Walterstown 2-13 Nobber 2-6 

Skins saved! It’s over and out for season 2024 for Walterstown when they ended their Intermediate Football Championship campaign with an all-important victory over Nobber in the relegation semi-final in Simonstown on Sunday morning. 

And boy, was it a nervy affair as Walterstown were forced to come from five down to carve out the win. It took The Blacks took some 45 minutes to even get into a rhythm during that final quarter but they finally assumed control. Ruairí O’Dowd’s stunning goal on 45 minutes was the catalyst for the comeback and ultimately the victory. Olly Maloney put the icing on top of the cake in the 58th minute when he lobbed the Nobber ‘keeper and gave the Blacks space to breathe as the game headed for injury time. 

It has been a tough year for Walterstown with relegation from Division 2 of the league and a battle Royale to save their skins at the Intermediate grade but they made it in the end. The average age of The Blacks’ starting XV on Sunday was just 23, which has been the case all year. Three of those starters, O’Connor, McEntee and Maloney are all just 18 years old and a huge credit to the trio who showed grit and guile all year to carry us through. Credit too to Mark McCormack who put his hand up to mind the net following the retirement of John Davis last year.

Considering that Walterstown lost the services of Brian O’Connell, who averaged ten points per game in 2023, and were without Ruairí O’Dowd for most of the season, their survival is all the more impressive. Long-term injuries to Meath U20 player Lorcan O’Connor and Barry O’Connell further compounded matters, but the younger players, along with a few seasoned lads, stepped up when it mattered most.

Hats off, too, to manager Andy McGuinness, who put his head above the parapet to take charge at a time when it was anything but an attractive proposition. He, alongside Johnny Behan and Wayne McCarthy, worked tirelessly all year. Their leadership was instrumental in guiding Walterstown through a challenging season, and their efforts culminated in a crucial victory at a crucial juncture yesterday. 

For long periods, though, it looked like that victory wasn’t going to be forthcoming and, in truth, Walterstown were really lucky that Nobber didn’t bring their shooting boots with them! The North Meath outfit left so many chances behind them, particularly in the first half. However, they did bag a goal just before the break and the scoreboard didn’t make pretty ready for Walterstown at the interlude, as Nobber led 1-3 to 0-5. It may only have been one-point deficit but it was the nature of The Blacks’ first-half performance that caused more concern than the scoreboard did. 

And it didn’t get much better as the new half got underway either. In fact Nobber grabbed another goal in the 35th minute and The Blacks were on the ropes. 

Staring a place in the relegation final against Blackhall in the face, Walterstown finally dug deep and produced a season-saving 15 minutes of football. 

Five points in arrears, Walterstown began to pick away at Nobber’s lead, starting with converted frees from Fionnan O’Connor and O’Dowd. Then came a peach of a point from Conor Lenehan, and the deficit was down to two (2-5 to 0-9). 

The Blacks hit the front soon afterwards when captain Mark Foy claimed the kick-out following Lenehan’s point. He swiftly passed the ball to O’Dowd on the right, who evaded his marker effortlessly. With a deft maneuver, he slipped past another Nobber defender, then switched onto his left foot to unleash a stunning shot that no goalkeeper could hope to save.

A brace of points from Adam Quinn and another from corner back Jack Doyle saw Walterstown open up three-point lead by the 56th minute and the insurance score soon followed. 

Nobber were awarded a free just inside their own 45-metre line, and in an attempt to switch the play, they played it back, but it went terribly wrong for them. The pass just didn’t have the legs but Maloney did! The former Meath minor man intercepted the ball and with the ‘keeper off his line, Maloney raced forward before perfectly lobbing the ball into the net. And that was that! The relief was immense for the Blacks. 

Nerves definitely played their part in what was a well-below performance from Walterstown but a win, is a win, is a win and what an important one it was!  

SCORERS: Ruairí O’Dowd 1-4 (1f), Olly Maloney 1-1, Fionnan O’Connor 0-2 (2f), Adam Quinn 0-2, Neil McGinley 0-1 (1f), Conor McEntee 0-1, Conor Lenehan 0-1, Jack Doyle 0-1. 

WALTERSTOWN: Mark McCormack; Ciaran Cox, Alan Wall, Jack Doyle; Aron McLoughlin, Breandan McGuinness, Conor Lenehan, Conor McEntee, Mark Foy; Adam Quinn, Conor Farrelly, Fionnan O’Connor; Ruairí O’Dowd, Neil McGinley; Olly Maloney. Subs: Adam Murphy for Neil McGinley

REFEREE: Robert Purfield (St Patrick’s)

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