Cortown Pitch was resplendent tonight at 7.00 p.m. for this vital match which would have a huge bearing on the Championship.
We inhabit the group of death in this Championship.Every team in it is better than the other.Last week we beat a lacklustre Ballivor team and Trim were hockeyed by a far superior Ratoath team .who are firm favourites to not only win out in the Group but to win the full Championship, as they were last year.but nobody told Ballinabrackey who dumped them out in the semifinal.
Notwithstanding that and considering the fact that they have several players on the Senior County panel it is only a matter of time until they do advance upwards.
So Trim were fighting for their lives tonight and we were desperate to rack up two in a row to give us some breathing space.
It is a fact that thee is little between Tim and ourselves but Trim have had the upper hand when it s counted in recent years.
We know them well and them us and we intermingle and intermarry and engage in commerce all the time.
Aside from sporting rivalry and it as intense as it gets, we are the best of friends.
One of my sons Evan was centre back for us today.Eoin Kelly ,who is married to our Claire and lives in KIlbride ,was full back for Trim.
We take our GAA seriously (well my circle do in any event ) in Dunderry and speculation was rife on whether we would stick with the team that won last week or whether the selectors would opt for the available again Davy Jennings for goal (over Garret Dooley who was impeccable last week when Davy was not available) and whether the fit again Davy Mc Cormack could regain his place .
Team.
Jennings
A.Newman S.Harte C.O.Shea
C.Dempsey E.Stephens Swiss Clarke
L.Dempsey C.Farrell
A.Watters L.Martyn A.Coogan
P.Kenneally S.Carty S.Coogan.
We had about 15 subs togged out and I briefly looked in on thetraining on Thursday night.All were training so the buzz was on the button.
From an early stage the referee made it clear that any attempt at physical contact,even revising to get out of the way would be harshly punished.
Like last week, uncles the backs throw down the red carpet to the forwards they will be carded or penalised.
This feminising of football is turning real competitive men off in droves ,be they either players or spectators and unless it is addressed pronto the crows will spectate t football games and those interested in physical contact sport will turn to the physically competitive rugby union.
I digress here and as I am unable for the hustle and bustle of inter county football games can only rely on spectators I trust who swore to me that both the Meath and Cavan spectators at the recent game in Navan heckled their own players and bawled at them to make some effort to play football and stop the cod acting.
And the Dublin supporters ,probably the best in the Country left Croker in droves such was the poverty of the fare on view in their match against Derry
Larry Tompkins is on the button when he advocates a policy of making it an offence to kick out the ball to restart play after a score or a wide a distance of less than 45 metres.He also ,I think advocates the banning of a back pass to the goalkeeper and proposes a limit on the number of hand passes.
I would go further and ban the hand or fist pass altogether ,totally ban the back kick to the goalkeeper ,agree with the change to kick the ball out at least 45 metres and encourage quick reac tion and allow and encourage unfettered side and shoulder contact both when competing for the ball and when trying to dispossess a player in possession of the ball.
As for expecting a defender to lay down a red carpet for an attacker ,this is pure nonsense .
Kenneally,Corty and Coogan are on either the under 21 or senior panels or both ,so you would expect them to be our ace in the hole,as it were
Trim played a two man full forward line and drew Harte outfield .expecting I would say to tire out his aging legs.
It backfired .He did more damage than his opponent even scoring a point from play in the first half.
As a tactic Trim let in low ball to the two strikers hoping to expose Newman and O Shea.
They were under intense pressure as a consequence and it worked in the long run.
Our boys put Kenneally on Owen Kelly fully expecting him to clean out Owen at the edge of the square.It backfired and Onie won that battle hands down.limiting Paddy to 0-2 from play.
I would say that midfield broke even over the hour ,that our half back line was our strongest line by a mile but that our shooting left much to be desired.
Were off the mark first through Watters with a minor and lodged another point on the board before they registered a point.Together with Watters ,Harte ,,Luke and Kenneally scored minors and Caty.with his only touch of the ball scored a goal.
All from play.
Trim scored three pointed frees only.
Our shooting .from open play and frees left much to be desired but possession wise and chances wise we were six points the better team,I thought.
But worringlyFinn and a busy Jennings smothered possible goal chances from a dogged Trim who never gave up the ghost and kept in touch.All our half backs shone through and Newman and O Sea did a good containment job and the roving Harte was good.
The referee blew his whistle aplenty ,hard at times to know for what,but he was equally perplexing to both sets of supporters.to be fair to him.
A number of yellow cards were waved for harmless enough encounters in what was an over clean game without any dirt or even physicality whatsoever.
Half time score 1-4 to Dunderry.0-3 to Trim.Trim made a few positional changes at half time.We made none.
They were off the mark .firstly and secondly with points,from frees if memory serves me right,before we scored a point ,again from a free.And so it went.
IN Allie added four points 3rom frees by Stephen Coogan and another from Kenneally but could never pull convincingly ahead as they stayed stubbornly in touch via their free taker and as Andy was replacedcby Davy Mac.Andy wasn't the problem ,it appeared to me.But there you go.
Missed a rake of chances in the second half,both from play and placed balls and with Stephen having an off day we had no contingency plan ,it seemed to me.
Anyhow with time upon the clock we were 4 points up and it all looked over bar the severe shouting,but Trim had other ideas and bagged a notunexpected goal in extra time and our Evan,who had an otherwise excellent game fumbled in possession of the ball ,after a previous bang to the head,which the referee advanced 21 yards for something to bring it wir in scorable range.
They duly scored and the whistle the blew.
Bet by a point.I'd say they were more shocked than us.
Back k to the drawing board.the for the fight for survival.
No comments:
Post a Comment