Seniors return to County Final

Post date: Sep 25, 2011 3:27:8 PM

Offaly SFC semi final:

Edenderry 0-10

Gracefield 0-3

Edenderry senior footballers reached the county final for the first time in ten years after the defeated Gracefield on Sunday on a score-line of 0-10 to 0-3. Having held Gracefield to just three scores it is fair to say Edenderry were excellent defensively, lead by the inspirational Sean Pender.

The reds made a flying start and with just twenty seconds on the clock Stuart Cullen fired the ball over the bar after Basil Malone played him through. Gracefield responded after two minutes later to level the game. With such a exciting start to the game supporters of both teams could be forgiven for thinking they were in for a great game but there was in fact no more scores until the fifteenth minute when Stephen Guing fired over a huge score after an assist from wing backs Dan Nolan and Colm Byrne.

Keith McGuinness fired the reds two points ahead after Richie Dalton took a quick free kick for a foul on Colm Byrne. In the twenty second minute Gracefield cenre back Ruairi Allen reduced the deficit to the minimum with a fantastic point but with just one minute to go Edenderry got a crucial point. With the clocking ticking on a poor clearance in the Gracefield backline lead to an interception from Ciaran Hurley who played the ball off to veteran forward Basil Malone who popped the ball over from forty yards.

Half time:

Edenderry 0-4 0-2 Gracefield

The second half started with both sides battling very hard for possession and in the sixth minute Gracefield got the first score of the half, making Basil Malone's score all the more important as without that it would have been a draw game. Mark Young hit back with his first of the game in the ninth minute and quickly followed it up in the eleventh minute with a free for a foul on Derek Kelly. Keith McGuinness pointed again a minute later to stretch the reds lead to four points after some good play from Derek Kelly. Three minutes later Kelly was once again a menace to the Gracefield backline with his powerful direct runs causing all sorts of problems and he drew another foul to which Mark Young converted. Edenderry introduced two veterans of the game in Martin Keogh and Johnny Hurst in place of Ciaran Hurley and Daniel Nolan respectively. Both men exerted their influences and experience straight away and in the twenty fifth minute Martin Keogh sent over Edenderry's ninth point. Sean Doyle was then sprung from the bench for Basil Malone and when the clock struck thirty Sean sent over a fantastic point despite been shadowed by three Gracefield defenders.

The referee blew the final whistle and Edenderry qualified for their first final in ten years. This is a remarkable achievement for this very young reds team who have an average age of just twenty two and there was a total of eight u21's on the starting fifteen including minor Daniel Nolan. From the starting fifteen only Basil Malone and Wayne Mooney had ever played in a senior football semi final before yesterday. Huge credit must go to the management team of Peter Brady, Finbarr Cullen and Kevin Guing and of course the players for the incredible effort that has been put in this year.

The reds now play Clara in the county final on October 9th in a repeat of the 1995 decider.

Team Sheet:

Brian Quinlan, Diarmaid Meleady, David Hanlon, Wayne Mooney, Daniel Nolan, Sean Pender, Colm Byrne, Stephen Guing(0-1), Richie Dalton, Ciaran Hurley, Basil Malone(0-1), Keith McGuinness(0-2), Derek Kelly, Stuart Cullen(0-1), Mark Young(0-3)

Subs used:

Martin Keogh(0-1) for Ciaran Hurley

Johnny Hurst for Daniel Nolan

Sean Doyle(0-1) for Basil Malone

Referee: Noel Cooney

Man of the match: Sean Pender