St Mary's Leave It Late To Advance To Semi-Final
Thursday, 10 February 2011
St Mary's, Edenderry 1-7 Good Counsel, Wexford 0-9.
ST Mary's, Edenderry kept their dreams of glory in the Leinster Colleges 'A' Senior Football Championship alive when they recorded a hard earned one point win over Wexford's Good Counsel in Tinryland, Carlow last Friday.
It was a backs to the wall win for the Edenderry students who were reduced to fourteen men eleven minutes from time when Ewan Farrell was dismissed for a second yellow card.
The Offaly school missed a chance to wrap it up six minutes from time when Dean Cummins was desperately unlucky to see his well struck shot rebound to safety off the underside of the cross bar.
As it was, St Mary's diced with danger and it took a Ciaran Hurley free five minutes into injury time to give them a dramatic win. Good Counsel were furious at the amount of time added on but it was still a deserved win by St Mary's who displayed tremendous battling qualities to book their semi-final place against Dundalk College.
Good Counsel started well with points from Tony French and Paul Curtis before St Mary's opened their account with a Ciaran Hurley free. Good Counsel went back two in front with a John Turbitt free but in the 11th minute, St Mary's made the decisive breakthrough with a fine goal from Ciaran Hurley after good approach play by Ger Leech.
Hurley almost netted a second goal moments later but was denied by Shane Doyle before a Hurley free put them two ahead. John Turbitt and Ciaran Hurley exchanged frees before a brilliant Sean Doyle point put the winners three clear.
Ger Fox cut the deficit for Good Counsel but two Sean Doyle points gave St Mary's a four point half time lead.
Good Counsel put St Mary's under severe pressure in the second half. Tony French reduced arrears early on but the losers' cause was not helped by three bad wides. A good Darren Foley point in the 11th minute reduced arrears to two points. St Mary's were crying out for a score but Harry Morrin hit the side netting while trying to manufacture a goal.
Exchanges became increasingly frantic after Farrelly's dismissal and Good Counsel cut the deficit to the minimum with a Padraig Conway point. Ciaran Butler leveled it up as the game went into injury time but St Mary's had the final say with Ciaran Hurley's free deep in injury time.
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