The Déise El Clásico

All sports fans will have heard of El Clásico. For those that may have not heard of El Clásico it is the name given to any match between Spain’s two biggest soccer teams – Real Madrid and Barcelona.

El Clásico originally referred to game’s played in the games held under the control of the Spanish Football Association, nowadays with the introduction of such competitions as the Champions League etc. any game featuring Real Madrid and Barcelona is referred to as El Clásico.

Twelve months ago, The Nire and Kilrossanty were paired together in the quarter finals of the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Waterford Senior Football Championship, the sides fought out a game that was without doubt the game of the championship. At the end of the hour the sides were locked together, and even after another twenty minutes, the sides could not be separated.

To expect the sides in the replay to fight out another classic would be expecting a lot. Replays are seldom as good as the game that was fought out just before it. The Nire won the replay, a enjoyable game but not a classic.

When the two sides were pitted together at the same stage of this year’s championship a few weeks back, many were wondering what kind of game would be served up. Would it come anywhere near as good as the game twelve months ago many were wondering, especially as both sides were going to be without key personnel.

Giving updates of this years game on my Twitter account (Thomaskeane1973 if you don’t follow me already) I noticed one comment that came in regarding one of my tweets after the game, ‘it was another El Clásico alright’.

Meetings between Kilrossanty and The Nire in knockout games of the Waterford Senior Football Championship are indeed fast becoming the Déise El Clásico.

This years game was not as good as last years game, it was better, and its possibly fair to say that if the two sides were to meet in a knockout game in next years championship, many are already planning to be in attendance.

I must admit, when I heard that this years game was going to be played on Friday evening last I intended on giving it a miss. When I heard a week ago that the game was going to go ahead on Saturday evening and be part of a treble header of games at Fraher Field, even though it was going to be a long day, I decided that I could not miss it, and am delighted that I did attend it.

This without doubt is the best game of football played within the county this year, and if there is going to be a better game played for the remainder of the year, I hope to be at the game as it will prove to be a must not miss game.

From the off this game had it all. Football played as it should by the two sides, some great scores and an outcome that was in doubt right to the very end.

The Nire who had former Tipperary footballer Declan Browne with them in the line started the game without Shane Walsh, Jamie Barron and Shane Lawlor. Kilrossanty started the game without Tommy Prendergast who picked up a serious injury in the game with Stradbally a few weeks back but they were able to welcome back Paul Whyte into the team after a short spell in America.

The game was just over thirty seconds old when Paul Whyte had the first score of the game registered on the score board.

The Nire were not long behind as cousins Shane Ryan and Brian Wall put over frees to give their side a 0-2 to 0-1 lead with three minutes played.

A minute on, Joey Veale pointed to level matters for Kilrossanty. We were already getting a good indication as to how this game was going to be fought out.

Kilrossanty took the lead once more on nine minutes when David Power scored, but as when it happened earlier in the game, The Nire were not long behind. They hit the next three scores through Craig Guiry, Shane Ryan and Conor Gleeson to give then a two point advantage.

By the twenty second minute the sides were level again as David Power and Eoin Cummins hit points for Kilrossanty and this was followed buy Liam Lawlor and Joey Veale two men to play minor football together ten years ago swapped points to keep the sides locked together.

Michael O’Gorman put The Nire back in front on twenty seven minutes but seconds later Joey Veale had the sides in deadlock once more.

 A Paul Whyte point on the half hour mark looked as though it would give Kilrossanty an advantage at the turn around but in stoppage time Darren Guiry pointed for The Nire to send the sides to the dressing rooms tied at eight points a piece.

Kilrossanty came out for the second half kicking the first two scores of the half. Paul Whyte needed less than fifteen seconds to edge John Kiely’s men in front and seconds later Joey Veale extended the lead.

Shane Ryan put a free between the uprights for minutes after the restart and seconds later the impressive Darren Guiry leveled matters for the eight time in the game.

