Young Irelands 3-14 Dunnamaggin 1-15
The man is genius, sheer genius, and yesterday’s man-of-the-match performance only added to the legend. Two goals and seven points, 2-5 of that from play, while being marked by no less a luminary than Noel Hickey, his inter-county colleague, the full-back who should win this year’s All-Star award for that position.
From the outset, DJ was on fire. There were those who wondered at the wisdom of starting him on Hickey, risking your most potent offensive threat on their most powerful defender, but two rapid-fire points from play from the Gowran Genius to open the scoring in the 5th and 6th minutes (the first of which could have been a goal, rocketed just over the bar) set the tone for the game. Like never before, Noel Hickey was in trouble.
Backed by the stiff breeze, Gowran added to those DJ points with two more, from midfielder James McDermott and lively corner-forward David Carter, before Ramie Cahill, Dunnamaggin’s most threatening forward on the day, opened their account with a point in the 10th minute.
Then came the game’s, and DJ’s, first major. With referee Pat Dunphy applying sensible advantage, corner-forward Dick Carroll got on the end of a Jack Carey centre, broke inside; his hard shot from close range was well saved by Dunnamaggin keeper David Herrity, but waiting, anticipating the rebound? None other. 1-4 to 0-1 after the opening quarter, but this Dunnamaggin side are renowned battlers, and two pointed frees from midfield marksman Colin Herrity kept them in touch. Cue the first real piece of DJ magic.
About 20 metres in front of goal, bit of a scrum, but somehow he flipped the ball into his hand, side-stepped the first man, dummied the second, Carroll the decoy runner outside, another few steps, then billowed the net, giving Herrity no chance. “There wasn’t anything else I could do”, this truly modest individual said afterwards. “I hadn’t the room to swing, so I had to go. Turned around, made a side-step, was in a bit and since I was so close, I decided to put down the head and stay going. Thank God I got the room.” Thank God we were there to see it.
2-4 to 0-3 now, but credit again to Dunnamaggin for staying with the fight, and in the remaining ten minutes to the break, they pegged that lead back to very reasonable proportions, three frees from Herrity plus a fine combination effort, Ramie Cahill to Sean Ryan, finished by wing-forward Kenneth Moore in reply to a single DJ free, bringing them within four at the break, 2-5 to 0-7.
Not an insurmountable lead by any means, and with the advantage of the wind to come, with Young Irelands having lost their two wing-backs, Ciaran Phelan and Stephen Byrne to injury just before half-time, there was hope for the large Dunnamaggin contingent in the 10,000-plus crowd. Two early points, both again from placed balls by Herrity, had the lead down to two within five minutes of the restart, and it was looking ominous for Young Irelands. They soon got those two points back however, through wing-forwards James Fitzgerald and Charlie Carter, and with their defence now shutting up shop, the Gowran side settled down to winning this game.
Fine individual point by David Carter, negated by Eamonn Kennedy’s 65; more magic from DJ with a searing under-pressure strike into the wind from 60 metres, rifled over, answered in turn with his first touch by Dunnamaggin sub Sean O’Neill, before the score that really put Young Irelands in the driving seat.
Midway through the second half, another fine centre by hard-working centre-forward Jack Carey, helping back in defence, latched onto by the dangerous Dick Carroll, in behind the Dunnamaggin defence. Well controlled, avoided Herrity coming out, rattled the net - 3-9 to 0-12, looking good Gowran.
A pointed free from just outside his own 65 by DJ, point for Jack, with super-sub Pat O’Neill giving the scoring pass, another heart-breaker from over sixty metres by DJ and with less than five minutes remaining, this one, even against a side as doughty as Dunnamaggin, was over. They did eventually crack that magnificent Young Irelands defence for a goal from Sean Ryan but it was too little too late. Scorers: Young Irelands: DJ Carey 2-7 (0-2 frees); D. Carroll 1-0; C. Carter 0-2; D. Carter 0-2; J. Carey, J. Fitzgerald, J. McDermott, 0-1 each.
Dunnamaggin: C. Herrity 0-7 (all frees); S. Ryan 1-0; R. Cahill 0-2; P. Cahill, K. Moore, S. O’Neill, N. Lahart, K. O’Shea (pen), E. Kennedy (65), 0-1 each.
YOUNG IRELANDS: M. Carey; C. Carroll, E. Farrell, C. Fitzgerald; S. Byrne, T. Drennan, C. Phelan; J. McDermott, O. Carter; J. Fitzgerald, J. Carey, C. Carter; D. Carroll, DJ Carey, D. Carter. Subs: M. Carter (C. Phelan inj. 29); P. Farrell (S. Byrne inj. 30); P. O’Neill (McDermott 47).
DUNNAMAGGIN: D. Herrity; T. Hickey, N. Hickey, B. Mackey; C. Hickey, E. Kennedy, N. Lahart; D. Lahart, C. Herity; B. O’Shea, P. Cahill, K. Moore; R. Cahill, K. O’Shea, S. Ryan. Subs: S. O’Neill (D. Lahart 43); J. Hickey (Mackey 59).
Referee: P. Dunphy (Carigeen) - good job.
