REF'S , CHEERS & KEGS OF BEER (A Preview)
Hi Folks. I thought I'd let you see a sneak preview of my upcoming book (my 14th!) which is launched of Saturday November 27th 2021 in the Tower Hotel...as usual!!!
Above you have a picture of the Waterford Referees Society team from 1982/83. There's a motley crew! Some well known names there!
1984 FACTORY LEAGUE FINAL
DAWN MEATS 2-1 K2 CUTTING
Two goals from Eoin O’Brien, early in the second half, kept Dawn Meats firmly on course for their first ever factory League title in this replayed game in Ozier on July 16th against a strongly fancied K2 Cutting side from Waterford Glass.
The first game was a superb end to end match with both sides going for it in a 2-2 draw. Dawn Meats took the lead after 15 minutes. Bernard Cullinane, such a driving force from midfield, broke through catching the Cutting defence on the hop. His shot was saved by Kieran Coady but the rebound fell nicely for Tom Behan who made it 1-0.
12 minutes later K2 were level when the hard-working John Stenson at centre forward netted following a Tommy Griffin free kick.
The pace never slackened in the second half. Ray Kirwan cracked a crossbar and 15 minutes later a superb save from Kieran Coady , again from Kirwan, stopped Dawn Meats from taking the lead. That seemed to be a turning point as having gotten away with not falling behind to a team who were looking better on the night, K2 Cutting came back into the match. Eleven minutes from the end Alan Kirby’s cross was palmed away by Michael Wall but only as far as John Flynn who slotted it home. K2 Cutting 2-1 Dawn Meats with just 10 minutes to play.
Down but certainly not out, the Meatmen came back again and with 5 minutes left were awarded a penalty when centre half Tommy Griffin had to handle the ball to stop it going into the net after Kieran Coady was caught off his line.
Intense pressure but the coolest person on the field was Eoin O’Brien who put away the resulting penalty. With no more goals the game went to a replay.
After such a pulsating first game, the replay also lived up to the hype. A huge crowd witnessed the game. For Dawn Meats an historic night. For K2 Cutting a consolation goal that came too late and an acceptance that the winners had been the better side on the night.
And there had been some talking points. Playing for K2 Cutting, Alan Kirby sent a ball across from the right that was pushed home by Johnny Power. But amid all the celebrations nobody saw the linesman’s flag who had signalled the ball had curled wide which referee Seamie Jackson then gave a goal kick for.
Ray Lanigan would go close for K2 just before half-time, but an alert Michael Wall was on hand to save. Both goals from O’Brien came early in the second half. And when those chances fell to the Dawn Meats man, he made no mistake. Just three minutes into the second half O’Brien took advantage of a moment of defensive uncertainty to hammer the ball past a despairing Coady in the K2 Cutting goal. Seven minutes later a second goal, and a thing of beauty at that.
Fittingly the spadework was done by Michael Walsh and Bernard Cullinane with the latter getting the ball through to Michael Corkery. He slipped in Eoin O’Brien who swept the ball past Coady for 2-0.
Michael Corkery missed the chance to make it 3-0 just a minute later but missed. K2 countered and goalkeeper Michael Wall had to produce a couple of snap saves especially from Ray Lanigan which brought a superb save from the Dawn Meats net-minder.
That disallowed goal, which would have got K2 a way back into the game , hurt. The Glass did manage a consolation goal in the 93rd minute when Declan Howlett scored an absolute screamer to half the deficit. Alas it didn’t make that much of a difference as seconds later the full-time whistle blew.
A case of what might have been for the K2 Cutting XI. Two main chances either side of half-time. A mention to Perry White from the Dawn side who came on to replace Ned Power and had a superb game.
Dawn Meats; Wall, Mooney, Coady, Kiely, Power, Cullinane, T. Behan, O’Brien, Corkery, Walsh, Kirwan. Subs; White for Power. G. Power for Mooney.
K2 Cutting; Coady, Mansfield, Dempsey, Lanigan, Howlett, P. Power, J. Power, A Kirby, Stenson, Griffin, Flynn. Sub; G. Power for Mooney.
1979 PUBS LEAGUE FINAL
EGAN’S 3-1 SHOWBOAT LOUNGE
A new name will go on the coveted Pubs League trophy tonight (August 3rd) when Egan’s of Barronstrand Street beat the Showboat 3-1 to win the cup for the first time in their history.
The win had followed a highly entertaining 1-1 draw in the first game and it was hard to separate both winner and loser, but a fantastic penalty save by Gene Rohan, 15 minutes from the end of the replay to deny the Showboat was a pivotal point of the tie. It came when Egan’s were winning 2-1 at the time and had the penalty been converted God knows what would have happened in the last 15 minutes. The spot kick changed that.
After referee John Finn pointed to the spot up stepped skipper Mickey Farrell and struck a perfectly placed penalty, hard and low into the corner but goalkeeper Rohan took off to his left to bring off an outstanding diving save, one of the best of recent times, and touched the ball around the post for a corner.
That save seemed to break the hearts of the Showboat eleven. Egan’s took control of the remaining minutes and made it 3-1 soon after. There were moments when it looked hardly likely that Egan’s would be crowned champions, particularly in the extra time segment of the first drawn game. Neither side had scored in normal time and when Tony Elliott put the Showboat ahead in extra time in that first game it had Egan’s staring down the barrel of a gun. But when the game and cup seemed lost, Pat McDonald came up with an equalizer to foil the Showboat and bring the Barronstrand street pub side into a replay.
Having been so close to losing, Egan’s started the replay like a runaway train. Only four minutes had been played when Owen McKelvey gave Egan’s the perfect tonic by putting them ahead. Things got worse when Paddy Kennedy made space for himself to put his effort beyond Burke in the Showboat goal for 2-0.
A complete turnaround from the first game, Egan’s seemed a little tentative in the second half, maybe thinking of protecting that lead but a goal from Alan Humphries at the start of the second half changed that and the Showboat made it 2-1. Pressure from that side finally told when that penalty was awarded for a foul with 15 minutes left, but Gene Rohan’s sublime save seemed to give momentum back to Egan’s and with minutes left Pat McDonald, who had saved Egan’s in the first game, made it 3-1 putting the game beyond doubt.
Sadly, there must be a loser in both very entertaining games, and the Showboat can count themselves rather unlucky to be walking home empty-handed, but Egan’s had shown their metal when falling behind in the first game and taking the lead in the second. Special mention for Tommy Coady in the Showboat back four and Francie White who was superb in midfield.
EGANS: Rohan, Barry, O’Brien, Lee, Coady, White, Kennedy, McGrath, McKelvey, McDonald, Flavin. Sub; Reid for Flavin.
SHOWBOAT; Burke, W. Farrell, Walsh, M. Farrell, Sullivan, McDonald, Meaney, Humphries, Elliott, Bolger Lonergan. Sub; Coady for Humphries. Ref; J. Finn