All square in minor league final
Ramor United 2-8
Southern Gaels 1-11
Paul Fitzpatrick
at Sheelin Park
The latest instalment in the burgeoning Ramor-Southern Gaels rivalry didn’t throw up a classic last evening but it did pit two very evenly-matched sides against each other.
Ramor led for most of the second half – and indeed, much of the first – but it was the Virginia boys who needed a late rally to force the draw, county minor forward James Brady landing two points (one a free after being fouled himself) in the 59th and 60th minutes to tie it up.
By that stage, the match had exploded into life which was welcome – for the first 45 minutes, it was characterised by nervous play on both sides, with defences on top and plenty of mistakes, which was disappointing given the ideal conditions.
When Conor Farrelly hit the net with 11 minutes to go, Ramor looked the likelier winners but the Lacken-Gowna amalgamation, driven on by the excellent Robbie Fitzpatrick, turned in a terrific 10 minutes to get into a winning position themselves only to see the victory ripped from their grasp by the lively Brady.
And as the decent-sized crowd filed out, there was a real sense of anti-climax after a strange finish. With 10 seconds remaining in normal time, Brady had landed the equaliser and from the kick-out, the ball ended up over the sideline by the dug-outs.
Gaels’ Cian Madden went down heavily in that passage of play and was being treated as Ramor stood over the sideline ball. Eventually, though, on 32 minutes exactly, ref Mickey Lee sounded the final whistle without a ball being kicked. It was a surreal end but the result was a fair one.
The highlights? There weren’t many in the first half. Cian Madden opened the scoring with a free three minutes in but James Brady replied with a point from play at the other end, after a nice flick from full-forward Liam Brady, who was bring marked by nominal centre-half David Wilson.
Liam was involved in the next move, too, finished by Conor Farrelly, as Ramor piled on the pressure. However, they were guilty of some poor shooting.
James Brady landed the next from 30 yards on the right but the Gaels were starting to come into the contest and, after Ramor defended bravely agains a series of attacks, Conor Brady sent over an excellent left-footed point for their second.
A free by Cian Madden, after a foul on Fitzpatrick, levelled it but good work by Shane Quealy ended with impressive U16 player Ronan Patterson curling over Ramor’s fourth.
All square
Back came Southern Gaels with a great point from Oisin Pierson to make it 0-4 apiece after 25 minutes. Fitzpatrick and Liam Brady traded frees late on as the sides went in level at half-time, with only one goal chance having been created, Gaels goalkeeper Jimmy Smith saving smartly from Michael Kavanagh.
James Brady spurned another goal chance early in the second half before Ramor finally broke through to raise a green flag, James Connell and the pacey Conor Farrelly combining to create a chance which James Brady palmed to the net.
Southern Gaels quickly took charge but kicked four successive wides before Fitzpatrick landed a beauty from a free from 40 metres.
That gave them confidence and Shane Moynagh drove forward, beat Lee Burdis to a ball on the wing and slotted over a rousing score to bring his side back within one in the 42nd minute.
Ramor kicked another poor wide before Patterson swung over a super score, again after a good run from James Brady.
Southern Gaels replied with a fine effort from U16 Oisin Pierson, who cut in from the right and curled over the black spot with the left, but Ramor weren’t done yet and a flowing move involving James Brady, playmaker Daniel Rourke and Conor Farrelly ended with Farrelly bundling the ball home from close range.
To the credit, Southern Gaels knuckled down as the intensity was ratcheted up. Ramor came under an onslaught and despite some tenacious defending, they leaked a point when Ruadhan McDonnell set Aaron Brady – now playing inside – up for a good score.
A minute later, it was all square again when Pierson squared for Fitzpatrick – the Cavan minor saw Garry Sheridan – who was very sound in goals for Ramor – get a hand to his powerful shot but he couldn’t keep it out.
Suddenly, we had a real match on our hands. Paul Leddy kicked two wides for the Gaels but laid off next time for Fitzpatrick, who rounded his man and sent over a brilliant point. The Gowna lad won the next ball, and a free in the process, and converted himself to make it 1-11 to 2-6 with three minutes remaining.
But Ramor weren’t done yet and from a lightning-quick break, James Brady clipped over. And the fleet-footed county player made sure his side had another crack at it when he was fouled and tapped over the resulting free on the stroke of full-time.
All square, then, between two well-matched and well-prepared sides. Ramor will feel the loss through injury of Matthew Magee in the second half ruined their chances; Southern Gaels will feel they kicked it away. Game on.
Ramor Utd: Garry Sheridan, Daven Bent, Shane Quealy, Dylan Farrelly, Lee Burdis, Matthew Magee, James Connell, Stephen Gargan, Killian Maguire, Michael Kavanagh, Daniel Rourke, James Brady (1-3, 1f), Conor Farrelly (1-1), Liam Brady (0-1f), Ronan Patterson (0-2)
Sub: Liam Maguire
Southern Gaels: Jimmy Smith, Ryan Coyle, Brian Lake, Cian O’Reilly, Ronan Halton, David Wilson, Shane Moynagh (0-1), Conor Brady (0-1), Tomás McKiernan, Aaron Brady (0-1), Paul Leddy, Ruadhan McDonnell, Oisin Pierson (0-2), Robbie Fitzpatrick (1-4, 3f), Cian Madden (0-1f)
Sub: Ryan Madden
Ref: Mickey Lee (Drumalee)