*St Joseph’s Miltown captain, Enda O’Gorman. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
They left it late but better late than never for St Joseph’s Miltown to snatch the Garry Cup honours for the first time in 18 years after a compelling extra-time battle with St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield.
St Joseph’s Miltown 2-13
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 1-11
Venue: Páirc Cuar an Chláir, Cooraclare
Two years after lifting the Cusack Cup, their return to the top flight was accentuated by silverware after late comebacks in normal and extra-time eventually saw Miltown prevail.
Having led for the opening 50 minutes of the tie, Miltown appeared to be running out of gas at the wrong time as the Parish finally gathered momentum with a Tom Curran-inspired five point unanswered blitz to soar 0-10 to 0-7 in front by the hour mark.
At this stage, nothing but a Doora/Barefield win appeared on the cards. However, Miltown’s vast experience and never-say-die character stormed to the fore for the remainder, with goal chances for Eoin O’Brien, Brian Curtin and substitute Conal Meade going abegging before finally forcing extra-time with a late brace from Murray at 0-10 to 0-10.
That pattern would be replicated in extra-time when Tom McDonald and Eoghan Thynne teed up substitute Curran to find the net in the 64th minute on their way to a 1-11 to 0-11 advantage.
Trailing by two by the break in extra-time, Miltown never reached for the panic button and finally honed their radar with a Cian Mahony goal in the 74th minute to reclaim the lead for the first time in over 20 minutes at 1-13 to 0-11.
With the Parish now needing to throw everything in their armoury at Miltown, they would be sucker-punched once more in additional time as a superb Oisin Looney interception and relieving run ended with an inch-effect crossfield pass to Cormac Murray to beat his marker and finish to an empty net.
It was a final that both sides will feel that they should have won in the first hour. Indeed, had Miltown not found their feet late on, they would have undoubtedly looked back on their shooting inefficiency that saw them kick 16 wides, had another ten shots dropped short into the goalkeeper’s hands along with carving out seven goal chances.
Equally, St Joseph’s will rue not closing out the contest twice, having led by three at the end of the first hour and midway through extra-time. It’s a tough lesson to learn but the Parish are certainly improving both physically and in terms of experience and will pose big problems for any opposition in the championship.
However, this was to be Miltown’s night and while they’ll have their sights aimed far higher in the coming weeks, this could yet be a significant stepping stone for the assimilation of their younger guns in particular.
Scorers for St Joseph’s Miltown: Cormac Murray (1-9, 5f); Cian Mahony (1-1); Darragh McDonagh (0-2); Conal Meade (0-1)
Scorers for St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield: Tom Curran (1-5, 1f); James Curran (0-2); Nicki Hardiman, Tom McDonald, Dara Nagle, Darragh O’Shea (0-1 each)
St Joseph’s Miltown
1: Sean O’Brien
2: Eoin O’Brien
3: Seanie Malone
4: Gordon Kelly
17: Cian Flanagan
6: Enda O’Gorman
5: Gearoid Burke
8: Oisin Looney
9: Darragh McDonagh
24: Sean Neylon
11: Cian Mahony
10: Jamesie O’Connor
15: Paul Keane
14: Cormac Murray
18: Brian Curtin
Subs:
20: Paul Frawley for O’Connor (45)
12: Gearoid Curtin for Mahony (52)
23: Conal Meade for Keane (60)
11: Mahony for Meade (for extra-time)
32: Ger Malone for Curtin (70)
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield
1: Tom O’Brien
2: Sam Costello
3: Conor O’Brien
4: Conal Doran
7: Darragh Whelan
6: Darragh O’Shea
5: Jack Hannan
8: James Curran
9: Tom McDonald
12: Kieran Thynne
11: Eoghan Thynne
27: Cian McDonough
30: Nicki Hardiman
14: Joe Rafferty
15: Dara Nagle
Subs:
19: Tom Curran for K. Thynne (20)
24: Eoghan Talty for McDonough (47)
17: Peter Collins for Doran (60)
27: McDonough for Hardiman (73)
22: Cian Moloney for Talty (80)
Referee: John O’Connell (Cooraclare)
