JFC semi-final: Curraha win thriller after extra time
October 05, 2015
Curraha's James McEntee is fouled during the JFC semi final clash with Bective at Simonstown
Curraha 2-15 Bective 2-13 (after extra time)
Curraha qualified for the final of the Junior Championship after a hard fought 'gritty' display against favourites Bective in Simonstown on Friday night.
After sixty minutes of entertaining football the sides couldn't be split on a score line of 1-09 apiece with Curraha's Sean Keogh levelling the sides up with a wonderful late point.
Bective opened the scoring with a Brian Cantwell point which was replied with Curraha's first score after a fine solo effort from Evan McGovern. Both teams then traded score with James McEntee keeping the sides level with his point but then came Bective's goal. A long ranged free from Marty Mulhall dropped short and was collected by a Bective forward who was dragged to the ground by Phelim Dowling which resulted in the referee awarding Bective a penalty and sending Dowling to the line with a black card (his replacement being Locky Keogh).
Mulhall stepped up and coolly slotted the ball to the bottom corner. Curraha responded tremendously well as McEntee added two further points to reduce the deficit to one with ten minutes remaining in the opening half. Both teams traded two further points with Conor Moriarty and David Toner getting on the score-sheet for Curraha. Bective held a one point advantage at half time 1-4 to 0-06.
Two minutes into the restart a long range free from McEntee ended up sneaking in under the crossbar to give Curraha a great boost to the opening minutes of the second half. It was then Bectives turn to respond well and they added wo points of their own with one being cancelled out by Neil Shortall who went off shortly afterwards with a knee injury. Substitute Niall Moriarty kicked over a free to restore Curraha's two point lead with fifteen minutes remaining. However Curraha failed to score after this until the 29th minute where Sean Keogh levelled the sides to force Extra-Time. The last fifteen minutes was intense stuff and Curraha were on the back foot as Bective levelled the sides and went in front but Keogh had great confidence to level the sides late on.
Extra-time beckoned then and after 90 second of the first half Bective had a four point advantage after Mulhall scored 1-01 with his goal coming from a misplace short kick out. Most teams would have thrown in the towel but John O'Brien's side have become a real battle hardened team and Moriarty added two points to keep the HA men in touch. Bective finished the first off with a point to take a three point lead into the last ten minutes. Moriarty added a point straight from the throw up and this gave Curraha belief and when experienced Ian McManus kicked two monster points, Curraha were level and on the front foot. A long range free from Moriarty then dropped short after McEntee broke the ball and Conor Moriarty was on hand to put the ball to the net. This rattled Bective and when Sean Keogh added his second important point, it looked like Curraha were home and hosed but Bective added a free and although the tried hard to get a goal Curraha dig deep and ran out deserving winners.
Curraha: Liam Hogan; Niall Murphy, Conor Joyce, Seamus Hogan; David Toner 0-1, Simon McDermott, Sean O'Hanrahan; Evan McGovern 0-1, Brian Joyce; Phelim Dowling, Neil Shortall 0-1, Danny Battersby, Conor Moriarty 1-01, Ciaran O'Hanrahan, James McEntee 1-03. Subs L. Keogh for Dowling, N. Moriarty 0-4 for Moriarty, D. Coyle for Shortall, S. Keogh 0-2 for McGovern, I. McManus 0-2 for Brian Joyce, G. Coyle for McDermott, C. Moriarty for D. Coyle (ET), Brian Joyce for Keogh (ET), E. McGovern for Battersby (ET).
