Ramor retain Division 1 league title
ACFL Division 1 final
Ramor United 2-14
Crosserlough 1-15
Paul Fitzpatrick
For Ramor United, league titles are a bit like buses – none for the longest time and then two arrive in quick succession. Having waited 28 years to land the Division 1 title last season, the Dolan Park side retained it here with a hard-fought win over Crosserlough in an entertaining curtain-raiser ahead of the championship.
At the midway point, a 25th minute goal from Mark Magee was all that separated the teams as Ramor led by 1-9 to 0-9 after the pattern of the match changed entirely in the run-in to half-time.
The game was levelled by a Paddy Lynch goal towards the end of the third quarter but the game was essentially decided by an impressive intervention from Lynch’s county teammate Sean McEvoy, who landed 1-2 in three minutes thereafter.
Crosserlough were dominant early on and led by 0-6 to 0-1 after 12 minutes and by 0-7 to 0-4 after 20, having dominated the Ramor kick-out; but something clicked for the Virginia side in the 10 minutes before the break and they owned possession on kick-outs in that spell, making hay up front.
Early on, Crosserlough were very impressive, with Paddy Lynch prominent. The county man, who is clearly thriving under the new rules following his return from a long injury lay-off, opened the scoring with a 45 and extended Crosserlough’s lead with a left-footed two-pointer as Crosserlough took charge early on.
Sean McEvoy forced a turnover at the other end; his resulting shot was weak but deflected out for a 45 which Ramor goalkeeper Liam Brady converted.
Crosserlough continued to control the battle in the air and on the ground in the middle third and soon extended their lead to five after Lynch knocked over a two-point free following a foul on Eoin Cusack and then a single from the hands.
James Bradley and McEvoy settled Ramor down with a pair of frees but Crosserlough made it 0-7 to 0-3 with a point from Oran Rehill after good work from Lynch and Matthew Costello.
It all changed, however, on the run-in to the break as Ramor began to get their hands on the ball around the middle. Cathal Maguire clipped over a point after a one-two with his brother Enda, who was influential in that middle-third battle, and having blew a good goal chance earlier, Ramor made amends in the 25th minute when McEvoy and James Bradley tore through the centre and Mark Magee found the net from close range.
Conor Nulty added another and from the resulting kick-out, Bradley was impeded taking a free, which was moved forward to a tap-over to send Ramor two in front.
A two-point free from Lynch tied the game but after a big fetch from Enda Maguire, Bradley fisted over the lead score and a great strike from Cathal Maguire, for two, left a goal between them at the break.
Crosserlough went close early in the second half, Lynch striking the outside of the upright with a huge 55-metre free off the ground and Emmet Boylan kicking straight at Liam Brady when through on goal.
From the restart after that chance, Ramor combined well to release Conor Bradley, who was through on goal but sent his shot over the bar.
Crosserlough needed a response and their captain provided it, Peter Smith supplying a composed finish for a point after good work from sub John Cooke.
And a minute later, the sides were level. Lynch galloped through the centre and although he was denied by a diving block from Eoin Somerville, he stroked home the rebound soccer-style to make it 1-10 apiece with 22 minutes remaining.
Now, it was McEvoy’s time to shine. In the space of three minutes, the county man put clear daylight between the sides with three quality scores. The first was a point after he got past Cooke and scored; then, after Crosserlough gave away possession cheaply, he curled in an eye-catching effort from 35 metres.
The goal came straight after and was conjured from nothing; there didn’t seem to be much danger but a sharp turn on to the left created a chance and McEvoy buried it in the bottom corner.
At 2-12 to 1-10, Ramor were in command but their cause wasn’t helped moments later when Enda Maguire was shown a black card.
The Lough missed a few chances (they had nine wides in total, eight in the second half) before sub Stephen Smith curled in a two-pointer.
Coming down the home stretch, Harry Boylan and Costello did well to find Emmet Boylan, who sent over a well-taken score and when Ramor fluffed an almost unmissable goal chance at the other end, the game was still there for the county champions.
However, their radar was off and a good point on the loop from sub Ben O’Hara put a goal between the teams again in injury time.
Emmett Boylan swung over an excellent two-pointer to make it interesting as the clock ticked down but when Crosserlough were punished for a three-up transgression and McEvoy converted the resulting free, the game was up.
This was an entertaining clash played at a decent tempo but the general urgency and aggression levels felt a bit below championship, with both sides spurning numerous goal chances. Ramor were delighted to win and rightly so but Crosserlough will not to be too aggrieved either; bigger tests await for both.
Ramor United: Liam Brady (0-1, 45); Lorcan Lynch, Damien Barkey, Adam O'Connell; Brian O'Connell, Jack Brady, Mark Magee (1-0); Enda Maguire, Sean Brady; James Bradley (0-3, 2f), Eoin Somerville, Conor Bradley (0-1); Cathal Maguire (0-3, 2pt), Conor Nulty (0-1), Sean McEvoy (1-4, 2f)
Subs: Subs: Jensen Tynan for D Barkey (40), Ben O’Hara (0-1) for C Nulty (41), Nathan Levy-Valensi for A O’Connell (temp 57, reversed 59), Karl Farrelly for C Bradley (60).
Crosserlough: Shane McManus; Ben Colwell, Mark Stuart, David Shalvey; Kieran Smith, Patrick O'Reilly, Brandon Boylan; Patrick Lynch (1-8, 45, 2 2ptf, 2pt, f), Peter Smith (0-1); Emmett Boylan (0-3, 2pt), Oran Rehill (0-1), Harry Boylan; Michael Donohoe, Eoin Cusack, Matthew Costello
Subs: John Cooke for B Colwell (19), Stephen Smith (0-2, 2pt) for O Rehill (ht), Fionn Lovett for M Stuart (ht), Ryan Galligan for M Donohoe (ht), Shane McVeety for E Cusack (55).
Ref: Conor Dourneen