Groundwork: Tramores Dan Goggin and Eoin Purcell combine to stop Clashmores Declan Allen during their Senior Football Championship tie at Fraher Field. | Photo: Michael Kiely
Tramore 0-10; Clashmore 0-10
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Last year’s County Intermediate Football champions Tramore gave themselves a very good chance of reaching the last eight of the senior competition when they came from behind in additional time to earn a draw against 2008 semi-finalists Clashmore in Fraher Field on Friday last.
Fielding a very understrength side, Tramore were given a tonic start when they raced into a three-point lead with less than 10 minutes on the clock. Martin Whelan and Andrew Power pointed from play inside the first five minutes and four minutes later Dane Ormond got his first score of the evening from a free.
Things could have been much better for the seasiders but lady luck was with Clashmore as goalkeeper Brian O’Neill twice fumbled goalmouth chances but somehow stopped the ball from crossing the line on each occasion.
Clashmore were back on level terms by the 19th minute after Brian O’Halloran, kicking from both feet, collected a brace of points on 13 and 16 minutes, followed by a point from Sean Fleming.
With eight minutes of the opening half remaining Brian O’Neill made a fantastic save and from the rebound made an equally good stop to put the ball out for a forty-five.
Dan Goggin converted the resultant placed ball before Mark Power got his second point. Fintan Breathnach and Seamus Landers raised white flags for Clashmore soon after to send both sides to the dressing-rooms all level on five points each at half-time.
The first half was an even contest and the second was equally close. Of the five points scored over the course of 34 minutes, Clashmore took the lead and five times Tramore fought back to level.
Sean Fleming and Dayne Ormond were first to exchange points on 33 and 39 minutes. Phillip Dee and Eoin Purcell then scored for their respective sides between the 41st and 42nd minutes. On 48 a short break in play occurred when former Waterford United player Gary Dunphy went down with a knee injury and was taken from the field on a stretcher.
Brian O’Halloran and Martin Walsh swapped points, first on 51 and 53 minutes and again in the 58th and on the hour. In stoppage time Seamus Landers kicked a point for Clashmore, a score that appeared to have clinched the points, but right at the death referee Pat Casey awarded a free on the 45 to Tramore.
Following verbal dissent by Clashmore players the Affane clubman ran up the field and beckoned to Dan Goggin to bring the ball forward and from just outside the semi-circle and slightly to the right of goal. The Coolnacapogue man made no mistake to give Tramore a share of the spoils.
Tramore: J Maroney; G Dunphy, E Lonergan R Hickey; W Cullinane, D Goggin, J Hayden; B Costello, S Keane; D King, M Power, E Purcell; D Ormond, M Whelan, A Power. Subs. C Duffy for Dunphy, D O’Connor for Ormond.
Scorers: M Whelan 0-3, D Ormond 0-2 D Goggin 0-2 (0-1 – 45, 0-1 frees), A Power, M Power, E Purcell 0-1 each.
Clashmore: B O’Neill; D Hickey, J Seaward, E Beresford; P Dee, C Bourke, P Connery; M Power, K O’Keeffe; D Allen, S Landers, C O’Keeffe; B O’Halloran, S Fleming, F Breathnach.
Scorers: B O’Halloran 0-4, S Fleming and S Landers 0-2 each, F Breathnach and P Dee 0-1 each.
Referee: P Casey (Affane).
