27 March 2007 Doyle denies Summerhill at the death Share this Article 0 0 0 Shares! 0 Shares! Doyle denies Summerhill at the death Pat the Baker All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior B Football Semi-Final Ian Cooney at Pairc Chiarán, Athlone St. Joseph’s, Rochfortbridge………………2-10 St. Joseph’s, Summerhill…………………..4-3 Crazy doesn’t come close to describing one of the most dramatic semi-finals ever witnessed in any code of sport. A team scored four goals and still lost. That fate befell a brave Summerhill side that were robbed of a tilt at All-Ireland glory in the third minute of injury time. The Athlone school’s goal lived a charmed life for most of the game until Andreanna Doyle’s three pointer deep into stoppage time. And yet no one could begrudge the Rochfortbridge school their victory. They ran Summerhill ragged for large chunks of the contest. However, an combination of poor finishing and sometimes outrageous bad luck seemed certain to end their chances. They shot 16 wides, hit the post and crossbar on at least five occasions, had two players sent to the sin bin and could only watch in horror as a variety of shots on target were somehow repelled by a combination of goalkeeper Grace O’Brien and defender Sarah Finnerty. Indeed Summerhill sacrificed Finnerty’s selection at corner-forward and brought her back into defence. She acted like a sponge in soaking up Rochfortbridge possession. However, Sumerhill’s problems stemmed from an inability to keep possession. In Fiona Leavy, Maud Annie Foley, Dawn Wallace, the diminutive Doyle and Siobhan Lohan, Rochfortbridge paraded players who wanted victory so much. They were finally rewarded, albeit the late denouement can’t have been good for their nerves. In many ways, Summerhill stayed in the game because Jenny Downey, Ruth Finlass, Sarah Finnerty, Carmel Killeen and Grace O’Brien kept them in contention. Such individualism nearly procured an unlikely victory but in truth, Louise Coyle’s team possessed too many players who weren’t near their best. Downey and Finlass had no such trouble in rising to the occasion. After watching Rochfortbridge race into an eight-point lead inside the opening 20 minutes, the madness duly commenced. Despite being outplayed, Summerhill pounced for four goals, three from the brilliant Downey, to find themselves six points to the good at the break. The scoreline was certainly distorted. Aoife Hyland and Arlene Egan in action Another Rochfortbridge backlash duly materialised but all kinds of miraculous events in the Summerhill goalmouth contrived to keep Roscommon’s representatives in the game. When Sinead Whelehan and goalkeeper Clare Judge were dismissed to the sin bin within five minutes of each other, Summehill seemed to have weathered the storm. However, Rochfortbridge weren’t to be denied and some great work along the endline by Fiona Leavy, the best player on the field, paved the way for Doyle to strike the crucial blow. It was all one way traffic for the opening 20 minutes as Rochfortbridge did as they pleased with possession. Whelehan, who abandoned her corner-back berth to mark Finnerty, opened the scoring in the third minutes. Further scores soon followed from Dawn Wallace (2) and Maud Annie Foley to give the Westmeath school the early advantage. Summerhill were finding it difficult to get out of their own half. The odd foray saw Downey miss an early free and smack another off the upright. Siobhan Lohan (2), Wallace and Leavy added points to leave Rochfortbridge eight points ahead. Aoife Hyland also blasted her shot off the crossbar with O’Brien beaten. St Josephs, Rochefortbridge Summerhill exploded from the blocks in the 21st minute. A quick free involving Downey and Ciara Fallon saw Finlass find the net. It got better for Summerhill as another move instigated by Finlass paved the way for a Downey goal. Two minutes from the break, Summerhill’s best move of the half spanned the length of the field. It involved Claire Shanagher, Aisling Curley, Fallon and Finlass before Downey was sent on her way to the Rochfortbridge goalmouth for another three-pointer. Amazingly Downey had time to raise another green flag after she worked hard to make something of Finnerty’s booming delivery. Rochfortbridge continued to pepper the Summerhill goal with little reward. Finally, a penalty from Maud Annie Foley found the net to give Rochfortbridge renewed hope. Three Downey frees kept Summerhill in front. However, a point from Louise Darby was eventually followed by Doyle’s last gasp intervention just when it seemed that Rochfortbridge’s chance was gone. ST. JOSEPH’S, SUMMERHILL: G. O’Brien; L. O’Brien, C. Killeen, L. Mannion; A. Curley, R. Finlass (1-0), A. Egan; C. Shanagher, A. Brennan; C. Fallon, J. Downey (3-3, three frees), L. Igoe; S. Finnerty, A. O’Neill, R. Dunning. Subs used: A. Watson for Dunning (40 mins), R. Dunning for Fallon (59 mins). ST. JOSEPH’S, ROCHFORTBRIDGE: C. Judge; S. Dolan, L. Kelly, S. Whelehan (0-1); L. Hendley, E. Marshall, C. Deegan; F. Leavy (0-2, both frees), C. Gill; A. Hyland, M. A. Foley (1-1, one penalty), L. Darby (0-1); S. Lohan (0-2), D. Wallace (0-3, one free), A. Doyle (1-0). Subs used: C. Hannon for Hendley (half-time), A. Brady for Kelly (37 mins), C. Gahan for Deegan (51 mins). Wides: Summerhill – 3; Rochfortbridge – 16. Sin Binned: Summerhill – none; Rochfortbridge – Whelehan (43 mins), Judge (48 mins). Referee: D. Byrne. Article sublitted by Ian Cooney Sports Editor Roscommon Herald Patrick St., Boyle Co. Roscommon Share this Article 0 0