Rathgormack Are Back In a Senior County Final for the First Time in 19 Years

Rathgormack were the first team to qualify for this year’s County Senior Football Final when they ran out winners by six points at Fraher Field on Sunday evening against a Stradbally side that most had expected to advance.

Seeing the side from under the shadow of the Comeragh Mountains reach this year’s final was no fluke. On the night they were by far the better of the two sides and if the score board told any lines it was that the winners could and should have won more than the six points which they did.

There was some that saw them earlier in the competition who were not impressed with the style of play against the opposition where the primary tactic seemed to be to stop the oppositions best players from scoring and having the influence which they could have on games, but on Sunday evening the Rathgormack players ran and ran and ran even more at every opportunity at the Stradbally players and they did not seem to know what to do to stop them.

I have no doubt that the Waterford Senior Football management team were amongst a big gathering inside the ground for this game and they could do a lot worse than to bring a number of the Rathgormack players into their plans for the year ahead.

Full back Conor Walsh impressed throughout even when marking Shane Ahearne before he was brought out the field to try and get Stradbally into this game really impressed and William Hahessey a player with two All-Ireland Hurling medals won at Minor and Under 21 levels in 2013 and 2016 caused Stradbally all sorts of problems often getting into the Stradbally half of the field from his wing back position where he was helping set up scores for others on his side.

And then there was the talented half forward line of Jason Curry, Billy Power and Conor Murray who contributed nine points between them of their sides tally on the night.

And while Rathgormack will go into Sunday week’s county final in Fraher Field as the underdog with most bookmakers, nobody with an interest in football in the county will be underestimating their chances as it is known only too well locally that they have produced some very good underage teams in recent years, winning both minor and under 21 championships many will feel that while underage success does not guarantee it will come at adult level, there is ability in this Rathgormack side to help bring their club to the next level.

Rathgormack’s win mean that they now will be contesting a first senior County Final since they lost to Stradbally back in 2001 and will be looking to win a first title since beating the same opposition two years earlier.

Rathgormack opened this game in whirlwind fashion racing into a 0-2 to 0-1 lead inside ten minutes, and in this time they were unlucky not to have added more to their tally as Conor Murray, Billy Power and Jason Curry all hit early wides for the side in green and red.

James Power who was listed as a sub but who started this game instead of John Kirwan opened the scoring on four minutes and they doubled their advantage three minutes later when the very impressive Conor Murray split the Stradbally posts.

Eoin O’Brien hit Stradbally’s first score on ten minutes but it was quickly followed with similar efforts from Robbie Flynn and Paul Drohan to extend their sides advantage. Rathgormack were very unlucky not to have been even further in front at this points as for Paul Drohan’s effort on 14 minutes Jason Curry raced down on the Stradbally goal and shot for goal but his effort was brilliantly saved by Eoin Cunningham in the Stradbally goal but when the ball fell to Drohan his shot on the volley ballooned high over the crossbar while facing an empty goal.

Michael Walsh hit Stradbally’s second score on 16 minutes. Kevin Lawlor took a quick 45 and found the veteran inter county hurler who made no mistake from in front of the Rathgormack posts. Billy Power and Conor Murray extended Rathgormack’s lead with points four minutes apart and when Jason Curry put over a free seven minutes from the break it was looking very good for Rathgormack.

Stradbally appeared to be handed a lifeline on 28 minutes. Paddy Kiely sent in a probing ball in around the town end of the ground and as Kevin Lawlor was about to get on the end of it, he was upended by James Power and referee Alan Kissane immediately indicated for a penalty. Lawlor placed the ball on the 12 metre line to face Padraig Hunt in the Rathgormack goal who saved pushing the ball off his right hand upright. The ball came back across the goal but no Stradbally player was able to get to it quickly enough and the chance was lost. A goal at that point would have seen the Cove Men trail by just one, but instead turned around trailing 0-7 to 0-3.

Stradbally at the break made changes bringing on Liam Fennell and Ger Power and early on it looked as if they could turn things around as they started with an early point off the boot of Eoin O’Brien.

But this was as good as it got for them as Billy Power, Conor Murray and Stephen Curry all pointed to give Rathgormack an impressive 0-10 to 0-4 lead with 41 minutes played. Jason Curry pointed from a free with 11 minutes to go. Shane Ahearne cancelled that score out in the next attack but Rathgormack would restore a seven point lead on 51 minutes when Jason Curry again split the posts from a free.

Conor Murray and Eoin O’Brien swapped scores as Rathgormack began to empty their bench to kill time. But there was still time to play and in added time both sides added one further score each, firstly Jason Gleeson put over a free in the second added minute and two minutes later Eoin O’Brien did likewise in the fourth added minute.

Rathgormack: Padraig Hunt; Liam Connolly, Conor Walsh, Cathal Crowch; William Hahessy, Robbie Flynn, Jamie Kirwan; Michael Curry, Tom Walsh; Jason Curry, Billy Power, Conor Murray; Stephen Curry, James Power, Paul Drohan.

Subs: Ronan Cahill for Jamie Kirwan (46), Seanie Lacey for Paul Drohan (54), John Kirwan for Stephen Curry (56), Declan Hennebry for Robbie Flynn (59), Ronan Crotty for Billy Power (63).

Scorers: Conor Murray 0-4, Jason Curry 0-3 (3f), Billy Power 0-2, James Power, Robbie Flynn, Paul Drohan, Stephen Curry, Jason Gleeson (f), 0-1 each.

Stradbally: Eoin Cunningham; Kevin Lawlor, Tony Grey, Jack Mullaney; Damien Sheehan, Shane Lannon, Tommy Connors; Paddy Kiely, Robert Ahearne; Ricky Power, Michael Walsh, Paul Connors; Paul Tobin, Shane Ahearne, Eoin O’Brien.

Subs: Liam Fennell for Paul Tobin (HT), Ger Power for Damien Sheehan (HT), Jack Navin for Ricky Power (43), Cormac Gough for Tommy Connors (46),

Scorers: Eoin O’Brien 0-4 (3f), Shane Ahearne 0-2, Michael Walsh, Kevin Lawlor 0-1 each.

Referee: Alan Kissane