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You are > Home > Finuge leave it late before coming good
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Thursday, July 22, 2010
Finuge leave it late before coming good
BY MURT MURPHY
Finuge 1-17 Glenflesk 1-11 (aet)
ALL the talk in the stands might have been about Paul Galvin and the Sunday morning newspaper rumours of his career change but at Austin Stack Park, Tralee, on Sunday, it was young Kerry senior hurler James Flaherty who stole the show.
It was Flaherty’s extra-time goal that provided the sucker-punch as Finuge finally saw off the challenge of a gusty Glenflesk side in the opening county intermediate championship semi-final on Sunday.
However, Paul Galvin, after a quiet opening half, played a key role in the second half after Glenflesk took the lead and threatened to cause a major upset, before finishing strongly with two late points to seal the deal for Finuge.
Glenflesk enjoyed little luck as they lost their talisman and inspirational leader Seamus Moynihan after only 21 minutes and despite leading by a point entering injury-time in normal time, they just could not hang on.
While the game was hard fought and was typical championship fare, it was not dirty and eyebrows were raised at the two red cards issued by match official Aidan Mangan.
Pat Corridan, the Finuge captain, was harshly shown a red card in the 52nd minute for a tackle on James O’Sullivan. Then in extra-time, Glenflesk lost James O’Sullivan who committed a similar offence. Again their was no malice intended but the referee had to issue red to be consistent.
The red will cost Pat Corridan a chance to lead out his team in the county final against Gneeveguilla and that is a punishment that certainly does not fit the crime.
Eamonn Fitzmaurice was a key figure for Finuge at midfield as he distributed some great ball to his inside line, in which the two Kerry hurlers, Mike Conway and James Flaherty were in terrific form, scoring 1-6 of their side’s total with Flaherty’s goal being a real gem.
Mike Conway and John B O’Donoghue swapped early points but it was Finuge who made the early running.
Eamonn Fitzmaurice kicked a free and then in the seventh minute, after Paul Galvin threaded a great pass through to Mike Conway, he almost goaled but won a 45 instead. That saw Eamonn Fitzmaurice take it short and then fire over a fine point.
Then in the 10th minute when Glenflesk conceded a free close the goal, Fitzmaurice made it 0-4 to 0-1 and the East Kerry side were confined to only sporadic forays into the Finuge half.
John B O’Donoghue then set-up Michael O’Shea who closed the gap for Glenflesk but James Flaherty nipped in for Finuge point as they led 0-5 to 0-2 at the end of the opening quarter.
It was Glenflesk who upped their game in the second quarter. They rattled off three unanswered points from the 17th to the 20th minutes, from O’Shea and two from John B O’Donoghue, the first from a free.
But just as they had gained parity, Glenflesk suffered a major bodyblow when they lost Seamus Moynihan, who came into the game with a niggling hamstring. This seemed to deflate the East Kerry side.
Finuge took full advantage and points followed from Pat Corridan, James Flaherty with two from play, and a 45 from Eamonn Fitzmaurice as Finuge retired at the interval leading 0-9 to 0-5.
Glenflesk resumed in the second half with Shane Dennehy at midfield, and they set about closing the gap in determined fashion.
John B O’Donoghue became their central figure as he converted a free and then kicked a fine effort from play, before in the 40th minute Jack Corridan was adjudged to have picked the ball off the ground in the small square. O’Donoghue sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot as Glenflesk were now leading 1-7 to 0-9.
Finuge were forced to dig deep and Paul Galvin was now operating around midfield as Jack Corridan levelled in the 46th minute.
Pat Corridan was causing Glenflesk problems down the right flank, and when he was fouled in the 47th minute, Conor Galvin restored Finuge’s lead, which was doubled when Mike Conway scored while falling to the ground.
James O’Sullivan then got a point back for Glenflesk, in the 50th minute, before he was taken down with a high challenge minutes later and Pat Corridan was sent off.
JB O’Donoghue levelled from the resulting free before Shane Dennehy gave Glenflesk the lead with just five minutes left.
Finuge dug deep and Mike Conway got the equaliser in injury-time to force the game to extra-time.
The game was decided in the third minute of the first period when Eamonn Fitzmaurice sent in a high ball that Mike Conway batted down in the path of the fleet-footed James Flaherty.
He raced through before blasting the ball to the Glenflesk net for a brilliant goal.
Mike O’Shea replied for a point but that was to be Glenflesk’s final score as they lost James O’Sullivan to a red card.
Points from Paul Galvin (2), Eamonn Fitzmaurice and John Griffin saw Finuge advance to the final.
Finuge: P Fitzmaurice; P Lyons, T McKenna, C Allen; P Corridan (0-1), J Corridan (0-1), M Corridan; C Galvin (0-1 free), E Fitzmaurice (05, 0-3 frees, 0-1 45); P Galvin (0-2), J O’Connor, J Griffin (0-1); E Galvin, J Flaherty (1-3), M Conway (0-1). Subs used: R Galvin for E Galvin (34); M Lynch for C Galvin (55); F Fitzmaurice for R Galvin (58); R Thornton for J O’Connor (58); C Fitzmaurice for P Corridan (et); E Galvin for J Flaherty (et); C Lynch for P Lyons (et).
Glenflesk: C Horan; D Moynihan, M O’Donoghue, M Culloty; S Lacey, D O’Sullivan, C Crowley; S Moynihan, E O’Donoghue; S Dennehy (0-1), M O’Shea (0-3), O Favier; J O’Sullivan (0-1), J B O’Donoghue (1-5, 0-1 pen, 0-3 frees), J O’Donoghue (0-1). Subs used: K O’Donoghue for S Moynihan (21); S O’Donoghue for O Favier (ht).
Referee: A Mangan (Dr Crokes).
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