St Martins 2-12; Emeralds 1-14.
John Power at Jenkinstown.
St Martins capped a great weekend for the club by achieving a second league title for the club, grasping victory from the depths of defeat in Jenkinstown. When Liam Grant polished a penalty with aplomb for Emeralds on 24 minutes that side were four points clear, 1-14 to 2-7.
St Martins adapted a never say die attitude, and a sequence of five unanswered points, the last controversially in the 35th miniue, gave St Martins victory.
The start of the comeback was a 120-metre monster score by Tony Farrell on 25 minutes. Then a Michael Keane free (27 mins), a Ross Downing point (29 minute) and another Keane free (32 minutes), and against the run of play it was now all square.
Emeralds went on the attack, a stalemate ensued, before referee Owen Beehan gave St Martins a free out. Emeralds disputed the decision and as per the new rules, the referee moved the sliotar forward thirty metres for dissent. Now this became a long, but scoreable free. Michael Keane kept calm and pointed from beyond midfield. From the puck out Emeralds had one last scoring chance, an attack from which nothing came, and the Coon Ballyfoyle club were victorious.
This was a highly competitive Roinn C League Final, fought in a tough but fair manner, in the testing 24 degree summer sunshine, before a sizeable crowd.
Liam Grant opened the scoring with an Emeralds free, equalised a minute later by Michael Keane.
Michael Keane from another free, and the excellent Adam Barnaville gave Emerals a two poinr lead, before Padraig Buggy got a St Martins goal on 11 minutes, when he ran on to a breaking ballin the square. Keane added a free a minute later to leave St Martins 1-2 to 0-3 ahead.
Emeralds dominated the scoring in the next five minutes with a Liam Grant free, two points from Adam Barnacle and a Darragh Hickey score, to go 0-7 to 1-2 ahead on 19 minutes.
A 21st minute free from Michael Keane reduced the lead to one point, before Ross Dowling got a second St Martins goal in the 23rd minute when he caught an incoming high ball and scored.
Two further Emeralds frees by Liam Grant levelled matters 0-9 to 2-3 at the interval.
Liam Grant for Emeralds (free) and Michael Keane (SM) exchanged scores in the opening minutes of the second half.
Emeralds went two points clear from Adam Barnaville and a Liam Grant free by the 13th minute, scores replied to by a Keane free and a Ross Dowling point on the quarter hour.
Emeralds got two of the games next three points, before the penalty success left them 1-14 to 2-7 clear.
This was a tough loss to take for the Urlingford club. They will be disappointed for letting the game slip, while on the other hand in three days St Martins had recorded a C and E league double.
SCORERS
St Martins
Michael Keane (0-9, 0-8 frees), Ross Dowling 1-2, Padraig Buggy 1-0, Michael Ruane 0-1.
Emeralds
Liam Grant (1-8, 0-8 frees, 1-0 penalty), Adam Barnaville (0-5), Darragh Hickey (0-1).
TEAMS
St Martins
Niall Shore, Paddy Nolan (capt), Ollie Walsh, Bill Dowling, Jack Farrell, Michael Ruane, Matthew Shortall, Michael Keane Adam Morrissey, Jamie Morrissey, Cormac Quirke, Ross Dowling, Patrick Coughlan, Padraig Buggy, Aaron Farrell.
Substitutes:
Used – John Mulhall for Adam Morrissey, Brian Byrne for Ross Dowling.
Res o Pnl – Ciaran Brennan, Damien Tynan, Darragh Quinlan, Michael Keane, Ronan Shore, Colm Kealy, Geoff Dooley, Tadhg Gill, Tadhg Power, Tom Shore, Adrian Farrell, Jack Nolan, David Walsh, Hugh Quirke, Chris Kealy, Ciaran FitzpatricK, Tommy Quirke, Noel Darcy, Russell Kealy, Darragh Purcell, Ted Healy.
Emeralds
Brendan Cleere, Jack Kavanagh, Niall O’Gorman, Tomas Cussen, Simon Zhang, Tony Farrell, Darragh Hickey, Killian Rafter Adam Barnaville (C), Jimmy Cleere, Liam Grant (VC), Johnny Doyle, Daniel Tobin, Cathal Walsh, Oisin Quinlan
Substitutes:
Used – Cian Hickey for Jimmy Cleere, JJ McLoughlin for Cathal Walsh, Craig Barnaville for Oisin Quinlan
Rest of Panel – Ollie Kenny, Nathan Barnaville, Kieran Norton, Cormac Burke
Ciaran Phelan, luke Phelan, Calvin Ryan, Conor Gibbons, Rory Hyde, Gavin Moriarty (Injured).
Referee: Owen Beehan.
