Cappawhite require extra time to shrug off stubborn Shannon Rovers effort

FBD Insurance Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter-Final

Cappawhite 2-27

Shannon Rovers 1-25

After Extra Time

By James Hayden

Cappawhite are through to the last four of this year’s county intermediate hurling championship following a thrilling extra-time victory over a determined Shannon Rovers side at a sun-splashed Newport on Sunday last.

With just a minute of normal time remaining the Rovers trailed by what seemed an insurmountable six points but three points without reply coupled with a last gasp Conal Moran goal somehow sent the time to extra-time in what proved a thrilling finish.

With little or no breeze to contend with, Cappawhite drew first blood with a well-taken Sam Carmody point before Michael Tierney opened Shannon Rovers' account with a nicely flighted effort from close range.

Playing into the scoreboard end, Cappawhite responded with a sublimely hit brace from corner-forward Willie Barry. The Rovers narrowed the gap to a solitary point with a close-range Conal Moran free on five minutes but their defence was struggling to keep tabs on Cappawhite’s scorer-in-chief Willie Barry and he quickly arrowed over his third point of the game to fire the West side into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

Two further points from Dara McCarthy (free) and Willie Barry extended Cappawhite’s advantage to four before the Rovers started to get a grip on proceedings. Two Conal Moran points, the first from a free and the second from play, narrowed the gap to two points before the outstanding Shannon Rovers centre-forward stepped up once more to leave just the bare minimum between the sides after eleven minutes.

The Rovers should have been level though after Derek Horan’s effort was adjudged to have tailed wide by the umpire but it appeared it did bisect the uprights, a disputed point that would prove to be a crucial decision in the end for the Rovers.

Cappawhite continued to carve paths through the Rovers inside back line and by the 22nd minute mark led by three before Daire Duggan and David Buckley linked up beautifully to provide Brendan Murphy with a clear goalscoring opportunity and the Cappa’ midfielder duly obliged with a cracking strike past John Flannery in the Shannon Rovers goal.

Dara McCarthy added to Cappawhite’s tally with a sweet strike on the cusp of half-time before two injury time points from Shannon Rovers’ scorer-in-chief Conal Moran were cancelled out by a long-range David Buckley effort from close to the stand sideline and close-range effort from Conor Martin.
Shannon Rovers trailed by 1-12 to 0-8 at the break but lost further ground after Conor Martin flighted over a 33rd minute effort for Cappawhite. Shannon Rovers’ keeper John Flannery was also called into action early on after Dara McCarthy raided.

Willie Barry and Conal Moran traded long-range frees for their respective sides but Rovers were clearly struggling to break down a well-organised Cappawhite defence. In attack Willie Barry continued to cause problems and he arrowed over his fifth from play on 39 minutes. Cappa in control.

Shannon Rovers kept in touch though thanks to Conal Moran’s accuracy from placed balls with John Flannery also pulling off a point-black save from the inrushing Dara McCarthy on the three-quarter hour mark. Shannon Rovers had switched George Hannigan into the inside forward line in a bid to net a major but Cappawhite kept the scoreboard ticking with Willie Barry’s accurate frees.

There was supreme drama to come though, with a raft of Conal Moran frees in the closing stages bringing the Rovers back to within six as injury-time approached. John Tierney kept the Rovers' goal intact with save after save before Conal Moran fired over a cracking point from play. Eamonn Hough had a low drive scrambled off the line on 61 minutes but late efforts from John O’Meara and Austin Tierney reduced the deficit to three points.

The red wave kept coming at pace and with virtually the last puck of the game Conal Moran rattled the Cappawhite net to send the tie to extra time after an epic finish to normal time, 1-20 apiece.

The first period of extra-time saw Shannon Rovers hit the front with both Eamonn Hough and Conal Moran on target. Cappa’ responded with a McCarthy effort before Moran arrowed over a free from 45 out.

The ding-dong battle continued and Cappawhite retaliated once more with a cracking Gearoid Lennon goal right on half-time in extra-time coupled with a late Dara McCarthy point saw Michael McCarthy’s charges lead by 2-22 to 1-23 at the break.

Cappawhite consolidated their lead in the second period with a Dara McCarthy free but back came the Rovers once more with points from Sean Hough and Conal Moran leaving just a single point between the sides. Cappawhite wrestled back the advantage though with three unanswered Dara McCarthy points (two frees) and a Daire Duggan point finally seeing off a gusty Shannon Rovers side.

Cappawhite: Jerry O’Neill; Mikey O’Brien, Sean Ryan, Philip Gantley; Ryan Renehan, Gearoid Ryan, Tom Treacy (0-1); Kevin Stapleton, Brendan Murphy (1-0); Sam Carmody (0-1), David Buckley (0-2, 0-1 sl-cut), Conor Martin (0-2); Daire Duggan (0-1), Dara McCarthy (0-12, 0-8f), Willie Barry (0-8, 0-3f).

Subs used: Rian Doody (NR) for McCarthy (52); Colm O’Dwyer (NR) for Renehan (55); Gearoid Lennon (1-0) for Carmody (56); Dara McCarthy for Doody (ET); Sam Carmody for Murphy (ET); Ryan Renehan for Stapleton (ET).

Shannon Rovers: John Flannery; Oisin McMahon, Alan Hannigan, Emmet Moran; Derek Horan, Conor Ryan, Matt Tierney; Marcus Esmonde, Michael Tierney (0-1); George Hannigan, Conal Moran (1-19, 0-13f), Andy Byrne (0-1); Austin Tierney (0-1), Eamonn Hough (0-1), Tom Hogan.

Subs used: Cathal Hogan for T. Hogan (27); John O’Meara (0-1) for A. Byrne (49); Sean Hough (0-1) for C. Hogan (63); Andy Byrne for M. Tierney (64); Jack O’Sullivan for Horan (ET); Cathal Hogan for Esmonde (ET); Tom Hogan for O’Meara (ET); M. Tierney for Byrne (ET).

Referee: Seamus Delaney (JK Brackens)