*Éanna Rouine netted the decisive goal in Tuesday’s semi-final. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
For the second time this season, an Ennistymon football team has progressed to a major championship final helped by a last minute goal.
Ennistymon 2-04
St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield 1-06
Venue: Cooraclare
In the semi-final of the Clare SFC semi-final, an injury time goal by Ciaran McMahon forced extra time and later penalties which they won against Kilmurry Ibrickane.
On Tuesday night in Cooraclare, the North Clare club’s under 21 footballers looked to be on their way out of this year’s A championship when they trailed St. Josephs by two points with the game entering injury time.
Having been outplayed for much of the second half, they launched one last attack which ended with second half substitute Eanna Rouine rising highest to flick the ball to the net.
The match winning score left St. Joseph’s shell shocked as they had enjoyed the better of matters for much of the tie against the fancied North Clare outfit.
In difficult weather conditions the sides exchanged points in the opening ten minutes, Tom Curran’s opening point for the Doora/Barefield side being cancelled out by a Brendy Rouine effort from a 30m free.
Indiscipline led to the winners being penalised twice in the next passage of play with the ball being moved forward twice. St. Josephs capitalised and Joe Rafferty finished to the net in the eleventh minute before another Tom Curran point pushed his side four clear as the game went into the second quarter.
Ennistymon hit their best spell in the next five minutes, hitting 1-2 without reply. A Darren McNamara point was followed by a Ryan Barry goal to level the tie before Keelan Guyler pointed to leave his side 1-3 to 1-2 in front at the break.
Stung by this set back, The Parish responded impressively when play resumed after the break and they landed four points without reply in eight minutes to go three clear.
Dara Nagle, Fionn Kelleher, Nikki Handiman(free) and Tom Curran(free) were the scorers as the Doora-Bsarefield side dominated.
While they continued to enjoy plenty of possession, they failed to add to their tally in the final twenty two minutes.
The second half was twenty six minutes old before Ennistymon added to their first half tally, Brendy Rouine pointing having failed to hit the target with a couple of frees earlier, a difficult crossfield wind posing problems for the teenager.
That point lifted Ennistymon spirits and they piled on the pressure in search of another score and it came as the game went into injury time with Eanna Rouine proving to be the hero for the North Clare side who will now face neighbours Corofin in next week’s final.
Without the injured Diarmuid Fahy, Cillian Rouine and Josh Guyler, this win is all the more impressive for a side for whom Dara Conneally, Ciaran McMahon, Dara and Brendy Rouine, Ryan Barry and Sean Rynne did well.
Fionn Kelleher, Tom McDonald Dara Nagle and Tom Curran worked hard for St. Josephs.
Scorers Ennistymon: Eanna Rouine, Ryan Barry (1-0) each, Brendy Rouine (0-2, 1f), Darren McNamara, Keelan Guyler (0-1) each
Scorers St. Josephs: Joe Rafferty (1-0), Tom Curran (0-3, 1f), Dara Nagle, Nikki Hardiman (free) Fionn Kelleher (0-1) each;
Ennistymon:
1: Conor Gallagher
2: James Cullinan
3: Dara Conneally
4: Dara Rouine
5: John Murphy
6: Ciaran McMahon
7: Brian McMahon
8: Liam Cotter
9: Eoin Rouine
10: Brendy Rouine
11: Josh Vaughan
12: Ryan Barry
13: Darren McNamara
14: Sean Rynne
15: Keelan Guyler
Subs:
21: Niall Hogan for B. McNamara (inj. 20)
18: Eanna Rouine for J. Vaughan (inj. 40)
Rory Murphy for D. McNamara;
St. Joseph’s Doora/Barefield:
1: Paddy Bugler
2: Dara Whelan
3: Jack Scahill
4: Conal Dorgan
5: Cian McDonagh
6: Fionn Kelleher
7: Sam Costello
8: James Curran
9: Tom McDonald
10: Eoin Talty
11: Dara Nagle
12: Cian Moloney
13: Tom Curran
14: Joe Rafferty
15: Nikki Hardiman.
Subs:
31: Ian Williams for Moloney (half time)
Dara McMahon for Costello (half time)
Francie Meaney for Talty (41)
Matthew Power for J. Curran (55);
Referee: Barry Keating (Lissycasey).
