Ratoath advance to Leinster semi after more sideline tussles
TUSSLE: Ratoath manager David Brady tussles with Anton Sullivan of Rhode after the AIB Leinster GAA Football Senior Club Championship quarter-final match between Ratoath and Rhode at Páirc Tailteann in Navan, Meath. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile
David Brady claimed it's a case of 'give a dog a bad name' after getting caught up in another sideline kerfuffle at Pairc Tailteann.
The Ratoath manager, cleared to perform his regular duties after a red card in the county final defeat of Summerhill was rescinded, was shoved on two separate occasions this time by Rhode and Offaly forward Anton Sullivan.
A low scoring AIB Leinster club quarter-final game that simmered for long spells threatened to boil over in those exchanges, the first in stoppage time and the second after the full-time whistle had sounded.
From Brady's perspective, all that mattered was that his team held on for a landmark win, their first ever in the competition, to secure a semi-final clash with The Downs of Westmeath at Croke Park on November 19.
Five points in a row from Ratoath between the 36th and 50th minutes turned a two-point deficit for the Brownstown outfit into a three-point lead and they held on from there despite that frantic finale which included two late Niall McNamee points from frees.
Brady, shoved by Sullivan initially following the awarding of a line ball close to the Ratoath manager, was confronted by two Rhode players after full-time and Sullivan then got involved and shoved the former Mayo midfielder for a second time.
Referring to the initial line ball fracas, Brady insisted he didn't do anything to prompt Sullivan's frustration.
"That wasn't me now," said Brady. "I'm kind of going, 'Give a dog a bad name'. It actually wasn't me. Someone interpreted it was, they turned and went, 'Of course it was Brady'. But I think you've seen it yourself. But anyway, look, you're going to yourself, 'Boys, you're playing into our hands. We're ahead, you know?'"
In Ratoath's previous game, last month's county final, opposing Summerhill manager Conor Gillespie knocked Brady to the ground with a heavy shoulder, prompting red cards for both of them.
"Let's be on the record, my red card was rescinded last week," noted Brady who said he thanked the Meath county board for their openness and transparency throughout that process.
After full-time this time, Brady led his players away as a group to avoid any more flashpoints.
"You're going, 'Boys, get away from that'," he explained. "Look, I think someone actually thought I did something and I didn't, someone else did it. But sure give a dog a bad name anyway. But come on, talk about other things!"
The win bucks the trend of Meath teams slipping up early on in Leinster. In the previous 10 seasons, Meath sides had won just three out of 13 provincial games and, from a previous total of 33 outings since Dunshaughlin won the Leinster championship in 2002, Meath teams had only won 13.
Like the county final, Ratoath had to dig deep to get the job done. Minus cruciate victim and county forward Joey Wallace, they trailed 0-4 to 0-5 at half-time even though Rhode had only scored once from open play.
Niall McNamee converted four frees in that period and his fifth point in the 34th minute, again from a free, left them two points ahead.
Rhode had beaten all three Meath teams they'd faced since 2010 but even with Ratoath losing county man Eamon Wallace to a 46th minute black card, the visitors couldn't turn the screw for another win.
Instead, Ratoath, previously winners of the Leinster junior and intermediate titles, reeled off those five points in a row from top scorer and free-taker Daithi McGowan, Jack Flynn, Cian O'Brien and Cian Rogers.
That gave them a three-point cushion and allowed them to absorb a couple more McNamee points from frees late on.
D McGowan (0-3, 2 frees); E Wallace (0-2); J Flynn (1 free), B O'Brien, K McCabe, C O'Brien, C Rogers (0-1 mark), B McMahon (0-1 mark) (0-1 each).
N McNamee (0-7, 7 frees); C McNamee, A Kellaghan (0-1 each).
D McPartlin; C O Fearraigh, B Wyer, C McGill; G McGowan, E Wallace, B Daly; B McGowan, J Flynn; K McCabe, D McGowan, C Rogers; C O'Brien, B O'Brien, B McMahon.
P Byrne for McCabe (54); A Gerrard for Daly (57); C Rooney for O'Brien (61).
K Garry; J McPadden, J Kavanagh, B Darby; K Murphy, C McNamee, G McNamee; A McNamee, D Kavanagh; P Sullivan, A Kellaghan, C Heavey; N McNamee, A Sullivan, R McNamee.
S Hannon for P Sullivan (h/t); D Garry for Heavey (39); P McPadden for G McNamee (48); S Sullivan for A McNamee (61).
S Mulhare (Laois).
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