Late points pave the way for Dunderry

Taking the easy route is clearly not Dunderry's way as they demonstrated in this IFC encounter at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday evening when they produced two extra-time points to sustain their championship ambitions and progress to the knock-out phase. This was a game Dunderry simply had to win and they did that, although they left it tantalisingly late, with only injury-time points from Stephen Coogan and Martin Garry eventually seeing them through. This turned out to be an encounter full of honest endeavour, a do-or-die contest that both sides needed to take something from with the team in white just about doing enough to get across the line. Defeat was a heartbreaker for Syddan who despite an early punched goal from Fiachra Ross played only in patches yet looked to have done enough to earn at least the draw that would have helped them through at the expense of their opponents. Both teams went into the game with injury concerns with Dunderry having to plan without a number of their regulars including Ivan McCormack, Damien Clarke and Patrick Kennelly while Syddan's Brian Dillon failed a fitness test before the start. It's a fine line between making it through the group stage and not and this encounter demonstrated just how a team's fortunes can depend on the small details. Syddan particularly will look back on how a Padraig Young centre late in the game was neatly touched on by Philip Duff only for the ball to hit the bottom of the post and away. They produced a typical, hard-working performance yet still fell short. They weren't helped when Stephen Dillon had to go off with an injury after just three minutes. They could also reflect on a bizarre incident in the closing minutes when Dunderry goalkeeper David Jennings was penalised for taking too long to take a kick-out. The reason it took him so long was that one of the umpires had to go behind the goals to retrieve the ball at the town end. Referee Patrick Neilis clearly thought the Dunderry netminder had caused the delay. The match official opted for a throw up. The ball was cleared and Dunderry escaped. On such incidents are championships decided. Dunderry played some fluid, attacking football especially in the opening half. With the help of points from Andy Coogan, Stephen Coogan and Aaron Newman they deservedly led 0-7 to 1-2 at the interval and they continued to stay in front for most of the second-half. After 51 minutes Dunderry led by 0-10 to 1-4 and were looking good, but Syddan's resilience emerged and successive points from Ben Bashford, Ross and Padraig Young brought them level on 60 minutes. A draw looked likely however Dunderry had other ideas. Dunderry had the man-of-the-match in teenager Stephen Coogan who teased and tormented Syddan all evening and topped off his display with some highly assured place-kicking. With the game level at the end of the hour, and Dunderry looking to be on their way out, it was Stephen Coogan's pacy run that forced a free from the pressurised Syddan backline. He converted and Garry knocked over a insurance point soon after. Dunderry - D Jennings; D McCormack, Darren Callaghan, G Newman; J Kelleher, E Stephens, C Harte; P Callaghan, David Callaghan; A Coogan (0-2), K Dowd, S Coogan (0-8 six frees, one '45'); D Fay, A Newman (0-1), K Callaghan. Subs - B Doherty for Dowd 46 mins, T J Garry for K Callaghan 46m, A Garry for G Newman 51m, T Conaty for A Coogan 52m, M Garry (0-1) for A Newman 57m. Syddan - D O'Sullivan; B Bashford (0-1), P Young (0-1), D Kearney; P Rafferty, C Rowe, L Halpenny; P Duff, S Dillon; I Curran (0-1), S Malone (0-1), G Farrelly; F Ross (1-3), P Farrelly, P Meade. Subs - J Farrelly for Dillon 3 mins, S Finnegan for Rafferty 49m, M Cassidy for G Farrelly. Referee - Patrick Neilis (Kilmainham).