HORKAN POINTS THE WAY FOR CHARLESTOWN

All-Ireland Schools Semi Final (Rice Cup)

HORKAN POINTS THE WAY FOR CHARLESTOWN

Limavady dreams of All-Ireland glory ended in disappointment after their extra time defeat at the hands of St Joseph’s Charlestown at Ballyshannon on Saturday afternoon.  

St Mary's will rue a host of missed chances throughout the game and the loss of their talisman Oisin Hassan to a black card with seven minutes to play. 

Hassan had been their go-to man through the season and his foul and subsequent dismissal robbed Limavady of the chief scoring forward they craved in the closing stages.

From then on it was difficult to see where the scores would come from to roll them over the finish line.

Three point lead

Limavady led 0-4 to 0-1 at half time, with three points from Hassan and a free from Paddy O’Kane. 

Midway through the half Limavady looked to have grounds for a penalty.  A foul on Martin McGonigle looked very much like it was inside the penalty area but only a free was awarded which Paddy O’Kane converted.

Sean Butcher continued his role as the covering defender and it was working well as Charlestown’s inside trio were tipped to be their strongest line.

The Mayo men identified Curtis O’Hara as a danger man and manager Brendan Prendergast allocated Eoin Beirne and Eoin Kelly to double mark him.

Charlestown’s solidary first half point was the best score of the game.  A cross-field pass from Cian Craig was brilliantly fielded by Kevin Horkhan high above the Limavady defence and he swiveled to drive over the bar with four minutes to the break.

After that Martin McGonigle played Kyle McGuinness in on goal but his shot was straight at goalkeeper Kevin Forkhan.  All McGuinness needed to do was to keep it low along the carpet.  A goal would have opened up the more significant lead, one that would have justified their dominance.

Perfect start

After dominating the first half would a three point lead be enough?  With the half time messages still ringing in their ears Limavady got off to a flier after the break. 

Sean Butcher ran up the right wing and drew two Charlestown men to him and freed up Oisin Hassan but when he pulled the trigger for goal Conor O’Toole’s foot block resulted in a penalty.  Hassan confidently took the ball and sent the ‘keeper the wrong way.

Now six points ahead this should have been the injection St Mary’s needed but the game took a different path completely.  The Ulster champions went thirty eight minutes without scoring. 

With Conor O’Toole being the provider and Horkan, now stationed at full forward, hitting some impressive points Charlestown took control.  They still couldn’t put Limavady away as the Derry men clung on.

All it would have taken was one score.  Just one. It would have given the young Limavady men something to build on. 

The steady stream of wides may have sapped their confidence but it certainly didn’t dampen their enthusiasm as they kept coming back at the Mayo men but it wasn’t enough.  They needed a score.

At the other end they had to thank their goalkeeper Dylan Moore for making two saves, the second of which was a breathtaking save to deny Horkan.

Limavady led 1-4 to 0-6 with the clock ticking towards a conclusion and all they needed to do was keep possession.  They had failed to score for the majority of the half, one more minute wouldn’t have made any difference so as long as they stopped Charlestown.

Level

In a situation much like the McKenna Cup final, it was all about seeing out the game.  Leading by a single point but rather than playing patient and trying to work an opening, a forced pass was intercepted and Thomas Holton dissected the posts.

In the dying seconds Charlestown still had a chance to win it but Matthew Lenehan’s free dropped short and Callum Brown made a brilliant catch under the crossbar.  Danger averted - well for now at least.

In extra time Charlestown continued their dominance but with Callum Brown kicking a super point for Limavady, the game was still there for them.

They didn’t push on and it was Charlestown who took the initiative and with a minute remaining were three points ahead.

A free from Paddy O'Kane and a point from Jamie McLaughlin left one point between the sides with stoppage time up.   McLaughlin’s point just cleared the bar but it easily could have ended up in the net.

Late drama

There was a three minute delay during the second period of extra time, referee Pat Clarke dealt with a brief fracas as tempers spilled over.  In the additional time Clarke allowed one more play. 

Time enough for Limavady to engineer a free but with left footed free taker Hassan on the sideline, Paddy O’Kane took the kick from the ‘wrong side’ for a right-footed kicker.  It was the last kick of the game.

The Faughanvale lad rushed his shot and it narrowly squeezed wide.  It was heartbreak for Limavady and joy for Charlestown as they clung on by the narrowest of margins.

Contrasting scenes after the final whistle told the story - the difference in winning and losing.  The fine margins but as Charlestown celebrated, the young St Mary’s lads sank to their knees. 

Their hopes of an All Ireland title lay in tatters.  It was a devastating way to finish a very productive season, one that brought another trophy back to the school.

When you look at the hard facts they have only themselves to blame.  Defeat always brings regrets and Limavady will feel they didn't reach the same heights as they had all during the season and simply missed too many chances. 

The Mayo team were slicker and more economical with their chances.  Charlestown came right back into the game with a powerful second-half performance led by Kevin Horkan and were deserving winners.

The disappointed Limavady lads trudged down the narrow Ballyshannon tunnel, back to the dressing rooms.  They were crestfallen – one point defeats do that to you.

In the car park principal Mary McCloskey embraced team manager Chrissy McKaigue.  She was immensely proud of her school and acknowledged that the building blocks were in place for next year.

McKaigue and Kevin O’Neill squeezed every last drop out of this young team and exposed them to tough championship battles. 

You win some and you lose some.  A common statement in sport and it’s up to these young lads to dust themselves down, learn the lessons and come back stronger. 

Their clubs need them to channel this experience back into their domestic competitions.  That is where the real development will be measured.

St Mary's Limavady: Dylan Moore, Daniel O’Kane, Harry McLaughlin, Sean Butcher, Conal McFeely, Conor McGuinness, Patrick O’Kane (0-2 frees), Martin McGonigle, Callum Brown (0-1), Kyle McGuinness, Oisin Hassan (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free), Jack McGonigle, Mark Creane, Curtis O’Hara, Jamie McLaughlin (0-1).

Subs: Anthony McGuinness, Ben Deery, Manus Quigley.

St Joseph's Charlestown: Declan Forkan, Eoin Beirne, Eoin Kelly, Aidan Hopkins, Conor Dunleavy, Conor O’Donohoe, Conor O’Toole, Thomas Holton (0-3, 0-2 frees), Ciaran Sweeney, Kevin Horkan (0-5), Cathal Horan (0-1), Matthew Lenehan (0-2, 0-1 ‘45’), Padraig Duffy, Cian Craig, Cian McCudden.

Subs: Gavin Duffy, Patrick Goldrick, Gary Horan, Sean Dunleavey.

Referee: Pat Clarke (Cavan)