Knockainey celebrate nail-biting Limerick Junior ‘B’ football final victory over Knockane:
By John Redington Limerick Leader Sport
“HARD-EARNED,” admitted coach Jimmy Barry Murphy as Knockainey returned to the winners’ enclosure after a 20-year absence when edging out Knockane 2-9 to 1-11 after extra-time in their Limerick junior B football championship final showdown in sodden conditions at Staker Wallaces’ grounds in Kilbreedy.
“We were on the ropes in the second half but the lads showed the same determination we’d seen over the last two months of training and got the free that levelled the scores,” the winning coach added.
Timely goals, one off the second-half throw-in, the second right at the start of extra time, allowed the Lough Gur club to set the pace for most of the game.
Knockainey were prevented from finishing the job as their opponents hung in long enough to keep in touch and then build on their ability to establish a grip on the middle third to pull themselves back into contact.
Knockane’s tenacity almost paid off but, after they levelled the scores for the final time with just four extra-time minutes to go, time finally caught up on tired limbs in the line-up as.
Hopes of finally bringing the Jim ‘Twin’ Lynch Cup to Knockane after two previous unsuccessful finals were shattered right at the death when Tom Clancy strode up from his goals and nervelessly stroked over the winning score.
After holding off Knockane’s early attacks, Knockainey got off the mark in spectacular fashion when Rory Reale used the breeze at his back to thump the ball over from well outside the arc for a two-pointer.
They followed up in the next action when Colin Buckley ran onto the lay-off to split the posts. Indeed, Knockainey could have gone further ahead minutes later when a speculative shot dropped short and was fumbled inside the small square but Michael O’Grady’s snap shot on the breaking ball was deflected for a ’45.
Knockane’s attempts to respond were still struggling to get within the scoring zone but, after two longer efforts missed the target, they opened their account when Vinny Ryan sent over a two-pointer free.
Despite continuing to shade the possession, Knockane failed to add to their tally and, when they were caught on the turnover coming up to the break, they drew a free for Clancy to come up and convert.
They were then awarded a free which Pa Reale converted for a lead of 0-5 to 0-2.
Buckley threw the cat among the pigeons just after the restart when he ghosted onto the lay-off, before rounding a challenge and slotting the ball low into the far corner of the net.
The Garrydoolis side threw everything into finding a reply and they drew a pair of frees for Ryan and Alan Cosgrave to send over and they were right back into contention when Conor Martin split the post at the end of a move.
Coming up to the quarter mark, they were back within a point when a free in their own half was brought forward and Cosgrave retreated back outside the arc for a two-pointer.
Although the men from Knockane continued to press forward, they were starved of an opening by the black-clad defence until they drew a foul for Ryan to punish and followed up immediately when Trevor Cosgrave’s quick pass to fellow-sub Robert O’Donnell sailed between the posts for the lead.
Chances were missed at both ends but, as the watch edged into the final straight, Knockainy earned a freeand Reale’s effort sent the game to extra-time.
And once again, Knockainey struck immediately from the throw-in. Eoin Cleary collected off the throw-in, raced down the right and laid off to Michael O’Grady to slide home his side’s second goal.
When Rory Reale added a two-pointer, the South Limerick team were running with more fuel in the tank and looked to be firmly in control as they changed ends leading 2-8 to 0-9.
However, Cosgrave’s point on the restart showed that Knockane weren’t throwing in the towel and they edged closer when he struck again at the end of a quick break.
The fightback appeared to be complete when his 50-metre delivery found O’Donnell who rounded the challenge and kept going until he was pulled down inside the box.
Level when Ryan hammered the penalty to the net, Knockane had the momentum to finish it off but the last yard continued to elude them.
As their fury began to flag, Knockainey pounced and, after seeing a few chances missed, they finally drew the foul for Clancy to and the championship winning point.
SCORERS: KNOCKAINEY: Colin Buckley 1-1, Rory Reale 0-4 (2 2x), Michael O’Grady 1-0, Tom Clancy (2 frees), Pa Reale (2 frees) 0-2 each; KNOCKANE: Vinny Ryan 1-4 (1-0 penalty, 0-2 frees, 0-2 2x free), Alan Cosgrave 0-3 (0-2 2x free, 0-1 free), Trevor Cosgrave 0-2, Conor Martin, Robert O’Donnell 0-1 each.
KNOCKAINEY: Tom Clancy; Ger Donworth, Stephen O’Donnell, Éamon Carew; Conor Fitzpatrick,Daniel Buckley, David Cooke; Colin Buckley, Liam Burke; Fionnán Leahy, Pa Reale, Michael Leo; Rory Reale, Brian Blackwell, Michael O’Grady. SUBS: Eoin Cleary for Fionnán Leahy (47 minutes), John Ryan for Brian Blackwell (56 minutes), Aidan O’Riordan for David Cooke (72 minutes), Shane Walsh O’Riordan for Colin Buckley (injured, 73 minutes).
KNOCKANE: Denis O’Connor; Diarmuid Murnane, PJ Butler, Conor Roche; Kevin Wixted, Seán Whelan, Eddie Mulcahy; Brian O’Leary, David Wixted; Conor Martin, Pádraig Wixted, David Murphy; Vinny Ryan, Darren Roche, Alan Cosgrave. SUBS: Robert O’Donnell for Eddie Mulcahy (half-time), Trevor Cosgrave for Darren Roche (57 minutes), Éamonn Balfry for Conor Martin (59 minutes), John O’Donnell for David Murphy (extra time).
REFEREE: Michael Browne (Dromcollogher-Broadford).