The games first green flag was raised on thirty six minutes, Darren Guiry brilliantly blasted past Darren Mulhearne in the Kilrossanty goal after he was picked out by Conor Gleeson and The Nire went four points in front moments later when Seamus Lawlor dissected the posts.

Kilrossanty hit a purple patch over the following minutes.

Paul Whyte pointed on forty-three minutes and it was followed up with a Joey Veale free and then Niall Walsh and Paul Whyte landed scores which leveled matters once more.

Dermot Ryan was only moments on the field when he edged The Nire back in front, and from Darren Mulhearne’s restart after Ryan’s score Kilrossanty attacked up field and Paul Whyte cracked the ball past Tommy Wall in the Nire goal to give his side a two point cushion.

With five minutes of the hour remaining, the sides were level again after Brian Wall from a free and Craig Guiry landed points for The Nire and it was looking as though extra time was a distinct thing to find a possible winner for the second year in a row.

Paul Whyte kicked Kilrossanty back in front from a free with four minutes play. The Nire’s response was to send for the cavalry, sending Shane Walsh and Jamie Barron into action.

With three minutes to go, Shane Ryan leveled matters. With the lights on in Fraher Field, it was looking as though nobody would be leaving the ground early in this game.

On the hour mark, Shane Walsh landed a point for The Nire which put them in front once more (1-16 to 1-15), but there was still time for Kilrossanty to get something from the game.

Deep in stoppage time, Kilrossanty won a free just outside The Nire’s forty-five metre line. Paul Whyte carefully placed the ball. Many times before he had kicked scores from this distance and even slightly further out the field, but no kick in the past was to prove more pressure-full than this one. Slightly to the left of the uprights, the Kilrossanty many got plenty of high in his kick, but it fell a little short of the target.

The Nire brought the ball out the field and the full time whistle sounded.   

For Kilrossanty, Paul Whyte was outstanding throughout, finishing the game with 1-6 to his name. Joey Veale who finished with five points was equally as impressive.

For The Nire, while they had no one to match Paul Whyte, they put in an overall better team performance. Ten different players out of the eighteen used in this game verified this.

The draw for the semi finals will take place on W.L.R.fm 1pm sports news on Monday. Going on this performance, Stradbally, Ballinacourty and An Rinn who all came through this weekends quarter finals will want to avoid The Nire, but they will know that if they are to stand a chance of winning the Conway Cup this year, one of them will have to beat The Nire and going on this game, that wont happen easily.

The Nire: Tommy Wall; Justin Walsh, Maurice O’Gorman, Tommy Cooney; John Moore, Thomas O’Gorman, Michael Moore; Michael O’Gorman, Craig Guiry; Seamus Lawlor, Brian Wall, Darren Guiry; Conor Gleeson, Liam Lawlor, Shane Ryan. Subs: Dermot Ryan for Seamus Lawlor, Shane Walsh for Michael Moore, Jamie Barron for Darren Guiry.

Scorers: Darren Guiry 1-2, Shane Ryan 0-4 (3 frees), Brian Wall (2 frees), Craig Guiry 0-2 each, Conor Gleeson, Liam Lawlor, Michael O’Gorman, Seamus Lawlor, Dermot Ryan, Shane Walsh 0-1 each.

Kilrossanty: Darren Mulhearne; Paul Hayes, Mark Prendergast, Kevin Delahunty; Niall Walsh, Seamus Veale, Barry Prendergast; Paul Whyte, Brendan McGarr; David Power, Joey Veale, Paul Keating; Willie Brazil, Tommy Prendergast, Eoin Cummins. Subs: Alan Quinn for Willie Brazil, Pa Cunningham for Paul Keating.

Scorers: Paul Whyte 1-6 (0-3 frees), Joey Veale 0-5, David Power 0-2, Eoin Cummins, Niall Walsh 0-1 each.

Referee: John Condon.