Edenderry 1-12 Rhode 1-10
Edenderry will fly the flag for Offaly in the upcoming Leinster club football championship after they dethroned near neighbours Rhode on a 1-12 to 1-10 scoreline in O’Connor Park this afternoon.
A goal for Ruáirí McNamee got the reigning champions off to a fantastic start after just ten seconds, but Edenderry rallied well and led by 1-7 to 1-6 at half-time thanks to a stunning Derek Kelly goal.
Niall McNamee and Anton Sullivan put late chances wide for Rhode as they chased an equaliser, but it wasn't to be for them as Gary Blong tacked on a late insurance point to ignite raucous celebrations for the town side and their supporters, who won the Dowling cup for the 11th time in their history and for the first time in four years.
These two clubs lorded the Offaly scene around the turn of the millennium and met in the 1998, 1999 and 2001 county finals, but Edenderry hadn’t beaten Rhode in the Offaly SFC since their 1-9 to 1-6 triumph in the 2001 final replay.
Rhode edged last year’s county final between the two sides on a 0-13 to 1-7 scoreline and it looked as if the village club were going to retain their crown when they found the Edenderry net in the game’s first series of play,McNamee slotting the ball to the net from close range after his cousin Niall McNamee batted the ball into his path perfectly.
Edenderry rallied brilliantly however and after opening their account through a fine Seán Doyle point, they drew level by the tenth minute.
Rhode continued to keep their noses in front, boosted by strong performances from Darren Garry and Conor McNamee in the diamond sector, but Edenderry’s challenge really burst into life shortly before half-time when David Hanlon burst out of defence and played the ball into Kelly, who blasted it into the roof of the net from twenty metres out.
Niall McNamee scored either side of half time to pull the game level at 1-7 apiece, but Rhode never again led in the contest and struggled to match the energy and enthusiasm of their younger opponents at any stage in the second half.
Doyle picked off two more outstanding scores from play while defenders Hanlon and Seán Moriarty burst forward with great regularity, leaving Edenderry a point up going into the closing minutes.
Rhode had plenty of experienced players on the bench and they were able to introduce former Offaly stars Shane Sullivan and Paschal Kelleghan as well as Pauric Sullivan, who recently came back from a lengthy absence due to a cruciate ligament injury.
Brothers Alan and Niall McNamee combined to produce Rhode’s last score in the 52nd minute but Niall will look back with regret on two spurned chances in the closing stages, while Anton Sullivan also pulled an opportunity to tie up the game wide of the target.
As the second minute of added time expired they were left with one more chance to win a kickout but Stephen Guing was able to collect possession and the ball was worked through to substitute Blong, who clipped the ball over the bar with the last act of the contest, setting in motion wild celebrations among the Edenderry supporters, who made up the lion’s share of the 4,630 patrons who filed into the Tullamore venue.
Edenderry will now look to improve on their 2011 showing in Leinster when they crashed out at the first attempt, and they will have home advantage for their contest in two weeks’ time as Rathnew of Wicklow will make the trip to Tullamore for the first round of the provincial competition.
Edenderry: Cormac Hurley; D Hanlon, A Pender, S Pender; A Mahon (0-01), C Byrne, S Moriarty (0-01, ’45); R Dalton (0-02), S Guing; O Lawton, D Kelly (1-01, 0-01 free), K McGuinness (0-01 free); J Hayes (0-01), A McDonnell, S Doyle (0-04, 0-01 free).
Subs: Ciarán Hurley for Lawton (HT), A Kenny for McDonnell (48), M Young for McGuinness (60), G Blong (0-01) for Hayes (60+1)
Rhode: K Garry; J Kavanagh, E Rigney, J McPadden; C Heavey, B Darby, E Byrne; A McNamee, D Garry (0-02); N Darby (0-01 free), C McNamee (0-01), S Hannon; A Sullivan, R McNamee (1-01), N McNamee (0-05, 0-01 free).
Subs: G O’Connell for Byrne (37), S Sullivan for Kavanagh (48), P McPadden for Hannon (48), P Sullivan for Garry (57), P Kelleghan for R McNamee (60)
Referee: Davy Walsh
@MidlandsSport @EdenderryGAA lift the Dowling cup pic.twitter.com/9d7a8UPU04
— PJ Ward (@PJWard14) October 11, 2015
