St Vincent's fail to score in second half but hang on to relegate Na Piarsaigh
Blake Murphy scores an early goal for St Vincent's in the Cork IAFC relegation play-off against Na Piarsaigh at Mayfield GAA, Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins
How do you win a game of football without scoring in the second half?
That was the question St Vincent’s were disbelievingly asking themselves after surviving with 14 men to sign off back-to-back relegations for Northside neighbours Na Piarsaigh.
Two opportunistic Blake Murphy goals from shots dropped short had Vincent’s off to the perfect start and they led 2-5 to 0-3 at midway.
It all turned on Wayne Long’s sending-off in the 35th minute. Vincent’s retreated. Piarsaigh smelled blood, if only they had enough football to capitalise on their moment of opportunity.
By the 46th minute, they were just two points adrift but the Fair Hill crew failed to score their next point until stoppage time. Once Keith Buckley’s last-gasp free tailed wide, Vincent’s breathed a major sigh of relief.
They will aspire for knockout football next year after the hard-luck stories of 2024.
Piarsaigh will aim to end the freefall at Premier Junior level. While their focus has been on stabilising their hurlers, the football side of the house has suffered consecutive relegations in both league and championship for the past two years.
They drafted in a handful of hurlers for this escape mission and eight would feature before the end.
They weren’t named on the programme but Gordon Joyce, Keith Moynihan, and Shane Forde lined out from the start.
Buckley, Pádraig Guest, Greg Healy, Ross O’Sullivan, and Kelvin Forde were called upon too. The former pair before the first half was out. Each left their imprint on the game.
Blake Murphy’s second-half hat-trick wasn’t enough to overhaul Ballinora but his two goals here made all the difference. He finished the half, and the match, with 2-4; all but one point from play. Indeed, his was the only success from a placed ball all day.
Vincent’s had an immediate run on Piarsaigh. From the throw-in, Benjamin Long slung over the only score not credited to Murphy.
Wayne Long claimed a mark from the kick-out and when Kane Murphy’s shot dropped short and right, it angled perfectly for Blake Murphy to win the race for a palmed finish. 1-1 to no-score after 60 seconds.
The Cork forward added another pair either side of a lengthy response from Conor Clancy.
Vincent’s were feasting upon a series of loose passes and a second hammer blow landed in the 12th minute, originating from a Ryan Fielding steal.
This time it was Michael O’Leary’s shot which fell short and was palmed straight out for Murphy to emphatically blast into an unguarded net from a yard out. 2-3 to 0-1.
Moynihan clipped a point from Piarsaigh’s best attack of the half but Murphy added the next pair, including a huge curler with just enough gas to reach the target.
It could’ve been more but Benjamin Long flashed a shot at goal wide when the right option appeared to be a tap-over.
A Michael Sheehan point rounded out a half which saw Piarsaigh enter the dressing room eight points in arrears.
They re-emerged fired up for one last survival surge. From the throw-in, substitutes Healy, Buckley, and Guest combined for the latter to shoot but a goalline ruck kept the ball from crossing.
A series of up-and-unders yielded a point from Seán Downey before it all turned on Wayne Long’s red card for lashing out at Cian Hogan.
Darragh Clarke almost coughed up a goal chance but reacted faster to deny Moynihan a shot. Hogan tidied up for a point.
The goal resulted from a period of sustained pressure. Shane Forde was blocked down. Buckley struck the upright. But Hogan picked up the scraps and fed Forde to dribble the ball through the keeper’s legs.
Forde’s superb follow-up point made it 2-5 to 1-6.
But Piarsaigh’s progress was slowed by Vincent’s packed defence and a few costly missed chances.
When Kelvin Forde registered a first-touch point, we had already reached the 62nd minute. There was only room for one more chance. A free from distance. Once that drifted away, Vincent’s safety was secured.
B Murphy (2-4, 0-1 free); B Long (0-1).
S Forde (1-1); K Moynihan, C Hogan, C Clancy, S Downey, M Sheehan, K Forde (0-1 each).
D Clarke; J Price, G McCarthy, C Desmond; K Sorensen, Anthony O’Callaghan, K Murphy; W Long, L Callanan; R Fielding, B Long, C O’Neill; M O’Leary, B Murphy, B Hornibrook.
Aidan O’Callaghan for McCarthy (h-t, inj), P O’Sullivan for Fielding (40), A O’Donoghue for B Long (43), S Hannigan for Sorensen (60), B Long for O’Neill (60+3).
A O’Sullivan; Patrick Murphy, C Long, G Joyce; D Spillane, E Sheehan, SP Cooke; K Moynihan, A Burke; E Fitzgerald, C Hogan, C Clancy; S Downey, S Forde, M Sheehan.
K Buckley for Burke (15), P Guest for Fitzgerald (27), G Healy for Clancy (h-t), R O’Sullivan for Sheehan (43), K Forde for Downey (60).
J Ryan (Macroom).
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