Stradbally to represent Waterford in Munster

Stradbally moved to within two wins of the record nineteen championship successes that Dungarvan have on their roll of honour after they beat The Nire in a dramatic County Senior Football Final Replay at Fraher Field this evening.

This game was much different to the game fought out between the same two sides on Sunday afternoon last.

The wind and rain that savaged the drawn game was no where to be seen at the Shandon Road venue, but in the region of 1,500 patrons braved the cold to go and see what was an entertaining game.

The game was on less than two minutes when there was a lengthy stoppage after Trevor Costelloe picked up an injury that required him to be substituted. John Hearne also went off for the Cove Men late in the first half, and in the second half, The Nire lost Liam Lawlor with an injury. Seeing a player having to go off in such circumstances is always hard to see. Hopefully the injuries are not too serious and that we will see all three players back to full health sooner rather than later.

After a slow start, the first score of the game came on six minutes when Brian Wall pointed for The Nire. Stradbally however are not a side to lie down and roll over too easily and within second they were level after Shane Ahearne who had an impressive game for Stradbally put the ball between the uprights.

The Nire in the minutes that followed enjoyed a period of supremacy and raced into a four point lead after a quarter of an hour.

Brian Wall kicked his second score of the game from a free on eleven minutes. Shane Ryan followed up with a point on thirteen minutes and then Liam Lawlor with a brace of points put The Nire 0-5 to 0-1 after fifteen minutes.

A brace of Shane Ahearne scores, the first from a free brought Stradbally back to within two points of the Comeragh Men, but Darren Guiry put further daylight between the sides with a point on twenty-three minutes.

A Niall Curran free four minutes from the end of normal time in the first half meant that there was just two between the sides once more, but there was still some considerable time to be played.

Three minutes were to be added at the end of the first half for stoppages, mainly for the injury to Trevor Costelloe, but in this time, John Hearne went down injured and needed to be removed from the field on a stretcher which meant that more than three minutes were to be added.

In total, just over seven minutes were added at the end of the opening allotted thirty minutes and just as the stop watch showed thirty seven minutes, Shane Walsh pointed for The Nire to give them a 0-7 to 0-4 lead with the half time whistle following shortly afterwards.

Scores in the third quarter were hard fought. Niall Curran brought Stradbally back to within two points of Stradbally on thirty-two minutes, but four minutes later Shane Walsh put three between the sides with a point from play and at the end of third quarter, John Coffey pointed to leave just two between the sides.

A goal in this game was always going to be crucial. The games only goal came on forty-eight minutes. Robert Ahearne who had a quiet game by his standards sent a high dropping ball in around The Nire goal which looked to be going over the cross bar but it never managed to do so, instead falling in around The Nire goalmouth and Ger Power reacted quickest to plant it into the back of The Nire’s net.

Stradbally were now in the lead for the first time and immediately we saw them go into typical Stradbally mode, closing down the Stradbally attack at every opportunity. The loss of Liam Lawlor on forty-four minutes was a massive blow to The Nire but his absence could not be put down to them loosing the game as Stradbally had lost Trevor Costelloe and John Hearne in the first half and there absence was also a loss.

Shane Ahearne put over a ’45 for Stradbally with ten minutes of the hour to play to give them a 1-7 to 0-8 lead but in the next four minutes Shane Walsh from a free and a good score from play off the boot of Thomas O’Gorman followed to draw the sides level and it looked as if these two great rivals were going to need extra time to find a winner.

David Grey is a player that impressed a lot for Stradbally in the earlier games this year, but as the year went on, for some strange reason to neutrals he found himself used more and more sparingly.

He had been sent on with twenty minutes to go and was quiet by his standards, but this is often when a player is most at his dangerous, and one minute into added time he kicked a point for Stradbally which proved to be the winning score of the game.

The Nire attacked from the restart, but they were unable to hit the score that would send the game into overtime. Stradbally, champions of winning games by the smallest possible margin, despite been four points down after a quarter of an hour for the second time in less than week had done it again, winning on a 1-8 0-10 scoreline and will not go on to meet Cork champions Castlehaven next Sunday in Clonakilty.

Stradbally: Oliver Costelloe; Tony Grey, Kevin Coffey, Trevor Costelloe; Andy Doyle, Eddie Rockett, Shane Lannon; Michael Walsh, John Hearne; Paddy Kiely, Ger Power, John Coffey; Niall Curran, Shane Ahearne, Robert Ahearne. Subs: Paddy Doyle for Trevor Costelloe, Stephen Cunningham for John Hearne, David Grey for Andy Doyle, Luke Casey for Paddy Doyle, Trevor Curran for Ger Power.

Scorers: Shane Ahearne 0-4 (1 free, 1 ’45), Ger Power 1-0, Niall Curran 0-2 (2 frees), John Coffey, David Grey 0-1 each.

The Nire: Tommy Wall; James McGrath, Maurice O’Gorman, Justin Walsh; Seamus Lawlor, Martin Walsh, John Moore; Michael O’Gorman, Thomas O’Gorman; Darren Guiry, Brian Wall, Jamie Barron; Shane Walsh, Liam Lawlor, Shane Ryan. Subs: Richie Fenton for Liam Lawlor, Diarmuid Wall for Shane Ryan.

Scorers: Shane Walsh 0-3 (2 frees), Brian Wall (1 free), Liam Lawlor 0-2 each, Shane Ryan, Darren Guiry, Thomas O’Gorman 0-1 each.

Referee: Alan Kissane (Dunhill)