Maryland edge out reds to capture U-21 title in thriller
by Sean Guinan Updated: Wednesday, 12th January, 2011 5:30pm
Maryland 3-10 Coralstown-Kinnegad 4-4
Having held the lead for the greater portion of this swashbuckling Westmeath U-21 (13-a-side) FC final on Wednesday night last, Maryland deservedly took the title at its conclusion - but not before they had to endure a last quarter bombardment from a heroic Coralstown/Kinnegad side.
The reds’ revival in fact shot them ahead briefly as the minutes ticked down. However, a brilliant Kieran Martin goal, just on the 60th minute, ultimately secured victory for the Drumraney lads, who survived further reds pressure in the three minutes of injury time allowed by referee Mick McAdden, ensuring that the honours rested with the South Westmeath club.
Played under the Páirc Chiaráin floodlights in dry, but icily cold, conditions, this final was a fitting showcase for the oft maligned under-21 grade, and indeed a most encouraging one for the current state of football in the Lake County. It provided some brilliant passages of football for the few hundred dedicated partizans who braved the elements to be present, with a feast of superbly taken goals, dramatic end-to-end vistas of play, and some top class individual performances.
The only aspects of this final which could be considered unsatisfactory concerned its presentation with no match programme, no scoreboard in operation, nor no public address system, but then again the time factor (semi-finals only played the previous Monday) may have impacted here. Still, it’s simply not good enough for players or spectators, especially at county final stage, where product presentation is all-important.
Both sides showed their relative merits in their paths to the final. Finbar Egan’s Maryland overcame C-F/C/W, Tyrrellspass and Tang (the latter in the semi-final two days previously) en-route, while the Coralstown/Kinnegad squad, jointly managed by Eamonn Mooney and Joe Giles, saw off the challenges of Rosemount and Ballynacargy (in their penultimate match), to book their final berth. They showed their preponderance for goalscoring in their 3-11 to 0-14 win over 'Cargy which would be repeated under the intensive scrutiny of the Páirc Chiaráin lights, but the eventual winners showed similar proficiency when it came to finding the net.
A flowing move, instigated by the subsequently outstanding Darren Malynn, resulted in Kieran Egan expertly drilling home a first minute Maryland goal to give them the ideal start. From this to half-time, their six point scoring tally would be compiled by inter-county under-21 duo Kieran Martin and eventual top scorer Callum McCormack. A foul on Kieran (2nd minute) saw Callum point the resultant free, but Coralstown/Kinnegad produced a stunning response when, in the 6th minute, a cracking shot by midfielder Killian Foley came back off the post, and Adam Browne was in like a flash to find the net.
Unperturbed by this setback, Maryland continued to hold the whip hand. In the ninth minute, attacking half-back Malynn forced a foul which was punished by skipper Martin, while another McCormack free two minutes later resulted from a foul on goal-scorer Egan.
Both teams were playing a highly effective route one, no frills attached, type football and it was from such a move that the reds struck again in the 13th minute when a dropping ball from Daniel Coyne was seized on by corner-forward Browne for the latter to net goal number 2. Game level, game on. And the freezing temperatures didn’t feel as bad!
Defences would now dominate the next segment of play. Trevor Farrell, James Ganly and Christy Grimes were seen to strong effect in the Maryland rearguard while team captain Ronan Doyle, in the pivotal central berth, was a tower of strength for Coralstown/Kinnegad, receiving good support from corner-back Cathal O’Reilly.
Maryland ended this temporary scoring lull with a fine trio of points, Callum McCormack (play and free) and Kieran Martin putting their team three points in front by the 23rd minute. But two terrific points from play, courtesy of Coralstown/Kinnegad midfielder Wayne Fox, ensured that this final would be balanced on a knife-edge going into the break, with the score reading Maryland 1-6 Coralstown/Kinnegad 2-2. It was still all to play for at the Shannonside venue, at Mick McAdden’s short whistle.
As they had done at the start of the first half, Maryland again laid down their stall at the resumption, hitting their opponents for 1-1 inside two minutes. Kieran Martin sent Callum McCormack away for a flying point, and it was Darren Malynn who made the road for Callum again to drive a bullet-like shot to the net almost from the kickout.
