RHODE continued on their journey towards rehabilitation in an extraordinary Senior Football Championship tussle with Ballycommon in Daingean on Tuesday evening.
Tullamore Court Hotel Senior Football Championship Group 1
Rhode 6-7
Balllycommon 1-12
The 6-7 to 1-12 scoreline gives a fair indication of the way this went in a real topsy turvy shootout that was red raw and great fun to observe.
It wasn’t a classic in a footballing sense, though both sides produced spells of really good football but it was in other ways – with games either home or away or at rural neutral venues as in this case, spectators are up close to proceedings and able to observe the interaction of players with opponents and team mates, managers with officials and players, officials with managers and players in a way that is not possible in O’Connor Park and it certainly increases the entertainment value in ways.
No doubt all of this also goes on in O’Connor Park and all other venues but it all contributed to what was a most enjoyable Tuesday evening.
The football first. . . .
As their 6-7 scoreline suggests, this was a very strange Rhode performance. They had more goals than points scored until the 45th minute and it looked like they would score the same amount of goals as points until Ruari McNamee floated over a delicious score deep into injury time. They scored thirteen times, the exact same as Ballycommon but had the game in the bag at half time and were never in the slightest bit of danger in the second half.
While the question marks remain and we really don’t know where Rhode are, they are improving after their first round malfunction against Edenderry. Unlike their win over Ferbane the last day, there was no jumping around or jubilation here. Instead, it was the reaction that was more like the Rhode we know after a group win, quiet satisfaction and a bit of back slapping and hand shaking but nothing more.
The reaction after the win against Ferbane was understandable as their first round mauling by Edenderry was new territory and hurt on so many levels – they didn’t like the questions outsiders asked after it but the real deep probing was within and it was a season changing win for them.
This one was different but also important as it means Rhode are now quarter-final bound and that is all that matters at the moment. Questions remain and this performance won’t win a championship. It was too disjointed and all over the shop but what we can say is that Rhode are moving in the right direction and they are on the short list of contenders who could win a title. The legs of their older players could be tested by the red hot heat of knockout football in O’Connor Park but the big take out of this game is that Rhode’s fitness and energy levels have come on in recent weeks and they are lasting the distance better.
Rhode made a sensational start here. They scored three goals through Niall McNamee (two) andAaron Kellaghan in the first six minutes. They led by 3-1 to 0-1 after 12 minutes and should have had five goals on the board – Dylan Kavanagh missed a great chance in the 1st minute and Sean Hurley, having his best game since transferring to Rhode from Johnstownbridge, drew a good save from Ciaran Ennis in the 12th minute.
It looked all over but Rhode fell apart to an extent and Ballycommon did terrifically well to get back into the game. They were in danger of being blown out of the water, humiliated, but showed fantastic character to raise the stakes and knuckle down all over the field. It was a collective effort but their charge was led by David Dempsey and the Kenny brothers, Chris and Ryan up front.
Chris in particular really took it on for twenty minutes, showing for the ball and going for the target. He got a point from play and a great two point free. Ryan converted a free and popped over a lovely point from play before providing one of the highlights of the game with a breathtaking 24th minute goal, David Dempsey did the donkey work, fielding a high ball, charging up field and laying off to Kenny who fly kicked to the net from 12 metres.
Suddenly the gap was only a point, 1-6 to 3-1 and Rhode had been at nothing for most of the previous fifteen minutes. Aaron Kellaghan got their first score since the 12th minute in the 25th minute and disaster befell Ballycommon before the interval. Rhode’s fourth goal came when Karl Dunne got caught in possession, the winners swept forward and Ruari McNamee brilliantly bided his time before sending across for Aaron Kellaghan to tap in his second goal. Ruari McNamee got a great goal himself a minute later, Niall McNamee added a mark and those scores gave Rhode a 5-3 to 1-6 interval lead and broke Ballycommon.
Having come back so well once, that nine point gap was just too big for Ballycommon and they never threatened to get back into it. They worked hard, were honest and more or less held their own but never threatened the run of scores they needed – with two defeats out of two, their objective now is to retain senior status.
They were 5-3 to 1-8 behind when David Dempsey got a 36th minute black card for tripping Anton Sullivan. Rhode scored three points when he was off and that was more than enough to seal the deal. The closing quarter was harmless enough with Ballycommon beaten and Rhode in cruise control, only rarely injecting real pace into their play.
Ballycommon got three late points while Rhode’s sixth goal finally came in the 59th minute, Aaron Kellaghan superbly finishing off a quality build up.
There wasn’t a whole lot you could say about the second half other than it was a typical affair where the result is beyond doubt. Some of the entertainment came from the on-field and sideline exchanges and you had to be close to the dugouts and field to really appreciate those.
It was football at its most raw and humane with Rhode joint captain Aaron Kellaghan, a young man at the start of his career, very vociferously reprimanding Anton Sullivan, a star player entering the veteran stages, early in the second half for unnecessarily fouling David Dempsey and then getting in his way as he went to take the free. The ball was brought forward 50 metres and Ryan Kenny curled over the two point free – a couple of minutes later, Dempsey was perhaps taking some sort of retribution on Sullivan when he hand tripped him after fouling him and got a black card for his efforts.
