Blessington

1 May, 2009

Bray Emmets 3-6 Blessington 0-13

A last gasp goal from fullward John Walsh ensured that Blessington returned home empty handed in a game that for the most part they were favourites to win.  Yet the Bray lads deserve great credit for the way they battled and hung on to believe they could win the game when at times they must have felt it was not going to be their day. 

Blessington had led at the break 5pts to 2pts, the Bray scores coming from Jonathon Scanlon and Liam McGraynor.  This really was a poor return for a team who had dominated possession with the assistance of a strong wind. Yet in their defence they could consider themselves extremely unlucky to have had a goal disallowed and a legitimate claim for a penalty dismissed. 

Blessington increased their lead to four early in the second half and but for some wayward shooting should have led by a bigger margin.  A great individual effort by centre back Sean O'Neill narrowed the lead to three and this seemed to stir the home team.  But just at the moment when Bray were getting into their stride they found themselves down to fourteen men due to the dismissal of their corner forward.  However, as happens so often when a player is sent off it seems to galvanise his team mates to greater efforts.  Not surprising then when Conor Flannery squeezed the ball past the Blessington goalkeeper to level the match.  Blessington determined not to follow that script managed get some control around centre field and tagged on a few points to put them back into the ascendency.  Yet, points from Ciarain Doyle and Liam McGraynor make certain that we were in for hectic finish.  Then John Walsh popped up with a goal to put Bray ahead by a point but the see saw battle continued with Blessington quickly regaining their composure with two unanswered points.  A late Walsh point seemed to have secured the home team a share of the spoils but a wonderful sideline score from Fergus Daly put Blessington ahead again, that was until Conor Flannery's shot rebounded off the post to the unmarked Walsh who then casually passed the ball into the net.

Bray Emmets: Barry Lyndsay, Robbie McNamee Maurice Doyle, Sean Byrne, Eoghan Wogan, Sean O'Neill (1), Conor Power, Jonathon Scanlon (1), Liam McGraynor (2), Ciarain Doyle (1), Conor Flannery, Mark Mulvaney Ross McAnaspie, John Walsh (2-1) and Cathal Wogan.