Éire Óg have secured their spot in the semi-finals of the U19 ‘A’ football championship following an impressive victory over AGB on Sunday morning. After a very slow start to the game, the hosts did not let their heads drop and came back to pick up a crucial win.
Greystones opened the scoring three minutes into the game with a point from midfielder Gerold Murphy. Colin O’Shea played the ball in to Murphy who put himself in a position to kick a simple score.
It only took one minute for Arklow to draw level. They were awarded a free from about thirty metres out. Oran Dunning made no mistake in tying up the game. Things soon got even better for the visitors when Conor Gahan set up Padraic Bermingham to hammer home for the game’s first goal.
AGB kept their foot on the pedal as Bermingham scored a point two minutes later. Corner-back Daire Furlong gave a hand pass to Patrick O’Halloran. The midfielder set up the wing-forward for his second score of the game.
Four minutes after this Éire Óg hit back with a point of their own. Joe Prendergast passed across to O’Shea who was left with an easy score. Their joy was short-lived however, as Joe McGeary played a ball over the top for Brian Hurley to net the visitors’ second goal from close range.
The hosts were left in a difficult situation now, but they soon fought back as Murphy kicked his second score of the day two minutes later after a well-timed pass by Prendergast. A minute later Darragh Shanahan pulled another point back with a free from the 21-metre line.
Greystones made it a one-point game in the 18th minute when Prendergast scored his team’s opening goal. Cian O’Loinigh gave the pass and Prendergast scored from a tight angle with a very tidy finish.
O’Shea levelled the score soon after with an impressive point. Prendergast set him up for the score from long range.
The home side took the lead for the first time a minute later when Daniel Conaghty kicked wide to Shanahan. The full-forward cut inside and slotted over from close range.
Arklow levelled the tie when O’Halloran tried a shot from a long way out. The ball nearly dipped into the goal, but Éire Óg goalkeeper Sean O’Neill tipped it over the bar. The visitors then regained their lead when Bermingham knocked over a free from the 21 six minutes from the break. This was to be the last score of the first half and AGB went into half-time ahead by a scoreline of 2-4 to 1-6.
The home side got off to the best possible start in the second half with a bizarre goal just seconds after the restart. Murphy won the ball from the throw-in and ran into the opposing half. The midfielder tried his luck from long distance. The shot bounced off the crossbar and deflected off the back of AGB goalkeeper Calum O’Neill into the back of the net.
The game was very tight for a long period after this goal, and there was no scores for another eighteen minutes. Eventually one did come as Hurley curled over a free from a tough position to reduce Greystones’ advantage to a solitary point.
Éire Óg increased their lead soon after. O’Shea won O’Neill’s kick-out. The forward threaded a ball in for Murphy who fired home for his second goal of the match. Murphy was the provider for a point by O’Shea a minute later. The hosts now led by five.
With time running out, Arklow pulled a point back late on. Hurley had a free out wide on the 21 and made no mistake in sticking it over. But the hosts deservedly wrapped it up in injury time as Prendergast scored a goal. Murphy forced a good save out of O’Neill, but Prendergast was there to tap in the rebound.
Straight from the restart Greystones rubbed salt in the wound as Murphy intercepted the kick-out and drove through to make it a hat-trick. AGB scored a consolation point in the fourth minute of added time as Bobby Desmond slotted over a nice point from out wide. There was no time for a comeback, and Éire Óg ran out winners by a final score of 5-7 to 2-6.
Éire Óg are at home again on Sunday as they host An Tóchar in an intriguing match in which the winner will top Group 1 with both sides having already secured their semi-final spot. Throw in is at 11 a.m. in Greystones. AGB have now played all their group games and will finish in third regardless of the result of that game.
Éire Óg: 1. Sean O’Neill, 2. Mark Hayden, 3. Callum O’Connor, 4. Gordon Bailey, 5. Oisin Shanahan, 6. Ruairi Parker, 7. Kevin Booth, 8.Colm Condon, 9. Geroid Murphy, 10. Darragh Rush, 11. Colin O’Shea, 12. Joe Prendergast, 13. Daniel Conaghty, 14. Darragh Shanahan, 15. Cian O’Loinsigh, 16. Daniel Burns, 17. Max Scully, 18. Fintan Potts, 19. Chris Stuart, 20. Taylor O’Sullivan.
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