If even the description “A game of two halves"
fitted a game it was this one as Curry and St Farnan’s ended up even after the final
whistle was blown on a game of greatly contrasting halves in Curry on Saturday last.
In dull, humid conditions, the home side will wonder
how they ended up needing an injury time free converted by the talismanic Adrian
Marren to get anything out of this game.
It started so differently for Curry who were first
on the score board and dominated the first half. Fergal Brennan, who was involved in much of
his side's better moments in attack, opened the scoring. That was follows by a
pointed free each by the Marren brothers, Adrian and Jason to give their side a
three point advantage midway through the first half which more than reflected
their dominance.
St. Farnan's finally got off the mark with a point
from the hard-working Fionn Connolly, ably assisted by Martin Mulligan in the
seventeenth minute.
It was a temporary respite however as the Marren
powered Curry full forward line, wreaked havoc to add 1-4 without reply to
their tally with full forward Tommy Henry getting the goal and the Marren
brothers adding two points each.
Jason Marren could well have added another goal but
for a brilliant interception by Shane Molloy but Curry led 1-7 to 0-1 as the
closing stages of the opening half approached, In those final minutes. The sides
swapped two points each to leave the half time score at 1-9 to 0-3 in favour of
Curry.
St Farnans began the second half slightly stronger with
Ciarán O'Connor from a free, and Thomas Cawley, getting points.
A fine point from play by Adrian Marren and a free
converted by Jason in the 12th minute of the half - after St Farnan’s
lost Mattie Lang to a black card - put the margin back out to nine points
again,1-11 to 0-5 and, down to 14 men, the visitor’s prospects looked bleak
It went exactly the opposite way however and with Shane
Molloy taking on the Curry defence, which had lost county U20 star Dylan
McLoughlin to injury just after the break, the momentum of the game swung in
St. Farnan's favour. They added six consecutive points from Martin Mulligan,
James Golden (two) and three Stephen Mulligan frees .
With eight minutes remaining and just a goal
between the sides, Curry went down to fourteen men as Jason Marren
received a red card. Adrian Marren stretched the lead again to four points with
a free but it was St. Farnan's who finished stronger as the Mulligan brothers
provided 1-2 in the closing minutes - the goal from Martin - to level the scores
1-12 each.
Stephen Mulligan added a point to give his side the
lead as full time beckoned. Curry, however got a free in injury time and
Adrian Marren duly pointed.
Curry will be wondering how they let a nine-point
lead slip. St. Farnan’s equally will be disappointed that they found themselves
in that position at half time but there was much to admire in their closing
rally that yielded 1-9 in the final 20 minutes of play
Curry: Sean Marren; David Maguire, Michael Jennings, Dylan Mc Laughlin;
Eoghan Sweeney, Oisín Higgins, Stephen Donoghue; Jack Duffy,
Liam Reilly; Fergal Brennan (0-1), Cathal Brennan, Adam Gallagher;
Jason Marren (0-5(3f), Tommy Henry(1-1), Adrian Marren (0-6(3f).
Sub: Colin Brennan (for Dylan Mc Laughlin,
injured).
St. Farnan's: Simon Mullarkey; Ronan Molloy, Shane Molloy, Niall Hallinan; Mark Devaney, Ciarán
O'Connor (0-2f), David Hallinan; Kevin Mc Gee, Martin Mulligan (1-1);
Mattie Lang, Fionn Connolly(0-1), Thomas Cawley (0-1); Conor Gordon,
James Golden (0-3), Stephen Mulligan (0-5(4f).
Referee: Bill Carty