Double yellow card confusion overshadows Maryland win
Shay Murtagh Precast Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship Section B Round 4
Maryland 1-12 Kilbeggan Shamrocks 1-10
Maryland kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals of Westmeath Intermediate Football Championship with a highly controversial victory over Kilbeggan Shamrocks in this Section B Round 4 refixture under lights in Tubberclair last night (Tuesday).
Rescheduled after the original fixture in Killucan was abandoned after 44 minutes due to an injury to Maryland wing back Cian Rainey with Kilbeggan leading 0-12 to 0-9, this game provided plenty of talking points, not least the decision of referee Joe Fallon not to send off Callum McCormack after he was issued with two yellow cards in the second half.
It’s understood that the match official subsequently downgraded one of the cards to a ‘tick’, but Kilbeggan were understandably enraged and the irony of the former Westmeath star slotting over the lead point from a 13-metre free in stoppage-time for a contentious breach of the new three-up rule wasn’t lost on any of their supporters.
Joe Harte fisted over an insurance point moments later to seal the win and set up a winner-takes-all clash with Castledaly next Sunday (3.30pm). Kilbeggan, on the other hand, face a relegation showdown with Ballymore in the last round on the same day (Rochfortbridge, 3.30) and aren’t expected to challenge the result of this game in the meantime.
The constant rain, which got heavier as the game went on, contributed to a niggly affair which could have resulted in a handful of dismissals. In what was a must-win game for both sides as far as reaching the knockout stages were concerned, Kilbeggan came flying out of the starting blocks to lead by 1-3 to 0-1 after nine minutes. But with veteran county man Kieran Martin exerting a big influence and top-scoring with 0-6, the Drumraney outfit recovered impressively to take a 1-6 to 1-5 lead into the break.
Maryland extended their advantage to 1-10 to 1-7 in the second half before a late Kilbeggan surge brought them level. But the winners regained the lead from McCormack’s 61st-minute free before Harte finally settled it less than 60 seconds later.
Martin signalled his intent with the opening score straight from the throw-in before Kilbeggan replied with a fourth-minute goal from Darragh Coffey after Maryland ‘keeper Eoin Moran had saved Paul Fennell’s initial shot. Nigel Scally followed up with a two-point free before taking one short to Conor Delaney who slotted over.
Harte and McCormack closed the gap from frees before Darren Malynn flashed a glorious goal chance wide in the 21st minute. Maryland’s good spell continued with further points from Enda Kincaid (after William Reynolds had hit the upright) and Martin (a fisted effort), before the latter found himself in acres of space and centred for Joe Harte to palm home from close range (26th minute).
Martin continued his tour de force with another point before the Maryland scoring sequence was finally ended with a Cillian Rochford point for Kilbeggan just before the break.
Delaney restored parity immediately after the restart, but a two-point free and a point from play by Martin had Maryland 1-9 to 1-6 ahead by the end of the third quarter. Shaun Pidgeon reduced the deficit, only for Ronan Aspell to reply after Callum McCormack had done brilliantly to keep the ball in play.
Nigel Adamson’s men then hit a purple patch that yielded unanswered points from Padraig Carton, Conor Carroll and Nigel Scally (free) to tie up the scoring at 1-10 apiece with three minutes of normal time remaining. But in a tense and tetchy finale, Maryland found a way to win it. For the record, Kilbeggan registered nine wides compared to Maryland’s five.
Footnote: A minute’s silence was observed before the throw-in as mark of respect to the late Maryland club president, Pat Dunlea.
Scorers – Maryland: K Martin 0-6 (1tp, 1f); J Harte 1-2 (0-1f); C McCormack 0-2 (2fs); E Kincaid and R Aspell 0-1 each. Kilbeggan Shamrocks: D Coffey 1-0; N Scally 0-3 (1tpf, 1f); C Delaney 0-2; R Kennedy, C Rochford, S Pidgeon, P Carton and C Carroll 0-1 each.
Maryland - Eoin Moran; Christy Hermbusche, Kenny Kincaid, Kallum Nugent; Christy Grimes, Liam Moran, Colm Seery; Fintan McCormack, Callum McCormack; Ronan Aspell, Kieran Martin, William Reynolds; Darren Malynn, Joe Harte, Enda Kincaid. Subs: Keith Malynn for E Kincaid (46 min), Brian Moran for D Malynn (57).
Kilbeggan Shamrocks - Conor Mullins; Colin Draper, James Fox, Mel Kiernan; Micheál Coffey, Shaun Pidgeon, Conor Carroll; Nigel Scally, Ray Kennedy; Cillian Rochford, Paul Fennell, Dean Fitzgerald; Padraig Carton, Conor Delaney, Darragh Coffey. Sub: Danny Scully for Fitzgerald (42 min).
Referee – Joe Fallon (Athlone).