Shamrocks 5-4, Dripsey 4-7
Shamrocks and Dripsey will have to do it all over again after this championship clash finished all square in Shanbally on Wednesday evening last.
The game was played in an excellent spirit by 2 evenly matched teams and the game ebbed and flowed and it wasnt until referee Andy Larkin blew the final whistle that everyone present knew whet the final outcome was going to be.
Dripsey played down the hill with the breeze in the first half and made the advantage count as they led 1-4 to 0-3 coming up to half time and they looked slightly the better team, after David Andrews had opened the Shamrocks scoring early doors. However, Shamrocks David O’Sullivan tucked away a penalty right on the stroke of half time to leave the HT score 1-4 to 1-3 in favour of the visitors.
The 2nd half was very exciting with the lead being exchanged between the 2 teams on many occasions. Shamrocks went as much as 5 points up with 20 or so minutes to go but Dripsey rejigged their team and started to win all the kickouts. A guickfire 2-1 had them in front and they stretched it to their own 5 point lead with 7 minutes to go.
Yet again, Shamrocks dug deep and scored a pair of goals to go a point up with 3 minutes to go. The game ended in a whelter of excitement as firstly Dripsey egualised and then a Shamrocks player drove the last kick of the game wide from 30 yards in front of the posts unopposed.
That would have nullified Shamrocks having to go to Dripsey for the replay, probably this coming weekend.
Team: K. Murphy, S. Kidney, S. Kelleher, N. Hayes, C. O’Grady, D. Barry, D. Scriven. M. Hitchmough, T. Murphy, D. Andrews, A. O’Grady, B. Crowley. Subs – D. O’Sullivan, J. O’Keeffe, C. Hayes.
