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PRESS
RELEASE
Junior
Championship Quarter Final Match
Saturday 16th June
Mullabrack
0:9 v
Dorsey Emmets
0:7
Gary Gorman with
the Referee and Dorsey Captain
The temperature was building
all week for this eagerly awaited quarter final encounter between
Mullabrack and Dorsey Emmet’s. Each club were aware that a win would
see them into the semi final and in Mullabracks case it would be the
first time in twenty four years.
Dorsey started the better
and after two minutes the referee awarded them a 10 yard free in
front of goal which they easily converted. Mullabrack then
immediately replied with a free from Pip Agnew who slotted the ball
between the Dorsey posts from 30yards out.
It was immediately clear
that there was to be no quarter given by either side with huge
challenges coming in from Dara Smith and Eamon Boylan in the
Mullabrack frontline. Dorsey too ensured that in the first ten
minutes they held onto possession. At one point they sent a high
ball in to the Mullabrack net area, however under immense pressure
Danny O’Hanlon in the Mullabrack goal caught and held onto the ball
to win a free out when pushed by the Dorsey forward into the back of
the net. They were certainly using the ball better than Mullabrack
and once again won an easy free in front of goal which was easily
slotted over the Mullabrack bar.
Phelim Sands and Sean Agnew
in the Mullabrack midfield were doing their best to win high ball,
but it was Dorsey who were quicker to the breaking ball. Sands
however did have a go from 30 yards only to see his shot go wide of
the far post and subsequently Eamon Boylan had a narrow miss from 35
yards. Danny O’Hanlon was then called into service again after an
excellent goal bound strike from Dorsey was pushed round the post.
Dorsey did get their next score soon after when Tommy O’Hagan in the
Mullabrack back line failed to clear and with the ball falling
kindly to Dorsey, they registered their third score and shortly
after their forth score from a free 20 yards out on the left hand
side of the pitch leaving the score 4 points to 1 point after twenty
minutes.
Then Mullabrack came to
life. Taff Toal took a high ball on the right hand side and rounded
his marker with ease. Driving into the Dorsey area Toal laid the
ball off to the on running Benny Dougan who struck the ball towards
the Dorsey net only for a brilliant goal line save to put the ball
out for a “45”. Mullabrack then began to show what they are capable
of with a number of chances just sent wide from Gerard Agnew, and on
the twenty fifth minute the customary “45” from Agnew registered
Mullabracks second score. In the defence Mullabrack’s Hugh McSorely,
a player who wears his heart on his sleeve was reclaiming ball he
did not deserve to win. Time and again he strode out of defence
leaving the Dorsey forwards in his wake. His dominating play served
only to reinvigorate the forwards with Pip Agnew putting Mullabracks
third score on the board from a well engineered point on the run and
to the delight of the crowd the irrepressible Eamon Boylan hit
Mullabracks equalling score on the turn from 35 yards out from goal.
At the start of the second
half Dorsey was first to register with a free from the left hand
side of the pitch. Mullabracks Gerard Agnew then had an opportunity
to register an equaliser; however his free went right and wide.
Tackles were coming in thick and fast. Stern words at half time had
raised the hunger within the Mullabrack side. The full back line of
Tommy O’Hagan, Christopher Dougan and Hugh McSorley worked
tenaciously to keep Dorsey out. Kevin Smith was the pick of the half
backs and his timely runs and interceptions ensured Mullabrack
stayed on the front foot throughout the second half.
After 15 minutes of the
second half Gerard Agnew, who had not a great deal of luck from
frees so far in the game, struck the free of the game from almost 50
yards out on the right hand side touchline. Dorsey still maintained
their composure and won their sixth point of the game from a free in
front of the Mullabrack goal. Charlie Agnew then made his first
change bringing on Martin Rice for Eamon Boylan. It was anybody’s
game at this stage and it needed something special from someone.
With 20 minutes on the clock Mullabrack sparked back to life with
first the young Taff Toal catching a good ball in from Gary Gorman
and with still 40 yards to cover he slotted the ball over the Dorsey
bar; and not to feel left out Pip Agnew did exactly the same from
the left hand side of the pitch.
Mullabrack lead the game for
the first time and suddenly a sense of belief that they could win
the game was evident throughout the team. Terrific runs by Dara
Smith and the experienced Stephen McKinney in the Mullabrack half
back line dampened the Dorsey spirit. Gerard Agnew in the forward
line who was having a relatively quiet game according to his
standards, won a free on the 30 yard line, he dusted himself down
and coolly slotted the ball through the Dorsey posts to cries of
jubilation from the Mullabrack bench. If that was not enough the
score of the game and in some respects the score of the Mullabrack
season so far was delivered by Mullabrack centre full back Tommy
O’Hagan. An individual renowned for his defensive talent, he sent a
ball out to Stephen McKinney on the right hand side of the
Mullabrack area and took the return deep inside his own half, what
happened after that was a sight to behold. Still well inside his own
half on the right hand side, Tommy sent a booming strike towards the
Dorsey posts which cleared the bar with plenty to spare. A match
winning point if ever their was one, but to many on the Mullabrack
bench a point which registered their right to be in the junior
championship semi-final after a twenty four year wait.
All the waiting
is over! A jubilant Mullabrack bench!
Dorsey registered a final
consolation point to leave the final score 9 points to seven in
favour of Mullabrack. Scenes of jubilation and relief erupted from
the Mullabrack bench and the large panel contingent who had
travelled to support their fellow colleagues on the pitch. For many
of the Mullabrack team, this would be their first semi final
appearance, for the select few they will have seen it all before. A
match played in high spirits and reflected all that is good about
the game of Gaelic football sent a large crowd away knowing they had
got their moneys worth.
Mullabrack Team
Danny O’Hanlon, Hugh
McSorely, Tommy O’Hagan, Christopher Dougan, Gary Gorman, Dara
Smith, Benny Dougan, Sean Agnew, Phelim Sands Eamon Boylan, Gerard
Agnew, Pip Agnew, Stephen McKinney, Taff Toal and Kevin Smith
Subs: Paddy Toal, Liam
Conlon, Daniel McNeil, Martin Rice, John Conlon, Mickey McCusker,
Colin Donnelly, Stephen Baxter, Simon Gibney, Colin Gibney, Paul
Jordan, Colin Murphy, Michael Haughey and James Lavery.
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