A badly depleted seniors side lost out to fellow strugglers Rossa at Shaws Road on Wednesday evening to leave their Div 1 status hanging in the balance with just three matches remaining. Despite a late, late rally which closed a four point deficit to the minimum in injury time, the performance over the hour from the Malone men was inarguably well below par for such a vital match.
And yet things had looked so promising in the opening period when a well worked Ward goal on 11 minutes after fine work by Loughrey saw the southsiders go five points clear following early points from Dowling, Loughrey, McGrady and Ward. But worryingly the visitors’ play slumped badly thereafter as they failed to add to their tally in the first period. Gradually the young and skillful Rossa team began to find their stride and range of passes. And once they began to get a supply of ball to their attack their forward line needed no second invites as they clipped over four fine angled scores without reply that reduced the deficit to a point by the interval.
HT Rossa 0-7 Naomg Brid 1-5
The slender lead which was doubled through a McGrady point was wiped out by a converted penalty early in the second period, which gave the home side the lead for the first time and real conviction. A Cunningham free leveled matters but then a series of wides by the visitors were punished as Rossa hit the front again with a point and then pounced for a crucial second goal on 44 minutes after the Naomh Brid defence failed to clear its lines. It was a lead they would not relinquish despite that trio of late scores from McGrady, Ward and Cunningham. The win lifts Rossa above Naomh Brid in the table and now gives them real hope of survival which seemed unlikely until a few weeks’ ago. Our own future in the top flight now hangs in the balance with tough back-to-back games against St Johns to come.
FT: Rossa 2-9 Naomh Brid 1-11
Team: W McSorley, D MacAuley, R Daly, C Mackle, B McMahon, K Gallagher, A Sweeney, J Dowling (0-1), R Smyth, N Cunningham (0-3), J Loughrey (0-1), R Flanagan, C McGrady (0-3), M Malone, M Ward (1-3)
