In a windy Trim today this eagerly awaited first round championship match was dramatically played out before an appreciative crowd that stayed on to the bitter end,
No doubt about it the pitch in Trim is immaculate and the Trim stewards are top rate securing for yours truly a chair to plonk my arse on and enjoy,or rather suffer ,an enthralling game on this the Sunday when Blaithin Roisin Mac Donagh.fourth child of Terry and our Jacinta was Christened in Kilbride by Father Hornick.
Dunderry Team.
Davy Jennings
A.Newman S,Harte C.O.Shea
C,Dempsey D.Mac Cormack S.Carty
C.Farrell A.Coogan
L.Martyn S.Coogan Swiss Clarke
Bob Doherty Finn Stephens Paddy Kenneally
While not wishing to belittle the selectors ,having been one myself so often in the past,and made my share of mistakes I was baffled how Liam Dempsey didn't make the first fifteen .He is big,hardy and honest and even under the playing rules of the Longford roadshow er there is a place for men of his calibre in our game of showboats.
Playing against a strong wind blowing into the graveyard end our boys were first to show with Swiss burying a ball recycled from a Stephens catch via a few astute hands into the back of the net.Our lead was short lived however as Longwood ,orchestrated by Mickey Bourke ,repeated the dose at the other end.You would fear for us with that wind against us.But Jennings was getting good distance and direction into his kick outs.And Finn was the Lord of the Square winning any decently played ball coming his direction.Bob too was up for it.bawling for ball and winning it.Davy Mac was sticking it in as allowed by rule.And Swiss too was on song.The old dogs for the high road.
Paddy was in difficulty in the corner,conditions not suiting his individualist game and the ball did not flow for Lukie either.Bomber was hanging in there at midfield ,Andy was under pressure ,finding it difficult to get going in a tight and tough game where time is of the essence and Simon was not showing.Harte was under erasure at full back.But we held in there fairly well.
Oh I forgot about the referee.Probably he was applying the rules .I have no idea.Seemingly putting a hand on a man now is a mortal sin in the gelded arenas of the Gael where manliness is verboten .In twenty minutes Bomber got two yellows and a red,The first yellow ,maybe.The second no way.At worst it was pure awkwardness of a bigger man on a smaller one .Bad call by the ref.
Then Paddy went down not to recover,Knee trouble.Gone.Then Seamus.Down and gone .Ted and Alan Waters on in their place.Ted didn't last 5 minutes .Black carded.Not sure for what,Certainly no one died.Someone probably Sky ed out of it.( We legislate to suit Sky now,not the players.)
Down a quarter of our first choices we looked in fierce trouble.
But we got thick and dug in ,Spongee went full back and Finn centre half and the resistance started in earnest.There was no handy way down the centre now.Finn and Swiss were like colts (or should I say stallions ) out for their first Spring run.Inspired by their example the rest rose their game.Game on.
We tacked on three hard earned points to their six to go in at half time down only three points on a scoreline 1-6 to 1-3.,Stephen Coogans point scoring from frees being uncanny and Baby Doc finding the target despite the attention of four markers.
Hope springs eternal we reasoned .With the wind even fourteen men could do it.I prayed.
Bourke scored a minor within a minute of the throw in .4 down now and they were owning the ball.But we harassed and harried and counterattacked.And Bob was still dangerous.Younger Dempsey put it up to Bourke.Must be the Henry in him.Finn and Swiss were collosal and the two Davies relived their glory days.O Shea was short of match practise and it showed at times,but he would tackle a Rotarian in the cause and did repeatedly.Aaron is playing the best he ever did in his new position and it suits him (His dad is well entitled to name him in the Chronicle on this occasion.)
And the counterattacking suited under 21 county man Carty who showed his speed to advantage making several furtive forays up field ,running unfortunately betimes into cul de sacs.Experience will fix this.Stephen kept striking the frees over and is cute at making himself available.Marty Garry replaced an out of sorts Lukie and John Paul likewise replaced Andy.There may have n been more.I don't know.Marty came good and made several important intercepts.At least one Longwood man got a black.again I don#t know why.
The Longford Roadster would surely approve of this stop start foul feast which is destroying our game (If you don't believe me look at the last twenty minutes of the Dublin /Cork league semi today and see a really happy whistleblower in action.Disgraceful ).
Anyhow we somehow went two ahead with 10 minutes to go,mainly due to the impeccable free taking of Coogan the younger and the physical presence of Liam Dempsey also introduced ,for whom I am unsure.
The last ten were tension spring ed as they drew back one and tried all out to get the other.
But we held on .Just .Hallelujah.
The auld dogs for the high road.Man of the match,Finn by a whiskey from Swiss and the two Davy,s with Baby Doc a contender.Stephen Coogan the king of the kids with Aaron pushing him to the finishing line.And the Dempsey's brothers take a bow too.
The rest did brilliant but can improve and will.
I didn't take the scorers names but will publish when available.
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