Slevin double crucial as St Joseph's repel Caulry

St Joseph's 3-18, Caulry 3-16 (AET)

St Joseph’s won an extra-time thriller to claim the All County Football League Division 4 title, at TEG Cusack Park on Wednesday where they denied a spirited Caulry side.

It was a terrific start to the adult football league finals, a high-scoring contest that kept supporters engrossed for over 80 minutes. In the end, St Joseph's full-back Mikey Lynam had to scramble the ball to safety when Caulry’s Cormac Murphy sent a high, speculative delivery into the square; the ball could have gone anywhere but the Streamstown men managed to avert the danger.

Caulry had one hand on the trophy, but failed to secure possession from their own kickout at the end of normal time and St Joseph’s earned a free that was advanced 50 metres, leading to the equalising point. They also missed a great goal chance in the 50th minute when the sides were deadlocked on 2-10 apiece - Brian Doyle and Liam Malynn both denied by ‘keeper Seán Elliffe.

St Joseph's, playing at junior level, fielded their first team in this final, while Caulry, a senior club, had their second team in action. It was 2-7 to 2-6 at half-time in Caulry’s favour and that was after they had enjoyed a five-point lead in the first half, the accurate Liam Malynn converting a ‘45’ in the 17th minute. The Mount Temple men will wonder how they failed to build on that advantage.

That said, St Joseph's had made the perfect start with a Dean Slevin goal, the full-forward finishing neatly to the net before a ‘solo and go’ from midfielder David Gaynor led to Caulry’s Brian Doyle finding the net, after Oisin Shortall’s pass. They swooped for a second major in the tenth minute when John Maguire finished low to the net, after Doyle’s pass and proceeded to establish a healthy lead.

But St Joseph’s responded impressively and a second goal came from Aaron McDonnell in the 19th minute, the wing-forward fisting home after his initial effort was saved. A wonderful two-pointer from Ros Elliffe - after Aaron and Dylan McDonnell combined - had the sides all square (2-5 apiece) after 26 minutes, but a late fisted point by David Gaynor gave the Mount Temple men a narrow lead at the interval.

Never more than two points separated the teams during the second half and the contest ebbed and flowed throughout. Ros Elliffe brought St Joseph's level with a fine left-footed point and, after Caulry led by 2-10 to 2-8, Aaron McDonnell shot over following great work by Slevin. Caulry engineered a goal chance in the 50th minute when Oisin Shortall and Thomas Dunning combined, creating a chance for Doyle, whose effort was saved. Liam Malynn, following up, also had his effort foiled by Seán Elliffe. The double save proved hugely significant even though Malynn’s superb two-pointer pushed Caulry 2-12 to 2-10 clear.

St Joseph's swooped for a third goal when sub Jordan McDonnell found Slevin, who cut inside the opposing cover and finished low to the net, giving them a narrow lead with eight minutes remaining. Slevin then pointed in confident style, after Daniel Keegan’s pass, to make it 3-11 to 2-12, but a chance to extend that fell on deaf ears when the referee opted for a throw-in after Ros Elliffe was met with a frontal tackle from Eoin Fox. It was deemed nothing more than incidental contact. A minute later, Caulry had the ball in the net for a third time as Fox set up Doyle for his second major and they now enjoyed a slender advantage.

Jordan McDonnell blasted over with a goal at his mercy in the 58th minute; Caulry sub Darren Hynes gave his side the lead again with a point two minutes into added time, after a one-two with Fox. But the final kickout was won by St Joseph’s, who earned a free in midfield and Caulry foolishly conceded 50 metres, putting it on a plate for Jordan McDonnell, who duly converted to set up extra-time.

St Joseph’s now had momentum and led by 3-18 to 3-15 at the end of the first period, a two-point free from Jordan McDonnell the main highlight. They almost had a fourth goal that would have killed off the contest, but Slevin’s shot was blocked by Ciaran Gaynor.

Caulry responded and Olan Healy weaved his way through for a point that really ought to have been a goal, leaving them trailing by three at the break.

St Joseph’s failed to score in the second period and almost paid the ultimate price for flagging. Malynn’s free cut their lead to just two and, in added time at the end, Cormac Murphy’s high delivery into the danger area almost resulted in a dramatic goal, but somehow Lynam cleared the danger. At the end of a pulsating final, Niall O’Brien, Football Committee chairman, presented the trophy to St Joseph's captain Aaron McDonnell.

Man of the match: Dean Slevin (St Joseph’s): The talented full-forward scored 2-6 from play and was generally a real handful for the Caulry defence, his movement, control and finishing key factors.

Scorers - St Joseph’s: D Slevin 2-6; A McDonnell 1-1; R Elliffe (1tp) and J McDonnell (1tpf, 1f) 0-4 each; B McDonnell 0-2 (1f, 1 ‘45’); D McDonnell 0-1. Caulry: L Malynn 0-9 (1tp, 4f, 1 ‘45’); B Doyle 2-2; J Maguire 1-0; O Healy 0-2 (1 mark); D Gaynor, O Shortall and D Hynes 0-1 each.

St Joseph’s: Seán Elliffe; Frankie Day, Mikey Lynam, Brian Fitzgerald; Denis Leen, Daniel Keegan, Andy Scally; Ros Elliffe, Noah McDonnell; Ben McDonnell, Dylan McDonnell, Aaron McDonnell; Nathal Corcoran, Dean Slevin, Niall Moran. Subs: Alan Conlon for Moran (38), Jordan McDonnell for Corcoran (43), Eoin Kelly for Scally (7, e-time), Brian Killian for Keegan (19, e-time), Jamie McDonnell for A McDonnell (20, e-time).

Caulry: Cillian Nagle; Cormac Murphy, Johnny Buckley, Ciaran Gaynor; Alan Daly, Eoin Fox, Olan Healy; David Gaynor, Thomas Dunning; Liam Malynn, Oisin Shortall, Willie Buckley; Brian Doyle, John Maguire, Adam Donoghue. Subs: Darren Hynes for J Buckley (38), Daniel Lynam for W Buckley (51), Joe O'Hara for Gaynor (inj., 60), Mark Fitzpatrick for Dunning (inj., 14, e-time).

Referee: Vinny Cox (Rosemount).