St. Michaels 1-15, St. Pats 2-11 

There's nothing guaranteed to warm the cockles of a St. Michaels supporters heart any better than a gutsy performance over any team, happily that was the case as those lucky enough to have obtained a match ticket expressed their excitement as they streamed out of the immaculately groomed Walterstown pitch last evening having witnessed their side come from behind with a man down to pip St. Pats at the post in a pulsating first round tie of the Meade Potato Co IFC. 

The manner in which this victory was achieved deserves the highest commendation because it looked to be a very tall order for St. Michaels when St. Pats moved into a 2-11 to 1-13 lead with the match heading towards injury time, however ace marksman Oran Meehan fired over his eight minor of the evening with the victory being clinched by late substitute Ciaran Lynch from a converted free. 

St. Pats opened the scoring with a point in the first minute, Shane McDonnell and Davy Lynch were two work horses who gave it everything they got put their side in front for the first time, St. Pats got back on level terms before Meehan opened his account after he was put through by Paddy Clarke. The St. Pats lads then took control and posted four unanswered points to take a 3 point lead after 18 minutes. 

St. Pats then had a man black carded in the second quarter and the St. Michaels lads controlled the remainder of the half as Meehan, who could do nothing wrong got his second from a free, McDonnell received a great ball in from Sam Briody and he blasted the games opening major low past the outstretched St. Pats keeper for a 1-4 to 0-6 lead on 22 minutes. Briody, Ronan Lynch, Felim O'Reilly and Mark Stafford were all doing trojan work around the middle third and Cian Sheridan who replaced Paddy Tobin got stuck in from his introduction and sent many deliveries into his forwards. Davy Lynch caught a St. Pats kick-out in the middle of the park, soloed towards goal and split the posts for an excellent individual effort and the final score of the half came when O'Reilly pumped a high ball into Oran Meehan who turned and popped it over the black spot for a 1-7 to 0-6 interval lead. 

Meehan began the second half as he finished the first with a point after two minutes then an excellent move starting on their own 14m line and involving five players was finished off by Meehan at the other end on 36 minutes. Davy Lynch got his third minor after accepting a hand pass from the very productive Paddy Clarke who covered every blade of grass on the Walterstown pitch for a 1-9 to 0-6 lead on 42 minutes. A two minute spell saw that lead reduced to just two points when some loose marking in the St. Michaels defence let St. Pats in for their first major which was quickly followed by a point. McDonnell put Meehan through for a three point game but the St. Pats lads pulled one back again, it was intense stuff at this stage, Davy Lynch was then sent to watch the game from the sidelines by referee Frank Scully.  St. Pats converted a free on 48 minutes however the ever vigilant Jamie Farrelly collected a Shane McDonnell effort which came off the upright and popped it between the posts and Oran Meehan followed up a minute later with his seventh of the match.

But this game was far from over and defences were stretched to the maximum, a converted free from St. Pats was quickly followed by their second major to level the match with 6 minutes remaining. Second half substitute Ciaran Lynch who replaced the hard working Ray Reilly was only two minutes on the field when he was tasked with converting a free from an acute angle and he duly obliged for a 1-13 to 2-9 lead, St. Pats drew level at the opposite end before that man Meehan hit the target once more to go back in front, again the opposition went back down field for the leveller, it was nail biting stuff and both sides missed several good chances in those dying minutes, however the vastly experienced Ciaran Lynch made sure of the winning point from a free with the last kick of the match.      

St. Michaels: Shane McCormack; Christopher Drew, Matthew Halpin, Ben Reilly; Sam Briody, Ronan Lynch, Felim O'Reilly; Mark Stafford, Paddy Clarke; Davy Lynch (0-3), Shane McDonnell (1-1), Jamie Farrelly (0-1), Ray Reilly, Oran Meehan (0-8), Paddy Tobin. Subs:  Cian Sheridan for Tobin 20min, Ciaran Lynch (0-2) for Reilly 52min, J.B. O'Reilly for F. O'Reilly 60min, Ciaran O'Reilly for R. Lynch 61 min                                                                                                                                   

Referee: Frank Scully 

Reportand photo: Pascal Reilly PRO. 

Tweet

Most Read Stories