This article is from page 101 of the 2009-06-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 101 JPG
IT’S unlikely that you will see a more entertaining game this year as this battle of the amalgamations re- ally had everything. A seesaw strug- gle that saw the lead change hands on five occasions, with eight goals, some outstanding performances and even a dramatic injury-time equalis- ing goal thrown in for good meas- ure to enthral the large support that manned the famous hill in Tulla on Friday evening.
As the game entered it’s third minute of injury time, Feakle/Kil- lanena thought they had done enough to finally fend off Scariff/Ogonnel- loe but there was an air of inevitabil- ity about the equalising score as John Scanlon picked up a break to strike to the net. And really while Feakle/Kil- lanena will feel disappointed to have let that advantage slip at the death, a draw was really the fairest result possible for two sides who had given everything over the hour.
It started tamely enough with Feak- le/Killanena holding a slender 0-2 to Q-1 advantage by the tenth minute be-
fore Scariff/Ogonnelloe sparked the first purple patch of the game, blitz- ing their opponents with a huge haul of 3-1 in eight minutes. The damage came from the full-forward line of John Scanlon, Cian Fitzgerald Bra- dley and James Kiely who grabbed a goal each in quick succession to turn the game on it’s head and power Scariff/Ogonnelloe into a command- ing nine point lead.
That significant blow would have finished most sides but not Feakle/ Killanena who were determined to finally get their hands on the crown after falling at the same hurdle last year. Midfielder Eoin Tuohy started the fightback with three placed balls in as many minutes before they sliced the deficit to three in the 27th minute after a good passing move involving Todd Kelsey and Diarmuid Bane end- ed with Stephen Conway who drove the ball to the net. By the break, their momentum had got them to within a point at 3-2 to 1-7 and they continued that surge on the restart, grabbing a second goal in the 34th minute. Barry Nash had just stopped the rot with a free for Scariff/Ogonnelloe
but Feakle/Killanena’s reply was swift when Todd Kelsey gathered the puck-out and bore down on goal and when his shot was stopped by goal- keeper Ricky Bolton, Con Smythe was on hand to acrobatically flick the dropping ball to the net.
Incredibly, Scariff/Ogonnelloe mustered another scoring spree, with a John Scanlon free levelling up the game once more before Cian Fitzger- ald Bradley doubled his goal tally in the 41st minute to push his side three points clear. By the 49th minute, they were four points in front but Feakle/ Killanena refused to lie down, hitting 1-4 without reply, with Kelsey secur- ing the goal to take a three point lead into injury-time. However, Scanlon’s 63rd minute goal ensured that the sides will have to do it all again this week but the supporters will hardly erumble after this white knuckle ride. The only downside is that one of these sides eventually has to lose.