Davis strike late to beat Lucan
By Fergus Balfe
THOMAS Davis forward Fran Kivlehan’s stoppage time free effectively saw his side squeeze past hosts Lucan Sarsfields in a nail-biting Junior Two Football Championship semi at the 12th Lock on Sunday.
After Davis had led from midway through the first period, a thrilling fightback from Lucan saw them draw level as the clock ticked into overtime, but with extra-time looming, free-taker Kivlehan seized the last opportunity of the game to send his side through to the final.
Thomas Davis edged through to the Junior Two Football Championship final
Davis stormed out of the blocks, and should have notched a goal inside the first minute, but hard-working half-forward Jimmy Owens could not convert when the goal was at his mercy.
Half-forward Emmett Allen curled over at the opposite end to get Lucan off the mark, but this would prove to be the only time his side led at any stage in the game, as Davis soon replied with scores from forwards Robbie Mearns and Kivlehan.
The two teams then traded points throughout the first quarter, with the pick of the early scores coming from outstanding Lucan corner forward Tommy Brennan, who finished off an excellent passing move by firing over from out wide on the left.
The game flowed from end-to-end, but Davis were just managing to keep their noses in front, beginning a prolific spell when corner forward Mark Leigh found Sharkey on the left to swing over.
Owens backed this up by sneaking over a point from the tightest of angles foll-owing midfielder Dinny O’Donovan’s pass, before wing forward Sharkey netted a terrific opening goal, ghosting past a couple of attempted tackles and slipping his shot under ‘keeper Niall Cunningham.
Sarsfields came close to the perfect response, as another fluid move saw midfielder Mark Moran play in Brennan, only for Davis goalkeeper Philly Fahy to brilliantly tip his goalbound drive over the bar.
The Tallaght side’s five-point half-time advantage, 1-9 to 0-7, was a deserved one, but Lucan were refusing to go down without a fight, as the introduction of the impressive Ben Coffey from the bench gave them fresh energy and impetus.
Brennan, fellow corner forward John Doyle and Coffey all got on the scoresheet soon after the interval, while outstanding Thomas Davis full back Stephen Reardon made several crucial interventions to help his side stay in front.
Indeed, the visitors were still somewhat comfortable thanks largely to the dead-ball contributions of Kivlehan, aided by the relentless running of Sharkey.
However Lucan set up a climactic finish in the dying moments, as Brennan turned his man to find himself through on goal after a sloppy Kivlehan pass, and when Fahy saved, Doyle was first to arrive to slam home the rebound.
Nonetheless, deep into stoppage time, Kivlehan was given the chance to atone for his error, and he duly converted his tenth score of the day to secure his side a place in the Championship decider.
LUCAN SARSFIELDS: N. Cunningham, S. Keher, A. Norton, C. McGrath, S. Casey, C. Hickey, E. Seery, T. Bradley, M. Moran, N. McKiernan, E. Allen, P. Sloan, T. Brennan, J. McCaffrey, J. Doyle.
THOMAS DAVIS: P. Fahy, C. Byrne, S. Reardon, C. Flood, J. McKenna, N. Ryan, R. Lynch, C. Cooney, D. O’Donovan, J. Owens, R. Mearns, R. Sharkey, D. Byrne, F. Kivlehan, M. Leigh.
TAGS Sport
