Rathmore 4-10, Laune Rangers 2-19
Laune Rangers progressed to the penultimate stage of the County Minor Club A Championship with victory over Rathmore on Saturday evening in the Quarter Final in Rathbeg.
Laune Rangers had a lightning start and led by double figures with fifteen minutes played, but Rathmore fought back in the 2nd and 3rd quarters setting up a tense finish.
Darragh Clifford pointed twice in the opening minute, and added a pointed free sandwiched between a pair of Rathmore frees also – that Clifford free the only score not achieved from play on the day by Laune Rangers. In a dominant period for the visitors where Charlie O’Sullivan and Eoin O’Connell were on top at midfield, Rangers added points by Stevie Gannon (2), John Horgan, Adam O’Neill and Patryk Radny before a great team move put Seánie Diggin through on goal and he made no mistake with a finish to the bottom corner.
All six starting forwards were on the score sheet with that goal, and centre back Niall O’Brien joined them with a point to leave Laune Rangers in the lead by 1-9 to 0-2 after fifteen minutes.
Rathmore pointed a free before Adam O’Neill was denied a goal by great block on the line by a defender. Seánie Diggin and Patryk Radny both had points nullified by their hosts – the latter one the sole score from play by the Rathmore in the first half. The home side rattled the net themselves before the break as Matt Spillane was penalised for a foul in the square and Rathmore made no mistake with the spot kick.
Half Time Score:- Rathmore 1-5, Laune Rangers 1-11.
The late surge seen before the break by Rathmore was continued after the restart, albeit after Adam O’Neill had pointed to increase the Laune Rangers lead 30 seconds in. Rathmore replied with their second goal and, after Patryk Radny and his opposite number had traded points, the home team hit the net for their third goal to leave them just a point behind.
Darragh Clifford continued to impress with an excellent point, but Rathmore had their tails up and they scored a fourth goal to complete the comeback and take a temporary lead. Stephen Gannon was denied by a stretched leg of a defender to block his shot at goal, but the visitors would not trail for long, with Darragh Clifford coming up with another great score to level matters.
Laune Rangers second goal was scored by Adam O’Neill who finished excellently in traffic to send his team back into a 2-15 to 4-6 lead with fifteen minutes to play.
A Rathmore point was cancelled out by a Stephen Gannon score before John Horgan and Darragh Clifford pointed to stretch the Rangers lead out to five. However, the home side were given a boost with five minutes remaining as Patryk Radny received a black card to leave his team a man short for the remainder of the game.
Rathmore pointed again, but Darragh Clifford came up trumps again, scoring his seventh point (his 6th from play) to give his side a boost. Two late points left a goal between the sides, but Laune Rangers held on to take the win and move on to the last four of the Championship.
Full Time Score:- Rathmore 4-10, Laune Rangers 2-19.
Laune Rangers:- Conor Buckley, Rian Hogan, Shane Clifford, Matthew Spillane, Alex Garry, Niall T O’Brien (0-1), James Jones, Charlie O’Sullivan, Eoin O’Connell, John Horgan (0-2), Patryk Radny (0-3), Seán Diggin (1-1), Stephen Gannon (0-3), Adam O’Neill (1-2), Darragh Clifford (0-7, 1f). Subs: Brian Foley for Spillane, Oran O’Sullivan for Diggin, Callum Russell for Hogan.