Oldcastle win First Round

There was a great Oldcastle support in HQ for the lads today, and a lovely afternoon for  football it was. The first half of the IFC (Rd.1) got underway with a Drumbaragh point, but Oldcastle soon got off the mark: Oran O’Reilly securing a Drumbaragh kickout, on to Jason Scully, to Pat Crawley, on to Tom Lynch, over to Paul Hennessey and back to Jason Scully who sailed over a lovey two-pointer. A fine score next from Oran Mulvanny, who was instrumental in the next score also, his running catch fed in to Garrett O’Reilly who was in his favoured kicking position, and he sailed her between the posts. Drumbaragh converted a free; Conor McHugh getting the kickout to Rory Crawley, on via Thomas Sheridan, to Paddy Rahill, to Jason Scully who had to hightail it to the corner and sidestep three tackles as the went, over to Tom Lynch, to Pat Crawley, he spotted Paul Hennessey in a better position and chipped her in to him: Paul scored. Drumbaragh came back with a good attack and what looked like a certain goal, but super defence work from Dylan Garrigan saved the day. Oldcastle had the lion’s share of the possession, but weren’t really getting the return on it, with some wide shots too. Paddy Rahill got a good punch at the ball to bring her down to Pearse Sheridan, who fed a lovely pass on to Paul Hennessey on a run; he scored once more. Drumbaragh kept pushing, and Thomas Sheridan was working hard in defence to keep them out.

A great long ball in from Dylan Garrigan found Pearse Sheridan, and he was in hard luck not to get a goal from it, rattling the back of the net, but from the side, centimetres out. It went back for a free, which Pearse converted. Drumbaragh added on a free of their own soon after, and within a couple of minutes were awarded another, brought up! The gap was now down to two. Jason Scully brought down a high kickout, on to Pat, back to Jason and in to Lee Healy for a point. Drumbaragh attacked again, but great work from Rory Crawley dispossessed their man, on to Oran Mulvanny on a run, on again to Pearse and finally to the younger Crawley, Pat, who put her between the posts.

A lovely, well-worked score from Oldcastle next, Paul Hennessey on to Rory Crawley, back to Paul and on to Oran Mulvanny, to Lee Healy, back to Oran, back to Rory, to Paddy Rahill, back to Lee, on via Steven Lawless, back to Paddy, to Oran again, to Pearse Sheridan, back to Rory and finally in to Tom Lynch for a good solid point. A lovely Paul Hennessey long ball in to Lee soon after, on then to Pearse, and he put it between the posts while under pressure, another nice score, and extending the gap to six. However, Drumbaragh were awarded a free from way out just before the hooter blew, and they converted for the two-points, to give themselves a strategically timed boost and leave the half-time score Oldcastle 0-11, Drumbaragh 0-07.

Into the second -half, and Oldcastle had the perfect start: a super catch from Oran Mulanny, on to Jason Scully, in to Paul Hennessey and between the posts, all within fifteen seconds of the restart! Another from Pearse Sheridan, with a Thomas Sheridan intercept ending up as a Pat Crawley point for three in a row. Tom Lynch added the next for Oldcastle, and it was great to see Colin Hawdon come on soon after, on his return to play after injury. The next opposition kickout was taken down by Dylan Garrigan, who was having a good match, on via the equally hardworking Jason Scully, and in to a man who covered every inch of the pitch, weaving over and back, up and down, without stop; Steven Lawless, a great catch and a fine point for Steven. An eight-point lead had opened by now with ten minutes played, but a lull then, a full seven minutes before the next score: Oran O’Reilly getting the ball on to Darren Hawdon, to Tom Lynch, Dylan Garrigan, on to Pearse Sheridan and Paul Hennessey, to Conor Delaney and finally Pat Crawley who put her between the posts for his third point of his Championship Debut.

Nine points up now with 17 minutes gone and it was looking good, but Drumbaragh finally woke up and started the fight-back: a well-worked piece of play resulting in a goal! They attacked again, a free awarded and dropped in right in front of Conor McHugh’s goal once again, and a literal melee went on for a minute: at least three goal chances attempted and stopped before, finally, the ball was driven out and back up the right direction, Oldcastle hearts in mouth, before a sigh of relief! Rory Crawley added on a score for Oldcastle, but Drumbaragh came again, a good attack resulting in a two-pointer, and reducing the gap still further.

A temporary sub on for Oran Mulvanny after he suffered a ferocious bang to both sides of the head, and lull for a few minutes, but Drumbaragh were on the rampage again in the 25th minute, and added on yet another two-pointer, to leave it a three point game, but worse was to come with the next kick of the ball: Drumbaragh once again, and this time a point scored, now it was a two-point game! Mother of Jesus, we should be out the door the Oldcastle folk were thinking.

But the lads rallied and regrouped, put the heads down and fought back: a Colin Hawdon point in the 27th minute steadying the ship. Brother Darren caught the Drumbaragh kickout, on via Dylan Garrigan, to Cian McPartland, back to Dylan and in to the young Shane Boylan who took a tremendous shot and sailed her stratospherically over the bar! A four-point gap once more, but like the bunny boiler in Fatal Attraction, Drumbaragh came back at us again, a free awarded outside the D, and sent over for another two pointer…we were back in dangerous territory, with 28 minutes on the clock. Oldcastle had a goal chance, it didn’t work out, but the ball back for a mark, and Colin Hawdon sailed her over once again, a three point gap and a minute to go, and with that, the lads kept their composure and kept possession, the ball to Paul Hennessey who put her over the bar for the final score of the game, with the clock reading 29.50, and when the hooter went it was on a final score of Oldcastle 0-22, Drumbaragh 1-15.

Not pretty, but entertaining, heart-stopping at times, but the right winners in the end, and a super spread of scoring, with scores from twelve different players from the twenty who played. Our next Intermediate Championship outing is against Curraha on Thursday 14th in Pairc Tailteann at 7.30pm.

Team: Conor McHugh, Thomas Sheridan, Dylan Garrigan, Oran O’Reilly, Rory Crawley (0-01), Paddy Rahill, Steven Lawless (0-01), Paul Hennessey (0-04), Oran Mulvanny (0-01), Tom Lynch (0-02), Jason Scully (0-02 (2P)), Lee Healy (0-01), Pat Crawley (0-03), Pearse Sheridan (0-03), Garrett O’Reilly (0-01). Subs: Colin Hawdon (0-02), Conor Delaney, Darren Hawdon, Shane Boylan (0-01), Cian