Rathvilly’s result with Eire Og will decide places 2 and 3 while Clonmore after in the Relegation play off regardless of their game with Palatine.
2024 Michael Lyng Motors SFC, Group 2 , Round 2
Rathvilly 1-12, Clonmore 2-7
By Stephen Bambrick
With both sides coming into this one off the back of first-round defeats, the facts of the matter were simple: it was a must-win for both. The Rathvilly victory booked their quarter-final place (second or third to be decided by their game with Éire Óg), while the defeat put the recently promoted Clonmore in the relegation play-off regardless of next week’s final round of fixtures. Palatine are guaranteed top spot. An injury-time Luke Connolly goal for Clonmore, had it come a bit earlier, might have made things more interesting, with Rathvilly’s 15 wides over the hour being something they’ll undoubtedly be looking at.
Clonmore love an early goal, with Rob Bulmer’s strong run from deep seeing his shot saved, the inrushing Aaron Kelly following in to net in the 3rd minute. At the other end, Jordan Kane had caught a couple under his crossbar before Kevin Murphy’s free in the 8th minute had Rathvilly up and going. It was all of 12 minutes later when Brendan Murphy’s first of the championship 24 leveled proceedings. This came soon after a Liam Gavin free had halved the lead after Conor Doyle was fouled, with Rathvilly dominating possession but not on the scoreboard.
A well-worked Clonmore attack ended with Bulmer regaining the lead for 1-1 to 0-3 before the game’s most defining moment to date arrived. Darragh Murphy was fouled, and the resultant penalty was dispatched by Eric Molloy with all the authority you’d associate with an ex-professional soccer player. The score soon became 1-4 and then 1-5 through Darragh Murphy and Brandon Kelly, this after a number of Rathvilly goal chances had gone abegging. The half finished with Rory Maguire in additional time showing he knows where the posts are to leave it 1-5 to 1-2 at the break.
The second half started with Rathvilly continuing to make it hard on Clonmore to get the ball away defensively. From one such overturn, Molloy’s audacious strike rattled the crossbar from all of 50 meters. The let-off was acted on by Oisin Doyle, who converted a 36th-minute free for 1-5 to 1-3, though daylight was about to appear on the scoreboard. Kelly’s second of the night followed by a Kevin Murphy brace had Rathvilly now up by five.
A well-worked free set Oisin Doyle up for his second before Conor Doyle’s strong running was rewarded with a score. Bulmer and Doyle replied in the 50th minute, making it a one-score game at 1-9 to 1-6, though Clonmore was reduced to 14 with a black card for Tom Pollard’s tackle on Brendan Murphy in the next play.
If Rathvilly had been wasteful shooting-wise, Padraig Bolger bucked that trend, with the number 5 helping himself to a hat trick of points in additional time, bringing the score to 1-12 to 1-6. This was just as well, too, as Luke Connolly’s well-taken goal followed by a Billy Lawlor point left the final score at 1-12 to 2-7, making those scores vital.
Rathvilly:
Subs: Ryan Sibbald, Robbie Ryan, Conor O’Neill
Clonmore:
Subs: Tom Pollard, Anthony Byrne
Referee: Billy Fanning
