St James advance to Carbery JAHC semi-finals after sudden-death shoot-out win against Mathúnas

St James 1-19   

Diarmuid Ó Mathúna 2-16 

(St James won 4-3 on pens aet) 

TOM LYONS REPORTS

IT took two and a half hours and eventually sudden-death penalties to separate St James and Diarmuid Ó Mathúna in the quarter-final of the RCM Tarmacadam Carbery junior A hurling championship in Rossmore.

Level on four occasions in the first half, St James looked to have won this game on several occasions but each time Mathúnas dug deep. The result was a tied game at full time, 1-14 each, after William Horgan had pointed a colossal free deep in injury time to deprive the Ardfield/Rathbarry men of victory. In extra time, St James again looked winners when they led by three points with seconds remaining only to watch as Jamie Lucey converted a penalty to again snatch a draw.

It was on to penalties then. Again they couldn’t be separated, as each side raised two green flags, Cathal Hennessy and Paul O’Sullivan goaling for the winners and Kevin O’Donovan and Conor O’Sullivan for Mathúnas. Both goalkeepers, Diarmuid O’Donovan and Mick O’Callaghan, had good saves.

On to sudden death then. James O’Sullivan had his goal for St James answered by Kevin O’Donovan. Cathal Hennessy and goalkeeper O'Donovan emerged the heroes for the Mountain side when Hennessy converted the ninth penalty for a 4-3 lead and O’Donovan saved the following Mathúna attempt.

St James' Micheál McCarthy (B) puts the squeeze on Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's Sean Hennessey during the RCM Tarmacadam JAHC quarter-final at Rossmore.

‘It’s a great way to win a game but a horrible way to lose it,’ said St James’ coach Johnny Deasy. ‘Nobody deserved to lose that but we should have sealed it in ordinary time and again in extra time. We were slow to start and hardly deserved our four-point lead at half time. We have to be proud of our lads for coming through that test.’

One could write a mini-novel on this hectic quarter-final as Mathúnas came flying from the traps in the first quarter to lead by 0-7 to 0-4. The free-taking of William Horgan and Jamie Lucey, who eventually accounted for 1-10, was vital while James O’Driscoll, who hit 0-14 for his side, had all of the Saints’ four points, three from frees.

Gaining a grip in the half-forward line, St James fought back to level. When Kieran O’Donovan crashed home a fine team goal in the 29th minute, they were in front. They led by 1-8 to 0-7 at the break and stretched it to five after the break.

St James' James O'Driscoll holds off Diarmuid Ó Mathúna's Jeremiah Hurley during the RCM Tarmacadam JAHC quarter-final at Rossmore.

Leading by five points with ten minutes remaining, the Saints seemed to have it won. However, the fat was back in the fire when Jack O’Callaghan finished to the Saints’ net in the 50th minute. With Lucey sandwiching an O’Driscoll point with a fine pair himself, the lead was down to a single point entering injury time. Sub Mark Evans looked to have won it for the Saints when he pointed in the 63rd minute but Mathúnas weren’t finished yet. Another point from a Lucey free cut the lead to one and in the 65th minute, William Horgan became the hero when he landed a huge free from 85 metres out on the wing.

1-14 each, the teams faced into extra time. Again, St James seemed likely winners when the hard-working Kevin O’Brien and O’Driscoll (2) had them two in front at half time in extra time, Lucey again pointing a Mathúna free. The Saints stretched the lead to three in the second period with O’Brien and O’Driscoll again answering a Lucey point but almost certain victory was snatched from their grasp in the dying seconds when Kevin O’Donovan was fouled in the square and Lucey saw his penalty trickling over the line after a partial save from goalkeeper O’Donovan.

It finished 2-16 to 1-19 before we had the drama of the penalty shoot-out which went to sudden death and was won 4-3 by St James after nine penalties each.

Scorers

St James: J O’Driscoll 0-14 (8f); K O’Donovan 1-0; K O’Brien 0-3; P O’Sullivan, M Evans 0-1 each.

Diarmuid Ó Mathúnas: J Lucey 1-10 (6f, 1 pen); J O’Callaghan 1-0; W Horgan 0-3 (2f); T Lordan, C O’Sullivan, G O’Donovan 0-1 each.

St James: Diarmuid O’Donovan; Eoin Deasy, Mícheál McCarthy (D), Peter Whelton; Criostóir Hayes, Kevin O’Leary, James O’Sullivan; Ian Evans, Cathal Hennessy; Kevin O’Brien, Paul O’Sullivan, James O’Driscoll; Mícheál McCarthy (B), Kieran O’Donovan, Joseph O’Sullivan.

Subs: Mark Evans for I Evans (44), Conor Hayes for K O’Donovan (44), Séamus McCarthy for M McCarthy (D) (53), Shane Murphy for P O’Sullivan (57). Subs in extra time, David Hayes, Kieran O’Donovan, Paul O’Sullivan.

Diarmuid Ó Mathúna: Mick O’Callaghan; Eoghan Mangan, Nick Hilliard, Matt Draper; Shane Corcoran, Jeremiah Hurley, Robbie Lucey; Jack O’Callaghan, Kevin O’Donovan; Seán Crowley, Ted Lordan, William Horgan; Conor O’Sullivan, Gearóid O’Donovan, Jamie Lucey.

Subs: Gavin Ahern for S Corcoran (29), Ronan McCarthy for M Draper (43). Sub in extra time, Shane Corcoran.

Referee: Alan Long (Argideen Rangers).