St Vincent’s 1-15 Curraha 2-12

Vincent and Curraha played out a very trilling game in the first round of the junior championship ending in a draw.

Curraha started the game with the wind at their backs and looked to make full use of the conditions from the opening whistle. They settled quickly and put early pressure on the Vincent’s defence, eventually getting the opening goal inside the first 10 minutes. With the wind behind them, Curraha looked to move the ball forward quickly and make the most of their territorial advantage.

Vincent’s, however, responded strongly to going behind and showed good character to get themselves back into the game. Matt Griffin was the man to provide the response, finding the back of the net with an important goal that settled Vincent’s and gave them a much-needed boost.

From there, the game became a closely fought contest, with both sides keeping the scoreboard ticking over. Evan Connor was particularly influential for Vincent’s, hitting two impressive two-pointers and also converting a 45 to keep the pressure on Curraha. His accuracy from distance proved valuable as Vincent’s looked to stay within touching distance 

Vincent’s were also doing a lot of the hard work around the middle of the field, winning a considerable amount of breaking ball from Curraha’s kick-outs. Their ability to compete for possession gave them a strong platform to attack from and allowed them to create a number of scoring opportunities. They also managed to draw several frees from the Curraha defence, giving them further chances to add to their tally.

Despite Curraha having the advantage of the wind, Vincent’s refused to let the conditions dictate the game. Their work rate, particularly around the breaking ball and kick-outs, kept them firmly in the contest and ensured that Curraha could not fully capitalise on the favourable conditions.

As the half drew to a close, Vincent’s would have been delighted with how they had managed the first 30 minutes. To go into the break in a strong position.

Half time st Vincent’s 1-7 curraha 1-8

Vincent’s came out strongly after the break and immediately looked to make the most of having the wind at their backs. They settled quickly into the second half, with Paddy McGill converting two frees in the early stages to give Vincent’s some breathing room and reward their early pressure.

For much of the second half, Vincent’s were in control of proceedings. They moved the ball well, continued to compete strongly around the middle and looked comfortable in possession as they tried to build on their half-time advantage. Curraha, however, remained within touching distance and continued to threaten whenever they managed to turn over possession.

With around 15 minutes remaining, Curraha finally found a breakthrough. They worked an opportunity well and fired the ball into the back of the net, bringing the game level and setting up a tense final quarter. The momentum looked to have swung back in Curraha’s favour, but Vincent’s responded almost immediately.

Michael McIvor stood up when his side needed him most, knocking over an excellent two-pointer to put Vincent’s back in front and restore their lead. It was a crucial score at a time when Curraha had just taken the momentum, and it ensured that Vincent’s remained in a strong position heading into the closing stages.

Curraha refused to give up and pushed hard in search of another goal. As the game entered its final stages, they created several big goal-scoring opportunities, but Vincent’s defence stood firm. Their defenders showed tremendous composure under pressure, throwing themselves in front of shots and making crucial interventions to deny Curraha the goal they desperately needed.

The intensity increased further as the game moved into injury time. With the match still finely balanced, both teams had opportunities to snatch victory. Vincent’s had chances to put the game beyond Curraha, while Curraha also had openings to steal the win at the death. However, neither side was clinical enough in front of goal when it mattered most.

After a fiercely contested second half, the final whistle eventually brought an end to a thrilling encounter. Vincent’s could take plenty of positives from their performance, particularly their strong start to the second half, their ability to respond to Curraha’s goal and, most importantly, their outstanding defensive work in the closing stages. Curraha, meanwhile, will feel they had opportunities to win the game late on, but Vincent’s resilience ensured that they were unable to find the decisive score.

Next up for Vincent’s is Carnaross on Saturday 22nd of August in Bective at 3pm 

St. Vincents team: Evan Connor, Adam Andrews, Davy Tallon, Mark Crawley, Robert Tallon, Shane Caffrey, Nigel Hand, Conor Harford, Connor O’Brien, Michael McIvor, Adam Tuite, Matthew Tuite, Shane Andrews, Matt Griffin, Paddy McGill

Subs: Gary Tuite in for Matt Griffin and Richie O’Sullivan in for Matthew Tuite 

 

Scores: Michael mcivor 0:06 Evan Connor 0:05 Patrick McGill 0:03 Matt griffin 1:00 Garry Tuite 0:03 

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