Stritch’s goal helps keep Smith O’Brien’s in senior ranks

Smith O’Brien’s  2-12

Whitegate  1-11

after extra time

WHITEGATE will compete in the Intermediate Championship in 2013 following their loss to neighbours Smith O’Brien’s in this relegation play-off at Bodyke on Saturday evening.

Smith O’Brien’s were underdogs and at the full-time whistle approached, it looked as if this view would be proven correct.
With the game in the 60th minute Whitegate held a one-goal lead, 1-9 to 0-9 when Keith Stritch took a pass from Anthony O’Sullivan and fired to the net to level the game.
Both sides had expressed a wish that extra time be played if required and at the end of the extra period, the Killaloe side were four points clear and had their senior status secure for the coming season.
Whitegate played with the aid of the breeze in the opening half and at the break had a goal to spare, 1-6 to 0-6. The goal came just before the half-time whistle when Patrick Burke scored following a Brendan Bugler delivery.
All of Smith O’Brien’s first-half points came from placed balls by Shane O’Brien, who converted five frees and a 65.
Scores were few in the second half when the crucial score was the goal from Stritch in the final minute. A minute earlier, Whitegate were down to 14 men when Ger Muggivan picked up a second yellow card.
At half-time during extra time, the eventual winners were two points clear, 1-12 to 1-10. Eoin Quirke converted a free for Whitegate to cut the margin to the minimum but a Kevin Walsh goal in the 80th minute sealed the win for Smith O’Brien’s.

Smith O’Brien’s: Mark McInerney; Brian McInerney, Cian Nolan, Joe Furlong; David Gough, Mark Stritch, Micheál Ryan; Liam Walsh, Mark O’Halloran; Dean Sinnott, John Cusack, Shane O’Brien; Anthony O’Sullivan, Keith Stritch, Kevin Walsh.
Subs: Eoghan Ryan for Sinnott; Kevin McCarthy for O’Sullivan; O’Sullivan for E Ryan; Sinnott for M Ryan (inj).
Whitegate: Andrew Fahy; John Minogue, John Bugler, Trevor Kelly; Jason Malone, Brendan Bugler, Tomás McNamara; Patrick Minogue, Eoin Quirke; Colin Burke, Michael Dooley, Ger Muggivan; Patrick Burke, Niall Hayes, Michael O’Brien.
Subs: Paul O’Rourke for O’Brien; Terence Fahy for Hayes; Colin Bleach came in for extra time in place of the suspended Muggivan; Gary McClearn for Fahy; Kieran Gibbons for McNamara, Gareth Bleack for O’Rourke.
Referee: Damian Fox.