entertaining game.
F/T: O’Loughlin Gaels 1-13, James Stephens 0-14
Sammy Johnston, Alan O’Brien, Brian Murphy, Andy Cantwell, Huw Lawlor, Ricky Leydon, Padraig Meany, Vinny Wallace, Martin Gibbons, Alan Geoghegan 0-6 (2f’s), Paddy Cantwell 1-1, Daniel O’Connor, Danny Bolger 0-1, Brian Dowling 0-2, Danny Lenihan 0-3, Subs Used: Sheamie Cummins
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