Curraha 4-8  St. Vincent's 1-17 

There are local derbies throughout footballing circles in Meath and Ireland but the local derby between Curraha and St. Vincents is one of the most famous. Joined at underage for boys and girls as well as having recently set up a joint senior ladies team which has already been a big success in its early weeks. However Curraha's senior men and St. Vincent's senior men locked horns in a mouth watering League clash. Curraha and St. Vincent's don't often play each other and it's 10 years since they last played each other competitively. 

Paul Mooney got the J. M Food Services Division 2 Round 2 league encounter underway at 2pm in Masterson Park Ardcath with every parking space inside the pitch full. 

St. Vincent's took the lead after 1 minute with Adam Andrews kicking the opening score. St. Vincents were the team who in the opening minutes seemed to have more of the possession. They converted 3 further points all from play 1 from Stefan O'Neill and 2 from Nigel Hand to give St. Vincents an early 4 point lead. St. Vincent's were awarded a penalty in the 6th minute when a long ball sent into the square and a Curraha player was deemed to have fouled a St. Vincent's player. Ryan Hand converted the penalty to give St. Vincent's a 7 point lead. 

Curraha didn't let this early St. Vincent's purple patch stop them from getting into their own scoring spree. Curraha got their first score when a brilliant turnover led to Andrew Coyle kicking a fine point off his right foot. Curraha won the next St. Vincent's kickout and Ronan Flynn gave a brilliant cross field pass to Mylo Hussey who had yards of space to run into, Hussey bared down on goal and picked his spot in the top right hand corner and dispatched the ball emphatically to the back of the net after 13 minutes of play. Curraha continued to grow into the contest and a fine turnover from Curraha's centre half back Neil Shortall led to a long ball being sent into Diarmuid Moriarty who turned his man and shot from a tight angle off his left foot and the ball curled over the bar to make it a 2 point game with 12 minutes remaining in the half. 

St. Vincent's responded 2 minutes later with a point from Matthew Tuite from a free. Curraha responded almost immediately to the St. Vincent's score when Seán Ronan won the breaking ball from the kickout and a super long ball in from Ronan into Moriarty led to him kicking another fine score which left it a 2 point game. Curraha's  midfield partnership of Brian Joyce and Jamie Fewer began to grow more and more into the contest and when a St. Vincent's kickout was kicked out in the 23rd minute Curraha won possession and a long ball was sent into Diarmuid Moriarty, Moriarty was deemed to have been deliberately pulled down inside the square and a penalty was awarded to Curraha. Diarmuid Moriarty stepped up for Curraha and dispatched the ball to the left hand corner of the St. Vincent's net to give Curraha a 1 point lead. St. Vincent's replied with a point from Conor White to leave it 2.03 to 1.06. St. Vincents went back in front with a point from Matthew Tuite with 3 minutes remaining in the first half. The first half was end to end throughout with both teams playing some fine football with scores coming thick and fast. Ronan Flynn leveled proceedings in the 28th minute with a well taken score off his left foot after a turnover in the full back line from Oisín Fay. Nigel Hand put St. Vincent's back in front with a point from a free as the half ticked into additional time. Curraha were awarded a 13 metre free in the 33rd minute for a 3 V 3 breach from St. Vincent's.  Diarmuid Moriarty converted the free, leaving it a draw match at halftime. As the halftime whistle sounded players, management and supporters all got a chance to catch their breath after a blistering first half. 

Half time score: Curraha 2-5   St. Vincents 1-8

The second half got underway and it started off where it had left off in the first and the first score came after 30 seconds when Curraha won the throw up and a long ball sent into Diarmuid Moriarty was won by him and he was fouled in front of the posts, he stepped up and converted the free. St. Vincent's levelled the game with a point from Gary Tuite. Tuite’s effort looked to be heading for the roof of the net only for Matthew Brennan who managed to get a hand to the ball and deflect it over the crossbar. The second half had just restarted when the heavens opened and it began to spill rain over Masterson Park Ardcath which made play very difficult for the remainder of the game. Curraha took the lead in the 5th minute of the second half which started with a turnover from Eoghan Burke who played the ball forward towards Conor O’Farrell who passed to Mylo Hussey on the run. Hussey took a shot from the 45 metre line and it looked to be heading wide but Conor Joyce managed to keep the ball in play and gave a pass out to Diarmuid Moriarty who took a shot on the left hand side, Moriarty's effort dropped dangerously into the goal mouth and Seán Ronan managed to flick the ball over the bar. A further free from Diarmuid Moriarty gave Curraha a 2 point lead after Ruairí O’Sullivan did well to win possession and was fouled inside the 2 point arc. The game was once again a draw match when Ryan Hand kicked a 2 pointer off the ground from a free with 15 minutes remaining. Curraha introduced Dylan Rowland for Jamie Fewer with a quarter of an hour remaining. St. Vincent's started to take control of proceedings and a fine long distance 2 pointer from Martin Fox gave them a 2 point lead. A further point from a free from Nigel Hand as well as a further fine 2 pointer in the space of 5 minutes gave St. Vincents a 5 point lead and it looked as though the home side would be heading for the victory. Curraha weren't finished though and some further fine play with further turnovers 1 of which came from Séamus Hogan led to Curraha sending a long ball into the St. Vincent's square and Diarmuid Moriarty was fouled and a penalty was awarded. Moriarty once again stepped up and went for power this time and slotted the ball low into the corner to leave us with a grandstand finish. Curraha introduced Ben Heagney for Andrew Coyle with 5 minutes remaining. St. Vincents made it a 3 point game with a further free from Nigel Hand. The game was halted shortly afterwards when there was an accidental collision in the air between Matthew Brennan and Niall Tallon. The St. Vincent's man was given treatment and thankfully was able to make it back to his feet and the game resumed. With 3 points between the teams Curraha needed a goal. Curraha forced a turnover and broke down the left wing. The ball found its way to Ronan Flynn on the outside of the large square and he cut inside and shot, his shot was drilled low and hard into the bottom right hand corner of the net to make it a draw game. Paul Mooney sounded the full time whistle. 

A brilliant game of football ending in a draw which in the scheme of things was a fair result with both teams taking the lead at different stages throughout. Curraha can take massive positives heading into their next League match on Saturday week at 2pm against St. Michael's. 

Curraha team and scores: Matthew Brennan, Eoghan Burke, Oisín Fay, Séamus Hogan, Conor O’Farrell, Neil Shortall, Conor Joyce, Brian Joyce, Jamie Fewer, Mylo Hussey (1.00) Ronan Flynn (1.01) Seán Ronan (0.01) Ruairí O’Sullivan, Andrew Coyle (0.01) Diarmuid Moriarty 2.05 (2.00 Pen) 0.03F

Subs used: Dylan Rowland for Jamie Fewer and Ben Heagney for Andrew Coyle. 

Report: Ivan Keogh

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