Castletown find Fossa a bridge too far
When the final whistle sounded to bring the curtain down on the All-Ireland Club JFC semi-final at Portlaoise today there was a cavalry charge of youngsters from the sideline onto the pitch.
Their target was David Clifford, Fossa's marquee player. His autograph is treasured among the young and no wonder with one parent afterwards comparing the rush to "Beatlemania."
He is a special talent and as expected he left his imprint on this game as his side chalked up a 3-14 to 0-11 victory.
The defeat and the sense this just wasn't their day was compounded for the Meath side by the red chard shown to Declan Cribbin in the closing stages. The card was perhaps born out of frustration more than anything because the normally influential Castletown attacker got precious few opportunities to add to get a score for his team, a reality that showed how strong Fosse are in defence.
In terms of the result there was no complaints from Castletown or anyone else. The better team won and but for some agile saves from their goalkeeper and joint-captain Jonathan Ginnitty the Kerry side could have won by more - a lot more.
Still there has to be some meagre measure of compensation for Castletown in the fact they kept the normally free scoring David Clifford to a relatively meagre seven points, while his brother Paudie hit two scores.
Those bare statistic however, hide the reality that the brothers were instrumental in many of Fossa's most enterprising, attacking moves, the attention paid to them providing the space for others to operate in.
The Meath side gave it everything but they couldn't match the power of the Kerry side; their sheer physical presence. Courage, commitment, limitless tenacity will only get you so far.
They were essential qualities in helping Castletown get to today's semi-final but sometimes you just need something more, that x-factor, to claim the prize, or even get to an All-Ireland final.
Castletown were against the wind in the opening half and they trailed 0-6 to 2-7 at the interval with Cian O'Shea and Emmett O'Shea finding the net for the Munster champions.
That interval scoreline wasn't an insurmountable tally but Castletown needed to make a bright start to the second-half. Instead they conceded a morale-crushing third goal just two minutes into the second act.
Fossa drove through the heart of the Castletown defence and Eoin Talbot fired past Ginnitty who had no chance. From that moment on the small mountain Castletown were facing turned into an Everest. It was game over.
As well as what Fossa could create through their own efforts Castletown made their own problems by giving the ball away. It happened a few times in the opening half and on at least one occasion they took full advantage, moved the ball downfield and worked a goal scored by Cian O'Shea after 19 minutes. That's what very good teams do.
It wasn't as if Castletown players failed to perform. Many of them put in big shifts it was just that Fossa were that much better. Evan Hoey had the task of marking David Clifford and he kept manfully to his task as did Noel Smyth and Adam Matthews in tracking their markers. Shane Hoey and Eoin Reid along with Rian McConnell and Killian Smyth seemed to be everywhere.
Darren Finney, Seamus Doherty, Gerard Farrelly and Kevin Ross caused the Fossa defence plenty of problems. Damien Ginnitty toiled away as always. There were others who sparkled. Jonathan Ginnitty was commanding and assured in goals yet still defeat looked inevitable from well out.
Ross finished with six points, while Doherty showed a strength and determination that helped him work two well-taken points. McConnell is still only a teenager but he played with wonderful maturity, yet again, and lofted over two points for good measure, one well-taken effort from play.
Killian Price is another fine young player who drove forward and managed to pop over a score as he often does. It was just that once behind Castletown never looked like they might overtake their talented opponents.
Goal-scoring opportunities were scarce as far the Leinster champions were concerned. Very scarce indeed. Arguably their best chance arrived on 11 minutes. Ross played in the industrious Finney who looked like he might find the net. Instead he stumbled as he was about to pull the trigger, helped by a nudge.
Castletown fans naturally screamed for a spot-kick, with some justification, but the referee was having none of it and in truth it would have been harsh to give it. Even if Castletown had scored a goal then it was impossible to see how it would have changed the ultimate outcome.
Considering the whirlwind they had to contend with Castletown players did themselves, their club and their parish proud.
They just found Fossa, and the kind of 'Beatlemania' that accompanies them these days, just too much to handle - but what a year the Meath side have had. What a blast.
SCORERS
Fossa - David Clifford 0-7 one free; Emmett O'Shea 1-1; Cian O'Shea 1-0; Eoin Talbot 1-0; Paudie Clifford 0-2 one '45'; Daniel O'Keeffe 0-1; Matt Rennie 0-1; Harry Buckley 0-1; Tadgh O'Shea 0-1.
Castletown - Kevin Ross 0-6 four frees, one mark; Rian McConnell 0-2 one free; Seamus Doherty 0-2; Killian Price 0-1.
TEAMS
Fossa - Shane O'Sullivan; Brian Myers, Fintan Coffey, Kevin McCarthy; Daniel O'Keeffe, Paudie Clifford, Daniel O'Connell; Eoin Talbot, Paddy Sheehan; Harry Buckley, Matt Rennie, Cian O'Shea; Ruairi Doyle, David Clifford, Emmett O'Shea. Subs - Rian Colleran for Doyle half-time, Anthony Wharton for Sheehan 47 mins, Tadgh O'Shea for E O'Shea 49m, Cian Doyle for McCarthy 55m, Mark Dennehy for Rennie 59m.
Castletown - Jonathan Ginnitty; Noel Smyth, Evan Hoey, Adam Matthews; Killian Price, Shane Hoey, Eoin Reid; Rian McConnell, Killian Smyth; Darren Finney, Gerard Farrelly, Damien Ginnitty; Seamus Doherty, Kevin Ross, Declan Cribbin. Subs - Killian Markey for Smyth 34 mins, Robert Hoey for Reid 41m, Mark Kelly for D Ginnitty 46m, Cormac Farrelly for G Farrelly 60m, Conor Price for S Hoey 61m.
Referee - Niall McKenna (Monaghan).