Second half surge sees Park-Ratheniska claim JFC semi final spot

Park-Ratheniska 3-08 Kilcavan 1-11
Laois JFC Quarter-final

A surge in the second-half from Park-Ratheniska saw them claim a three point victory over a fourteen man Kilcavan in Ratheniska in this evening’s Junior Football Championship Quarter-Final.

After a tense opening few minutes where both defences held tight, Kilcavan registered the game’s opening score when Gearoid Treacy pointed after five minutes, James Connolly responded by landing Park-Ratheniska’s first point of the day two minutes later.

Mark Grennan and Evan Hunt both pointed to extend the away side’s lead to two after fifteen minutes, but Park-Ratheniska took the lead shortly afterwards, when DJ O’Connell laid off a handpass into the oncoming James Langton, who blasted one to the back of the net to put his side ahead by one at the water break.

Ollie Dixon levelled proceedings four minutes later with a well-taken point, but Park-Ratheniska struck again when Connolly was fouled in on goal, O’Connell buried the resulting penalty past Stephen Hunt to put the home side ahead by three.

Kilcavan hit back with points from Derek O’Connell and Evan Hunt to reduce the gap to one, and they took the lead a minute later, when Mark Grennan played a high ball into the goalmouth and Darragh McEvoy punched it low underneath Park-Ratheniska goalkeeper Jamie Downey into the net to put Kilcavan two ahead.

Josh Mulhall grabbed a point to bring it back to one approaching half-time, Kilcavan responded with a point from Ronan Gorry to leave the visitors two ahead at the interval.

Park-Ratheniska began the second-half perfectly when Connolly broke inside and got their third goal to put them ahead by one, followed by a free from Kieran Delaney to extend their advantage to two.

Points from Dixon and Hunt levelled it for Kilcavan once again, before a well-taken point from Brian Dunne put Park-Ratheniska back ahead. Gorry hit his second point of the day to bring it back level, Delaney pointed again to put Park-Ratheniska back in the lead.

Kilcavan were reduced to fourteen men midway through the second-half when Ollie Dixon received a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident, O’Connell pointed again to put Park-Ratheniska two ahead entering the final quarter.

Another converted free from Delaney brought the home side’s advantage to three.

Gorry pushed it back to two with his third point, but midfielder Padraig Dunne grabbed another point for Park-Ratheniska to put them three ahead again, as they managed to hold out a tense final few minutes to grab the win and send them into the last four.

SCORERS: Park-Ratheniska: James Connolly 1-1, DJ O’Connell 1-1 (1-0 penalty), James Langton 1-0, Josh Mulhall 0-1, Brian Dunne 0-1, Padraig Dunne 0-1 Kilcavan: Evan Hunt 0-3, Ronan Gorry 0-3, Darragh McEvoy 1-0, Oliver Dixon 0-2, Gearoid Treacy 0-1, Mark Grennan 0-1, Derek O’Connell 0-1

PARK-RATHENISKA: Jamie Downey, Brendan Dowling, Mark Delaney, Brendan Greene, Richard Hitchcock, Colm Brennan, Sean Tierney, Brian Fingleton, Padraig Dunne, Josh Mulhall, Brian Dunne, James Langton, James Connolly, DJ O’Connell, Kieran Delaney Subs: Brian Flanagan for Tierney, Mark Delany for O’Connell

KILCAVAN: Stephen Hunt, Declan Conroy, Edward Conroy, Gavin Molloy, Sean Mangan, Michael Bermingham, Robert Hunt, Gearoid Treacy, Barry Mangan, Evan Hunt, Oliver Dixon, Ronan Gorry, Darragh McEvoy, Derek O’Connell, Mark Grennan Subs: Rory O’Connell for Robert Hunt, Cormac O’Brien for Grennan, Conor White for Edward Conroy

REFEREE: Des Cooney (St Josephs)

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source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/10/03/the-second-half-surge-sees-park-ratheniska-claim-jfc-semi-final-spot/