After Gary Caffrey (Coralstown/Kinnegad) and Kieran Egan swapped points, Maryland looked in a strong position as, now aided by the slight breeze, they led by 2-8 to 2-3. Then Callum McCormack added another smashing point to put the blues two clear goals ahead.
The next 15 minutes would bring a huge recovery from a Coralstown/Kinnegad squad, who having looked down and out, actually took the lead at a critical juncture of play. It started in the 43rd minute when inside forwards Gary Caffrey and Adam Browne again filleted the Maryland rearguard for the latter to again find the net, thereby securing his hat-trick of goals for the night.
Another excellent point from midfielder Wayne Fox cut the deficit to just two points, but with portents indicating that the reds were about to create a match winning revival, they were plagued by a bout of squandermania which saw three definite scoring chances frittered away.
However, just when it looked as they had shot their bolt, their constant spell of pressure was rewarded when Gary Caffrey secured possession to unleash a left-footed missile to the Maryland net. That score catapulted the reds into the lead for the first time in the game (4-4 to 2-9), with only three minutes of normal time remaining. Were Maryland who had been in the ascendancy for so long going to be caught on the hop as full time edged ever closer?
But, as he had done at several stages of the match, up stepped Darren Malynn who drove over a splendid equaliser within a minute of the east county team forging ahead. Both teams tried manfully to create the opening for the winning score, and the intense cold of the evening was forgotten in the excitement which gained fever pitch as extra time looked an ominous reality. The breakthrough eventually came as the clock wound down to the 60th minute. Callum McCormack secured possession on the dug-out side of the park and beating two opponents in the process, floated a perfect pass over to Conor Egan. Conor quickly off loaded to the in-rushing Kieran Martin, who, in the twinkling of an eye, pulled the trigger for what resulted in a superb winning goal, leaving a crestfallen Coralstown/Kinnegad to ponder on what might have been.
There were three additional minutes allowed by the referee, but late Coralstown/Kinnegad pressure failed to produce another score as the Drumraney standard-bearers held on for victory.
Ideal starts at the commencement of each half were key factors in Maryland’s success. These were the springboards for ultimate success and instilled confidence in Finbar Egan’s lads to absorb the best a gallant Coralstown/Kinnegad subsequently threw at them. Inter-county pair Callum McCormack, top scorer with 1-6, and Kieran Martin, scorer of that crucial winning goal, provided inspired leadership to their colleagues, but Darren Malynn must also receive major plaudits for a truly superb display on the night. Apart from those already mentioned, Lee Moran, Ronan Farrell, Kenny Kincaid, Liam Reilly and Joe Reilly all made significant contributions for Maryland at various stages of the contest.
Coralstown/Kinnegad were caught cold by the concession of early scores in both halves, and were forced to chase the game for long spells subsequently. However, their predatorial ability to strike for telling goals kept them in contention and almost snatched victory late in the match. They contributed highly to an enthralling contest and had heroes aplenty, especially goal-getter supreme Adam Browne, Gary Caffrey, Wayne Fox, Ronan Doyle, Paul Maxwell and Cathal O’Reilly.
And so a great week for Maryland was crowned with the presentation of the 2010 under-21 'B’ football trophy to team captain Kieran Martin amidst delirious scenes.
MARYLAND: Lee Moran, Trevor Farrell, James Ganly, Christy Grimes, Darren Malynn (0-1), Ronan Farrell, Kenny Kincaid, Liam Reilly, Joe Reilly, Kieran Martin (capt., 1-2, 0-1f), Conor Egan, Kieran Egan (1-1), Callum McCormack (1-6, 0-3f).
CORALSTOWN/KINNEGAD: Patrick Corless, David Reilly, Cathal O’Reilly, Mark Giles, Ronan Doyle (capt.), Paul Maxwell, Wayne Fox (0-3), Killian Foley, Daniel Coyne, Jason Cully, Clive Kiernan, Gary Caffrey (1-1), Adam Browne (3-0). Sub: Cian Flynn for Giles (35).
REFEREE: Mick McAdden (St. Loman’s).
