Stradbally Topple Champions

Stradbally advanced to the semi finals of this year’s County Senior Football Championship on Sunday evening at Fraher Field when they had four points to spare over arch rivals The Nire in the second round of the new look JJ Kavanagh & Sons County Senior Football Championship but it was football that was the real winner in this game and those that left the ground about 8-30pm did so safe in the knowledge that they had seen a good game of football regardless of what side they were there to support.

Too often in the past when these two sides did battle at this same venue, a drab affair was often fought out with often just a single kick of the ball between the sides at the end of the hour in what was to prove to be a low scoring game, but this cannot be said of this game.

For much of the game it looked as if Stradbally would advance to the last four, joining An Rinn and Kilrossanty who had already qualified for the semi finals after recent round two wins, but with time ticking down and when Tholm Guiry finished to the net, just moments after coming on and he finished to the net, it looked that it would be the reigning champions that would advance, but as everyone knows you write Stradbally off at your pearl and it was they that struck some late scores which means that the reigning champions will have to go through the scenic route if they are to retain the Conway Cup this autumn.

The winners had first use of the strong wind which blew into the town end of the ground, and they made good use of that advantage as they headed to the dressing rooms at the break holding a 1-8 to 0-5 advantage.

It was Paul Tobin that opened the scoring for Stradbally in this game in the first minute, but it was cancelled out with an effort from the champion’s best player on the night Shane Walsh two minutes later.

Eoin O’Brien and Shane Walsh would swap scores in the next eight minutes to keep the sides locked on the scoreboard but the Cove Men would soon step up a gear or two.

Michael Sweeny edged them one in front from a free after which Shane Lannon and Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh landed points to give their sides a 0-5 to 0-2 advantage with the game having entered its second quarter.

Shane O’Meara pulled a point back for The Nire before Shane Ahearne and Shane Walsh swapped scores with twenty minutes played.

The game’s first goal came on twenty two minutes when Michael Walsh set up Shane Ahearne who shot for goal but his shot was blocked but Ger Crowley was in the right place to capitalise and finished to the net to give his side a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage.

Michael O’Gorman pulled a point back for the champions on the half hour mark but in added time at the end of the thirty Shane Ahearne put over a brace of scores to give his side a six point advantage at the break.

The Nire cut the Stradbally lead by half at the start of the second half as with the very first attack of the half Dermot Ryan tore the reds defence apart with a brilliant run and when he found Conor Gleeson the inter county hurler made no mistake in finding the net.

Shane Walsh landed a point for the champions either side of efforts from Eoin O’Brien and Robert Ahearne after which O’Brien again split the posts to put five between the sides.

The champions introduced Tom Barron for the final quarter of this game and his introduction made a telling impact as Shane O’Meara and Jamie Barron with a brace landed scores to leave just one between the sides with ten minutes to play.

If the introduction of Tom Barron seemed to be a good move by the Nire mentors, the introduction of Tholm Guiry for his championship debut on 51 appeared to be a master stroke as within seconds of his coming on Tom Barron ran at the Stradbally defence and attempted his look for goal which was saved by Eoin Cunningham but Tholm Guiry was on hand and was in the right place to fist the size five to an empty Stradbally net.

Robert Ahearne and Shane O’Meara swapped scores within a minute of each other with three minutes of the game to play, leaving The Nire 2-11 to 1-13 in front.

Stradbally with the past two decades are one of the hardest teams in the county to beat as they never lie down and they showed once more that they keep enough in the tank right to the end.

With a minute of the game to play Michael Walsh, Shane and Robert Ahearne and Eoin O’Brien all linked up to set up Paul Tobin who finished to the net to give his side the lead once more.

Stradbally refused to sit on their laurels and pressed on and kicked scores in added time at the end of the hour through Michael Walsh and Tony Grey to book their passage to the last four of this year’s competition.

Stradbally: Eoin Cunningham; Luke Casey, Kevin Lawlor, Jack Mullaney; Tony Grey, Shane Lannon, Paul Connors; Michael Walsh, Daniel Weldon; Ger Crowley, Eoin O’Brien, Shane Ahearne; Michael Sweeney, Robert Ahearne, Paul Tobin. Subs: Ciaran Cusack for Ger Crowley (51), Ger Power for Daniel Weldon (55), Cormac Gough for Michael Sweeney (62).

Scorers: Paul Tobin 1-1, Shane Ahearne 0-4 (1f), Eoin O’Brien 0-3, Ger Crowley 1-0, Robert Ahearne, Michael Walsh 0-2 each, Michael Sweeney, Shane Lannon, Tony Grey 0-1.

The Nire: Diarmuid Murphy; Dave Meehan, Dermot Ryan, Jake Mulcahy; James McGrath, Shane Ryan, Darren Guiry; Dylan Guiry, Craig Guiry; Seamus Lawlor, Conor Gleeson, Jamie Barron; Shane O’Meara, Michael O’Gorman, Shane Walsh. Subs: Tom Barron for Michael O’Gorman (44), Tholm Guiry for Craig Guiry (51),

Scorers: Shane Walsh 0-4, Shane O’Meara 0-3, Conor Gleeson, Tholm Guiry 1-0 each, Jamie Barron 0-2, Michael O’Gorman, Dylan Guiry 0-1 each.

Referee: Anthony Fitzgerald.