Any hopes
of a scoring feast went out the window as soon as you stepped out the door on
Sunday afternoon. Even though Maurice Condon blew up a tad early, these two
teams deserve the chance to put their best foot forward in more favourable
circumstances. It was reminiscent of twelve months ago when Ballinacourty and
Stradbally produced eleven scores over the hour. We only witnessed twelve on
Sunday.
So, a fifth drawn football final in eleven years brings us back to Fraher Field on Saturday evening but The Nire may be wondering if they missed the boat. Once again, they couldn’t shake off Stradbally after pinning them back in the early exchanges. It could have been lights out for the Reds after that first quarter when The Nire battered the road goal. They could only muster four points in that period of dominance and paid a heavy price when they were pegged back 22 minutes in. Shane Walsh and Brian Wall miscued straightforward frees in front of the posts, one ball went into the goalkeepers’ arms and they had struck four wides by half time. They hit their main men in Shane Walsh and Liam Lawlor and that tactic posed questions of the Stradbally defence. Jamie Barron was also very prominent in the opening half as he picked off a brace of points and linked up effectively with those around him. They couldn’t maintain that fluency and cohesion up front for the full sixty however and a two point lead did scant justice for their first half display.
Stradbally stayed afloat by the skin of their teeth. Michael Walsh dug his heels in and kept his head when all around him were losing theirs. Uncharacteristically Stradbally made a plethora of handling errors early on but the Brick always stayed cool in possession and also helped out in defence. The fact that they didn’t concede a goal also helped them regain a foothold. Oliver Costelloe was alert to the danger at all times and swept up decisively behind his full back line. He was also called into action to deny Shane Ryan and Darren Guiry. The Nire had scored a goal in every championship game before Sunday and registered fourteen in all but they could find no way past the 37 year old. Manager Pat Curran also mentioned after the match that they got some lucky breaks in the form of the two goals. The first major gave them a lifeline when The Nire threatened to pull away and the second handed them something to hold onto.
A deluge at half time ensured that the scoring rate would drop considerably for the second period. The Nire seized control again as a sublime Liam Lawlor point (his third of the afternoon) gave them a three point cushion. A second Stradbally goal put the cat amongst the pigeons however and suddenly the Ballymac men had to reel in their opponents. Surprisingly Liam Lawlor drifted out the field and started picking up possession around the middle. Stradbally didn’t push on after receiving the tonic of that goal despite the continued best efforts of Michael Walsh. The Nire dealt with the threat of the two Ahearnes and Niall Curran with James McGrath shining alongside the experienced duo of Justin Walsh and Maurice O’Gorman. The Reds also held firm at the back and their full back line in particular tightened up. They began to frustrate The Nire but eventually they found the space to kick the equaliser. Seamus Lawlor is no stranger to pushing on into advanced areas and after a patient build up he squared up the contest for the first time. Eight substitutes entered the fray but they made little impact and it’s hard to see changes in either starting fifteen for the next day. Both sides knocked on the door in the closing stages without ever creating a genuine opening for a winner.
Not a classic contest by any means but in the driving November wind and rain nobody had any right to expect one. Stradbally will feel they have more room for improvement. They sprang to life in patches but they simply cannot afford another stuttering start. Their handling let them down far too often especially in the first half. They will also expect a greater return from their forward line next weekend than the four scores put up last Sunday. The Nire delivered a more consistent display over the hour but they didn’t make the most of their purple patches. They know that they had Stradbally’s measure and that will inspire confidence but they must also realise that you must deliver the knock out blow to see off a team of that experience. Plenty to chew over for players, managers and spectators in the next couple of days before the bell sounds for round two.
County final stats
Wides
Stradbally: 8 The Nire: 8
45s
Stradbally: 0 The Nire: 1
Frees
Stradbally: 17 The Nire: 18
Yellow cards
Stradbally: 3 (T Grey, J Coffey, P Kiely) The Nire: 1 (Ml O’Gorman)
Subs used
Stradbally: 4 The Nire: 4
Scoring chances
Stradbally: 4/13 The Nire: 8/18
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