No Port’ in the storm for Marist despite brave revival
by Matt Scally Updated: Wednesday, 26th January, 2011 5:30pm
Coláiste Íosagáin 0-10 Marist College 1-4
The Marist College’s Leinster SF 'A’ championship season ended as quickly as it begun last Monday afternoon - as the Athlone side succumbed to a better equipped Coláiste Íosagáin outfit at McCann Park, Portarlington.
For two thirds of Monday’s game, Coláiste Íosagáin, Portarlington looked extremely comfortable and looked to be coasting to victory. But the final twenty minutes belonged to the visiting side who, led by the in-form Alan Coffey, seemed as though they were about to pull off a miraculous comeback. And indeed had they turned just a couple of the eleven wides registered over the course of the 60 minutes (including a 53rd-minute missed penalty from Coffey) into scores, the Athlone school may well have come away with a path to the next round.
But it wasn’t to be and in the end it was hard to argue that Coláiste Íosagáin didn’t deserve their victory.
Just forty seconds had elapsed when Portarlington’s Rory Galvin opened the day’s scoring with a point, although he had the option of going for a goal having found himself in space behind the Marist defence.
That opener was followed up by an Eoin Finlay free after midfielder Peter Cunningham was fouled in front of goal.
Two of those Marist wides, both from placed balls, preceded their first score of the game – a converted free from Coffey after the powerful Robert Henshaw had burst through a couple of tackles only to be eventually brought down.
A spell of extremely scrappy play ensued with both sides being guilty of surrendering possession cheaply. And it wasn’t until the 19th minute that the next flag was raised – a second Eoin Finlay free. But thereafter, the scores started to flow for the home side.
By the 22nd minute, the Laois outfit had opened up a 0-6 to 0-1 lead with Peter Cunningham, Kevin McGrath and Rory Galvin all making their mark on the scoreboard in quick succession.
With the Marist still to add to Coffey’s initial score, Finlay rounded off the half’s scoring with another free to leave six between the sides at the break - and the Marist with a lot to do if they were to make any sort of impression on the game.
Ten minutes of second-half play yielded just one score, a Kevin McGrath point off the outside of the right from an extremely tight angle. The game had reverted back to its sometime scrappy nature but Marist finally grabbed their second score of the day on 41 minutes, courtesy of the boot of Alan Coffey.
The Westmeath side now began to assert themselves on proceedings but, as the wides continued to mount, the six-point deficit remained unscathed.
With fourteen to play, the first of Marist’s goal chances arrived when Garrycastle’s Alex Gardiner picked out Eoin Monaghan with a lovely ball inside from the right wing. Monaghan then transferred it to Coffey but, having skipped around a Portarlington challenge, saw his effort blocked by Tom Brereton, the 'keeper having sprung from his line well.
With ten remaining, things really began to heat up. A second yellow card saw Portarlington’s Ross Doyle receive his marching orders after which Coffey brought the difference back down to five with a converted free.
Up the other end, and with Portarlington attacks now becoming increasingly rare, Shane Lawless ran at goal before passing inside to Kevin McGrath. The latter was then wrestled to the ground and a penalty was the unquestionable result. Finlay stepped up to take the spotkick but skied his effort over the bar, seemingly content with the solitary point.
But the drama continued three minutes later when Coffey ran unhindered to the Portarlington penalty area where he transferred the ball to Aaron Curley who was brought down for a penalty. Coffey stepped up confidently but dragged his shot wide of Brereton’s right hand-side post. Another chance gone a-begging.
But, from the very next kick-out, Robert Henshaw fielded the ball well before launching a high ball toward the parallelogram.
There, Aaron Curley rose highest to flick the ball to the net to leave three between the sides with still five to play. The comeback was well and truly on.
The three-point deficit became two on 56 minutes when Coffey pointed off his right boot and suddenly Marist had their tails up and it was now the Athlone side that looked like snatching the victory. And then came the chance that would have surely won the game.
Winning the ball out in front, Coffey turned, beat his man and sprinted for goal. Brereton came out from his line but Coffey took him out of the equation by passing inside to full-forward Aaron Curley. Curley would have had the simple task of finishing to the net but his touch let him down at the crucial moment and the ball was fumbled.
Substitute Niall McEnery managed to pounce on the loose ball and get a shot away but, by then, Portarlington had got men back on the line and the ball was cleared.
As the game entered its final moments, Eoin Finlay tagged on what was the insurance score for Portarlington. Time had ran out for Marist and although they could well have triumphed had that crucial goal chance gone in, perhaps, in a game where scores were at a premium, they had left themselves with a little too much to do.
SCORERS - Coláiste Íosagáin: Eoin Finlay (0-4, 4 frees), Peter Cunningham (0-2), Rory Galvin (0-2), Kevin McGrath (0-2).
Marist College: Alan Coffey (0-4, 2 frees), Aaron Curley (1-0).
COLÁISTE IOSAGÁIN, PORTARLINGTON: Tom Brereton; Ross Doyle, Hayden Weldon, John Hyland; Dean Barren, Brian Crombie, Shane McGrath; Peter Cunningham, Keith Bracken; Rory Galvin, Kevin McGrath, Richie Reynolds; Shane Lawless, Eoin Finlay, Shane McCauley. SUB: Kevin McManus for J. Hyland (29’).
MARIST COLLEGE, ATHLONE: Lee Moran; Eoin Maher, Dustin Barrett, TJ Fox; Glenn Costello, Stephen Furey, Cathal Tighe; Conor Seery, Robert Henshaw; Adrian Gleeson, Eoin Monaghan, Brian Gill; Alan Coffey, Aaron Curley, Alex Gardiner. SUBS: Niall McEnery for A. Gardiner (47’), Seamie Byrne for G. Costello (47’), Andy O’Sullivan for S. Furey (53’).
REFEREE: Noel Cooney (Offaly).
