Junior 1 Footballers Cliff-Hanger Win

04 Aug 2020

Castleknock 1-10 Clontarf 1-9

Heart stopping stuff in Somerton this evening (Aug.4) in this Junior 1 Football Championship Round 2 match, with Castleknock doing just enough to hold on by a point as in a frenetic finish opponents Clontarf failed with the very last kick of the game to claim a share of the spoils.

In the first-half Castleknock played into the strong wind gusting into the Scoreboard End and must have been quietly satisfied with those first 30 minutes, at the end of which the home team trailed by just 0-4 0-6,Clontarf having shot 7 wides.

Indeed Castleknock through points from John Kindlon (2), Aidan Kearney and Sam Ryan led twice into the gale and the feeling at the interval was that it was theirs to lose in the second-half.

So it was a bit of a shock to the system when Clontarf grabbed the first point on the resumption to go three clear.

However, the next 15 minutes saw the best of Castleknock as they outscored Clontarf by 1-5 0-1, going into a four point lead a s a result, 1-9 0-8.

Sam Ryan (1-5) and John Kindlon (0-4) were the score-getters in chief on the night, Sam Ryan beginning that second-half surge with a pointed free followed by one from John Kindlon from play and another Sam Ryan free was the prelude to the score that really won it.

Fourteen minutes into the half a pitch length move saw Lennon Bracken in possession and his pin-point pass found Sam Ryan who swept across the face of goal before drilled the ball to the Clontarf net. Further points from Sam Ryan and John Kindlon left Castleknock with a commanding four-point lead with eight minutes to play.

However Clontarf refused to lie down and some great Castleknock defensive play from the likes of Ronan Conway, Mick McCloskey and Padraig Higgins was needed to keep the visitors out.

Then three minutes from time, a Castleknock free out appeared to have been signalled but to everyone’s surprise a penalty was awarded instead. Neatly tucked away the penalty kick left a mere point in it, 1-10 1-9 and the momentum was with the visitors.

The tension became almost unbearable as in those final few minutes. Clontarf were awarded two frees within scoring distance but thankfully for Castleknock both kicks drifted wide, the second with the last kick of the game.

Crazy stuff at times but a win is a win and Castleknock’s Junior 1 championship hopes live on.

Castleknock: James McLaughin; Mick McCloskey; Ronan Conway; Tiago Mantero Belard; Aidan Kearney (0-1); Padraig Higgins; Sean Moran; Oran O’Brien; Sean Ryan; Ed Dalton; Lennon Bracken; Ronan McCann; John Kindlon (0-4); Sam Ryan (1-5); Brian Hughes. Subs used: Eoin Devlin; Cian Spillane; Alan Rushe; Joe Kelly; Cian Boyle.

Manager: Emmet McGarvey.
Report: Kevin Mallon