Final flourish clears path to semi-final for Rhode

Rhode 4-10 Navan O’Mahony’s 0-13

November’s child is quiet and meek, and so too can be its club football. Rhode slowly toyed with the winning and losing of this match before outscoring their opponents 2-3 to no score in the last 10 minutes, and that was about as exciting as it got.

It was still an impressive finish for the Offaly champions, suitably polished off by goals from Niall McNamee and Brian Darby, although they also finished up with 14 men. It finished harshly too for Navan O’Mahony’s, who struck four sweet points in succession to level it up, before letting the whole thing fall on the floor – thus rounding off a disappointing year for Meath football.

There was no denying Rhode’s superiority in the end, although their ambitions extend beyond November: they’ve lost three Leinster club football finals, since 2006, failing to live up to their own expectations, particularly on the scoring front.

“You can’t go through Leinster, scoring 1-7, and expect to win it anymore,” said Rhode manager Pat Daly. “And we were at that for years. It’s not good enough.

“Our work rate now is tremendous, right through the field, and that’s what it’s about. In fairness to all the boys that’s what they’re doing. They’re working fierce hard for each other.

Another level

Next up is a semi-final date with Kildare champions Moorefield, on Sunday week. “I hope there is more to come, and I think we can take it to another level,” added Daly, who lost midfielder Conor McNamee, to a second yellow card, on 56 minutes.

Rhode struggled to maintain their consistency throughout, an early goal from Glenn O’Connell soon overtaken by O’Mahony’s, who had Stephen Bray, Alan Forde, and Jake Regan in scoring form.

A Rhode penalty from O’Connell just before the break, a hard call after what looked like a decent tackle by Damien Moran on Brian Darby, then put O’Mahony’s on the back foot.

If all managers were as polite and insightful as Davy Nelson this job would be a lot easier, although the O’Mahony’s manager wasn’t impressed by the decision to award that penalty: “We were incensed, to be honest. I thought the referee had a terrific match, and I’m not one to run down referees. But I just thought we made a great tackle, and got penalised for it. It was a big momentum turner, because we’d gone three points up, then they went it at half-time a point up. So it did sway it a fair bit.

“And I think you’ll all agree the final score bears no resemblance to the match. It suggests we were up to nothing. But the performance was there. The result wasn’t.”

Indeed O’Mahony’s fought hard throughout, levelling it up with 10 minutes to go, before Rhode’s class ultimately shone, Niall McNamee brilliantly fisting in the first of their late goals, then setting up Brian Darby for the second one.

“These boys are battle hardened,” said Daly, “and getting forward for two goals in the last few minutes so that just shows me that these boys really want it”

For Nelson, however, there is the realisation that Meath’s and O’Mahony’s wants in the provincial championship continue to be unfulfilled: “We’re still novices, at this level, provincial level,” said Nelson.

“Any time you win your own championship it’s a good year. But we were very ambitious to do well in this competition. There have only ever been three Meath winners. And we’re not one of them. So we’re mindful of that. We’ve represented Meath 11 times and never even made the final.

It might have been a little different if O’Mahony’s had full back Kevin Reilly available, who recently had a hip operation, as he might have help prevented the late goals. For now, however, only Rhode are going forward.

RHODE: K Garry; J Kavanagh, B Darby (1-0), J McPadden; E Byrne, E Rigney, C Heavey; A McNamee (0-1), C McNamee; G O'Connell (2-1, one penalty), P Sullivan, N Darby; A Sullivan (0-4), N McNamee (1-4, one free), P McPadden. Subs: R McNamee for N Darby, S Hannon for McPadden (both 46 mins).

NAVAN O'MAHONY'S: D Quirke; B Dillon, S Crosby (0-2), D Smyth; G O'Brien, N McKeigue, J O'Reilly; C McGuinness, D Moran; A Forde (0-2), S Bray (0-3, one free), R O'Coilleain; D Bray, J Regan (0-5, two frees), S Gillespie (0-1). Subs: I Matthews for Smyth (11 mins), S McGabhann for McGuinness (37 mins), D McGuire for Moran (52 mins).

Referee: J Hickey (Carlow)