Rockwell turn on the power to see off Galtee and reach last four

FBD Insurance Intermediate Football Championship Quarter-Final

Rockwell Rovers 2-16

Galtee Rovers 2-9

A big second-half performance from Rockwell Rovers, last year’s beaten finalists, got them through to the FBD Intermediate Football semi-final after overcoming the challenge of Galtee Rovers in the quarter-final at Golden on Sunday afternoon.

On a perfect day for football with no wind, Alan Moloney had given Rockwell the lead early on from a converted free from outside the arc and, after being off target from a similar situation in the fourth minute, Galtee took up the running and controlled the possession up to the end of the opening quarter.

However, they failed to convert this possession onto the scoreboard, due to a combination of factors, but mainly due to over-passing and failing to take on the shot. This was their plight for the greater part of the game as Rockwell regrouped and picked up the tempo.

A Darren McGrath goal from the penalty spot on twenty minutes after Eoin Halpin was hauled down gave them a slender one-point lead, but it was Rockwell who pushed on and a Kevin Cleary major coming up to the break gave them a three-point advantage at the short whistle.

After the break, Rockwell upped the intensity a notch and their runs from the middle third cut open the Galtee defence. They had gone into an eight-point lead by the end of the third quarter and never looked like faltering.

Even though Shane Power landed a two-pointer from outside the arc and Jack Crowe found the net five minutes from time, the New Inn side had done enough and ran out easy winners at the finish.

Rockwell defended the road end for the opening half and drew first blood inside the first minute when their veteran Alan Moloney landed a two-point free from outside the arc on the open side. Sixty seconds later, Robbie McGrath came upfield to tap over a thirty-metre free to get the Bansha side moving on the scoreboard.

Moloney was off target from another two-point attempt and this seemed to give confidence to Galtee as, for the next thirteen minutes, they practically owned the ball, but failed to transfer possession onto the scoreboard.

While Darren McGrath equalised after nine minutes and Stephen O’Dwyer edged them ahead a minute later, overall they were guilty of over-passing and bad shot choices, with their forwards unwilling to have a “cut” when a score looked on.

This lack of scoring during a period of controlled possession would eventually contribute to their loss. A point from TJ Ryan at the end of the quarter, when he was set up with a long ball from midfield from Rowan Barrett, had the sides level for the second time.

Rockwell were up to the pitch of the game, and with Alan Moloney pulling the strings in attack, an attempted shot from Liam Fahey was deflected for a 45, which Kevin Cleary nailed. Alan Moloney, from open play, put two between the sides before Eoin Halpin was dragged down for a penalty which Darren McGrath dispatched low to the corner. This gave the Bansha side a slender lead for what would be the last time in the game, as Rockwell regained control.

Cian O’Brien had the sides level when he got on the end of an interplay between Alan Moloney and Rowan Barrett. Kevin Cleary and TJ Ryan combined out near the corner at the stand side for the latter to kick his second minor of the game.

Galtee kicked four wides on the bounce before a piercing run by Kevin Cleary ended with a major after interplay with Jack McGonigle. A converted free from Darren McGrath in added time left the half-time score, Rockwell Rovers 1-7, Galtee Rovers 1-4.

Rockwell Rovers were quickly out of the blocks after the restart. Alan Moloney was off target from a fifty-five-metre free for a foul on Liam Fahey before Jack McGonigle put four between the sides, finishing a run from Luca Fitzgerald.

Kevin Cleary and Cian O’Brien added two further minors and, while Seán Daly pulled one back for the Bansha side, TJ Ryan was on hand to finish to the net after Joe Lawrence and Kevin Cleary had combined well out in the corner in the lead-up.

This put Rockwell firmly in the driving seat, an eight-point advantage with twenty minutes remaining. TJ Ryan stretched the lead from a placed ball, which was moved up for a technical breach.

Shane Power pulled one back for Galtee after receiving an out pass from Jack Crowe, but Rowan Barrett maintained the status quo when he was first to react to a ball coming back off the crossbar after good work by Alan Moloney.

Shane Power landed a two-pointer from way out, after the ball had hopped dangerously in the square, before Jack O’Kelly’s fisted effort eased Rockwell back out to seven, with ten minutes of normal time remaining.

The teams were evenly matched over the final ten minutes as Rockwell consolidated their position. Cian O’Brien kicked his third minor before Jack Crowe got in for a much-wanted Galtee goal.

A penalty by Darren McGrath skimmed the crossbar for a minor before Rockwell closed out the game with two late points from Rowan Barrett and minor star Kieran Moloney. Final score: Rockwell Rovers 2-16, Galtee Rovers 2-9.

Scorers - Rockwell Rovers: TJ Ryan (1-3, 0-1f), Kevin Cleary (1-2, 0-1 45), Alan Moloney (0-3, 1x2ptf), Cian O’Brien 0-3, Rowan Barrett 0-2, Jack McGonigle, Jack O’Kelly, Kieran Moloney all 0-1 each.

Galtee Rovers: Darren McGrath (1-3, 1-1 pen, 0-1f), Jack Crowe 1-0, Shane Power (0-3, 1x2pt), Robbie McGrath 0-1f, Seán Daly, Stephen O’Dwyer 0-1 each.

Rockwell Rovers: Eoghan Doyle; Peter Heaney, Liam Lonergan, Ronan O’Carroll; Luca Fitzgerald, Gavin Ryan, Liam Fahey; Tom Downey, Robbie O’Donnell; Jack McGonigle, Kevin Cleary, Cian O’Brien; TJ Ryan, Alan Moloney, Rowan Barrett.

Subs used: Joe Lawrence for Liam Lonergan (HT); Jack O’Kelly for TJ Ryan (47); Kieran Moloney for Cian O’Brien (54); Kieran McGovern for Rowan Barrett (57).

Galtee Rovers: Robbie McGrath; Emmet Bonner, David Harold Barry, Peter Carroll; Sean Daly, Robbie Byron, Eric Grogan; Bill Quirke, Kevin Power; Eamon Quirke, Shane Power (Captain), Stephen O’Dwyer; Cian O’Dwyer, Darren McGrath, Eoin Halpin.

Subs used: Jack Crowe for Stephen O’Dwyer (41); John O’Callaghan for Cian O’Dwyer (41); Ciaran McCarthy for Peter Carroll (45).

Referee: Derek O’Mahony (Ardfinnan)