Moorefield go up a gear in final quarter

MOOREFIELD came alive in the final quarter to stun their Newbridge neighbours Sarsfields, scoring the last seven points of this final to claim their sixth Kildare SFC title at St Conleth’s Park.

When Ciarán Dempsey pointed a free in the 43rd minute to put Sarsfields 1-8 to 0-6 ahead, it looked like the men from the bottom of the town were heading for a surprise victory.

But the experience of their fierce rivals proved crucial. Sarsfields will also look to the loss of Gary White at half-time as being critical. The captain had to depart in an ambulance in some distress andthe manner of his departure, was obviously a factor.

But Moorefield were clearly the superior outfit, even in a dreadful first-half at the end of which they trailed by 1-4 to 0-2. At the end of that period, the winners had shot 10 of their 15 wides. In stark contrast, Sarsfields only had two.

“We were dominant in general play but we weren’t converting it into scores” said Moorefield manager, Jack Sheedy.

“We went in at half-time after they got a very soft goal right on the stroke of half time. It was a bit of a killer to give away at that stage. It certainly gave Sarsfields a lot of confidence.”

It was Morgan O’Sullivan, who struck for the Sarsfields goal in the third minute of injury time at the end of that first half following good inter-play between Alan Smith and Alan Barry.

It had taken Sarsfields 20 minutes to get any score – Conor Tiernan sending over brilliantly from tight on the left wing – but three points from Smith, including a delightful score on the turn, had them two points clear when O’Sullivan struck.

They still had that advantage entering the final quarter, but with Daryl Flynn now having entered the fray Moorefield were in even more conrol around the middle than before.

Keith Duane and Brian McGrogan were beginning to cause trouble when getting possession and the former got the Moorefield fightback under way with two magnificent points.

McGrogan followed up after Sweeney had broken up a Sarsfields attack before Sweeney converted two frees to level with just over two minutes remaining.

Moorefield had all the momentum now and Sheedy reintroduced Jason Phillips for O’Neill. The big man conjured up a magnificent point in the second minute of injury time and it was fitting that Duane – winning the man of the match award – would provide the coup de grace with his fourth point from play.

MOOREFIELD: T Corley; L Callaghan, G Naughton, I Lonergan; Kenny Duane, L Keane, K Murnaghan; K O’Neill, R Sweeney 0-3(2fs); C Kelly 0-1, D Whyte, Keith Duane 0-4; B McGrogan 0-3, J Phillips 0-1, P Murray 0-1(f).

Subs: D Flynn for Keane (36); P O’Flynn for Kenny Duane (47); P Woulfe for Phillips (47); N Hurley Lynch for Kelly (51); Phillips for O’Neill (60).

SARSFIELDS: G Slicker; J Kavanagh, S Campbell, A McLernon; N Hedderman, R Murphy, C Duffy; G White, A Barry; M Browne, M O’Sullivan 1-1, C Tiernan 0-1; A Smith 0-4(2fs), C Dempsey 0-1(f), R Confrey 0-1.

Subs: E O’Sullivan for White inj (ht); C Carey for Hedderman (49); P Brennan for Confrey inj (55); J Melia for Barry (60+2).

Referee: B Hickey.