Summerhill scrape past Curraha

Despite playing well below their best for the third game in succession Summerhill managed to get the better of Curraha by 2-8 to 2-6 in their final group game of the SFC in Ashbourne tonight.

With their place in the last four already assured following their wins over Moynalvey and Wolfe Tones, this game was meant to be a confidence builder for Summerhill against a Curraha side who were already condemned to the relegation play-offs and who were without David Toner, Neil Shortall, David Coyle and long term absentee Conor Moriarty.

Instead Summerhill conceded goals early in both halves and had to produce a dominant final quarter to get over the line in a dour and dire contest.

While the two-point margin suggests Summerhill struggled against a side in the relegation race they will also reflect on two outstanding saves from Curraha's replacement goalkeeper Luke McCarthy and a fierce David Larkin shot that hit the crossbar and hint that they should have won by considerably more.

Whether they assumed Curraha would be pushovers or if they were still familiarising themselves with the empty spaces in Ashbourne Summerhill were asleep when the game started as James McEntee's long ball into Jack O'Connor led to a simple goal after just 14 seconds.

Barry Dardis replied two minutes later, but Summerhill kicked successive wides before Jamie O'Shea registered their second point in the 11th minute.

Sean Keogh restored Curraha's two-point lead with a fine point following a rare potent attack, but a minute later a superb run from John Keane ended with Conor Frayne picking out Barry Dardis with a palmed centre and Dardis gathered the ball a yard off the line and fired to the net to make it 1-2 to 1-1.

Keogh responded for Curraha almost immediately, but Curraha were left to rue a missed goal chance as Summerhill countered again with Kevin Ryan using his pace to give Summerhill the lead for the second time in the 18th minute.

Six minutes before the break Larkin should have put Summerhill in the driving seat, but he rattled the crossbar after a searing run and Curraha held on to be just 1-2 to 1-3 adrift at the break.

Within 18 seconds of the restart O'Connor had Curraha level and three minutes later they assumed control as O'Connor played a clever one-two with Diarmuid Moriarty before palming to the net from close range to make it 2-3 to 1-3.

However, that was as good as it got for Curraha.

Points in quick succession from Ross Ryan and Larkin closed the deficit to a point and even though McCarthy produced a heroic save to tip Frayne's 13-metre drive onto the crossbar Summerhill were level in the 16th minute when Liam Shaw pointed well.

Ross Ryan won the subsequent kickout and edged Summerhill ahead and five minutes later that lead was stretched to 2-7 to 2-3 when John Lavelle found himself on the end of a move involving Larkin and Kevin Ryan and he palmed to the net.

Curraha ended a 19 minute barren spell when van McGovern pointed, but they needed a goal and with Jack O'Connor taken off that threat never materialised.

Moriarty pointed two frees either side of a Shaw free as curraha cut the deficit to two points, but it was still Summerhill who went closest to finding a third goal, but McCarthy did superbly to deny Keane as Summerhill held on.

SCORERS

Summerhill – Barry Dardis 1-1; John Lavelle 1-0; Liam Shaw 0-2 one free; Ross Ryan 0-2; Jamie O'Shea 0-1; Kevin Ryan 0-1; David Larkin 0-1.

Curraha – Jack O'Connor 2-1; Diarmuid Moriarty 0-2 frees; Sean Keogh 0-2; Evan McGovern 0-1;

TEAMS

Summerhill – Tony McDonnell; Iarla Hughes, Ronan Ryan, John Lavelle; Jack Bannon, John Keane, Eamonn McDonnell; Ross Ryan, Micheal Byrne; David Larkin, Liam Shaw, Jamie O'Shea; Barry Dardis, Conor Frayne, Kevin Ryan. Subs – Paul Larkin for Dardis half-time, David Dalton for E McDonnell 47 mins.

Curraha – Liam Hogan; Oisin Fay, Andrew Moriarty, Seamus Hogan; Ian Battersby, Niall Murphy, Niall McLarnon; James McEntee, Brian Joyce; Padraig O'Hanrahan, Jack O'Connor, Conor O'Farrell; Sean Keogh, Gavin Coyle, Diarmuid Moriarty. Subs – Luke McCarthy for L Hogan half-time, Evan McGovern for Battersby 38 mins, Ben Heaghney for Coyle 47m, Matthew Webb for Joyce 52m, Daniel Doran for O'Connor 54m.

Referee – Donal Smyth (Navan O'Mahonys).