This eagerly anticipated match between intense local rivals was played before a large crowd in Athboy at 5.30 on a wet Saturday evening .There was torrential rain most of the day but it had ceased somewhat just before kickoff time.Such was the crowd that the extremely affable and courteous Athboy officials had to cordon off the training pitch behind the Kells end of the pitch to avoid destruction of it and sinking of vehicles.Many had to leave their cars outside the grounds .
Ttrm deservedly came into this match as favourites for a multiplicity of reasons,mainly because of our injury crisis and the stumbling onwards nature of our campaign to date.There was also the fact that you don't know just how strong the other divisions are.Personally I was not over confident and turned down a fifty Euro bet earlier in he day,Bigger fool me.
We lined out as follows-.
Jennings
A.Newman Spongee Dempsy --Peanut.
Red. Swiss Marty Garry
Dempsey Liamie Kenneally Paddy
S.Coogan Lukie Martin M.Kane
Bomber Simon Carty A.Watters
Subs used. C.HarteJordan Martyn,S,Maguire,D.Mahon.
Considering the rain spilled for the previous 24 hours the pitch held up well.But the ball was like a bar of soap and it was slippy enough.
Watters played as a sweeper for us and the Trim Manager,former Dunderry player Maurice Power,set his team up likewise.There were two men only up front each side and the middle third of the pitch was choc a block with players.There was a plenitude of short passing in the cramped middle as both teams bode their time to let a long ball into the first inside forward to get a few feet on his opponent.The conditions didn't suit this type of play and a good few passes went astray at vital moments.On balance we were more adroit at the passing but still scores were as scarce as hen's teeth.After 20 minutes there were I think maybe just 5 points on the score board with feck all between the teams.
Inter County Referee Cormack Reilly did his job in full accord with the Eugene Magee school of abhorrence of even the threat of physical contact or manliness and flashed a black card on one of the Trim players which tilted the game very much in our favour.In a game of ballet with skiddy ball ,completely without rancour ,he flashed yellow cards at will and wrote copious notes all over the place ,interrupting the flow of play completely.Against both sides I might add.I have no doubt that he operated fully under the rules in what I don't recognize as Gaelic Football at all and I played all my active life.
Is there any chance at all that Hurling only Referees can be appointed to football matches in future,applying hurling rules only ,including the upcoming All Ireland replay ,in order to save the game of football before it is destroyed entirely.
Anyhow the turning point came when S,Coogan slipped his marker and with consummate skill and aplomb stuck the ball in the net ten minutes before the half time whistle.We were never again to be headed.
No one stood out above the other in the first half ,Coogan excepted,and we fought hard communally for every ball allover the pitch.Frankie Murphy was lording it at midfield and causing us problems but Liamie and Paddy did enough to keep us in contention.
We went in on a scoreline of 1-4 to 0-3.
After the break Trim whittled away at our lead and I was worried when they hauled us back to a lead of a point.And then following a freakish goal from a longish ball by Bomber all changed.In truth the Trim rearguard was susceptible to quick high ball.Bomber is a big lad and hard to handle and had the measure of his opponent all of the time and the handling of their goalie was somewhat suspect.
Buoyed by the change of fortune we forged ahead and Trim panicked.Where heretofore we were hitting wides our confidence soared and the points started to go over.Passes that were previously going astray started to find their mark and we grew in stature.
The converse happened with Trim.
You write Dunderry off at your peril and we won pulling up.
Scorers .Cougar 1-6 (5 frees),Bomber 1-1.Carty 0-1.Harte 0-1.
It is a tribute to our defense that Trim were confined to 0-7 in an hour's football.
On a personal level Eoin Kelly is a son in law of mine, a decent man and a Trim man through and through.No one has trained harder nor breached the pain barrier more than he in their cause.He is in the last chance saloon age wise and this may well have been his last appearance ,even on the bench.
I find it disrespectful to him not to have given him some playing time in this game and hope we in Dunderry would have the cop on to give any player we had in a similar position a run as a matter of respect.
Again this is none of my business but there you are.
As far as I know it is Ballinabrackey in the semi and then the winners of Walterstown and Saint Colmcilles in the Final.
Don't rule us out.The football Gods are with us.
The half seven Mass in Dunderry on Saturday was for Molly,Tommy and Joe Mc Cormack and the deceased members of the Mc Cormack family,Dunderry fanatics all.I missed the Mass as I was unwell but Finn who got it tswears that a cheer went up halfway.
I don't doubt him.
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