Around the same time, Ballycommon midfielder Tom Mealiffe admonished Sean Conway for going for a two pointer that was never on – these were examples of the type of intensity and exchanges between team mates so you can only imagine what was being said to opponents at different times.
Rhode manager Paschal Kellaghan, a man who has never been shy about expressing himself to officials and others, raced a few metres later in the half to question why Ballycommon were awarded a free when his players committed a blatant three man breach and were awarded a free on the 40. That two point free from Chris Kenny went inches wide, and Kellaghan, a great passionate football man who wears his heart on his sleeve, was in no way abusive but asked the linesman very clearly why he was calling the rule now and hadn’t done so earlier when Ballycommon had “breached it” – the linesman equally as clearly told Kellaghan to go back to his zone and not to be talking to him.
It was all part of the fun in Daingean and taken in its entirety, there were certainly a lot worse ways that people could have spent their Tuesday evening.
MATCH ANALYSIS
MAN OF THE MATCH
Aaron Kellaghan (Rhode): Aaron Kellaghan gets the nod and it is not just for the 3-1 that he scored. He took his chances very well but did a lot more that commanded respect. Kellaghan’s positioning and reading of the game was top notch. He spent spells at midfield and full forward and fulfilled those two very different roles efficiently. He was busy and hard working at midfield, patient and available at full forward. He got on a lot of ball, used most of it well and his ability to do the right thing stood out. Kellaghan hasn’t established himself for Offaly yet but on this performance and if he continues to work hard on his conditioning, he certainly has that capacity within him.
Sean Hurley was also a contender. A former Kildare footballer who spent time in the Australian Football League, it was his most productive outing in this campaign. His fitness has noticeably improved in a few weeks and on this display, he is an important addition to Rhode.
Conor McNamee also put in a great shift for Rhode and is playing some of the best football of his club career at the moment.
Chris Kenny was possibly Ballycommon’s best player though most of his best football was condensed in a 20 minute period. David Dempsey also went very well, even kicking a very rare point, and Ryan Kenny was good at the same time as his older brother. Zach Wright also impressed when introduced at half time with his diligence and willingness to mark up and cover.
THE SCORERS
Rhode: Aaron Kellaghan 3-1, Niall McNamee 2-3 (1f and 1 mark), Ruari McNamee 1-1, Conor McNamee and Sean Hurley 0-1 each.
Ballycommon: Ryan Kenny 1-4 (1 x 2pf, 1f), Chris Kenny 0-3 (1 2pf), Stephen Conneely 0-2, David Dempsey, Sean Conway and Jack Kenny 0-1 each.
THE TEAMS
RHODE: Ken Garry; Keith Murphy, Jake Kavanagh, Mark Rigney; Ryan Kellaghan, Dylan Kavanagh, Niall Darby; Conor McNamee, Sean Hurley; Ross Kellaghan, Brian Darby, Anton Sullivan; Ruari McNamee, Niall McNamee, Aaron Kellaghan. Subs – Eoin Smith for Niall Darby (46m), James McPadden for Rigney (55m), Alan McNamee for Hurley (57m), Charlie Cullen for Murphy (57m).
BALLYCOMMON: Ciaran Ennis; Chulainn Boland, Matthew Dempsey, Aidan Bracken; David Dempsey, Karl Dunne, Paul Conway; Stephen Conneely, Tom Mealiffe; Sean Conway, Chris Kenny, Jack Kenny; Ryan Kenny, Conor Dunne, Chris Kenny. Subs – Zach Wright for Matthew Dempsey (HT), Brian Todd for Paul Conway (HT), Michael Conneely for Bermingham (42m), TJ Bermingham for Ryan Kenny (60m).
Referee – Marius Stones.
REFEREE WATCH
Marius Stones had a good solid game with no big issues. David Dempsey had no complaints at his black card, knew he was in border the minute the whistle was blown and accepted his medicine with dignity.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Rhode’s fourth goal was a defining score. Unfortunately for Ballycommon, it came after a mistake but it knocked the heart out of them after their great comeback and there was only going to be one winner from here on.
VENUE WATCH
Daingean have transformed their facilities in recent years and it is a great credit for them, For several years, their long standing ground had a very dated look but the construction of a new club house along with other improvements has brought them into the modern era. They have other plans in the pipeline and construction of a stand would be a welcome addition to a ground that is an ideal neutral venue for a lot of clubs. They have full floodlights now and these were needed on a darkening evening – games should no longer be fixed at 7.30pm at venues that don’t have lights. They hosted this game well with plenty of stewards and managed the traffic efficiently.
WHAT’S NEXT
Ballycommon meet Durrow in round 4 and Rhode have their bye next, meeting Durrow in the final round.
STATISTICS
Wides: Rhode – 9 (3 in first half); Ballycommon – 4 (1 in first half).
Yellow cards: Rhode – 0; Ballycommon – 1 (Tom Mealiffe).
Black cards: Rhode – 0; Ballycommon – 1 (David Dempsey).
Red cards: 0
