Premier SFC: Valley Rovers finish with a flourish to see off St Michaels 

Valley Rovers: 1-7 (1-1-5) 

St Michael’s 1-5 (1-1-3) 

Valley Rovers finished strongly to pip St Michael’s in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC clash at Shanbally on Sunday evening.

The Carrigdhoun outfit did deserve to win this Group 2 Round 1 tie, prevailing by two points in an encounter that never truly sparked. 

Valley Rovers won’t mind; this is an important win given Newcestown and Nemo Rangers are coming down the tracks. It had looked like a draw might ensue, but the team in green and white landed the last two scores to pull through.

They recorded the victory without their Cork footballer Jacob O’Driscoll, who is abroad. The subs made a big impact, with player-manager Fiachra Lynch and Jack Walsh influential.

Valley Rovers led by four points at the interval, but given they were assisted by a gale and had eight wides, St Michael’s would have been the happier at the short whistle.

St Michael’s, who briefly led at the start of the second half, could have levelled the game at the death, but Luke O’Herlihy’s two-point free drifted wide. The city outfit also lost key forward Eoghan Buckley at half-time, a significant blow.

Valley Rovers made the most of the wind early on. Eoin Delaney landed a two-pointer, followed by a 45 from goalkeeper Billy Curtin. Their wides were totting up — six in the first quarter — but they did get a goal after 20 minutes. 

Shane Ryan finished low into the corner after Thomas O’Brien set him up, making it 1-3 to 0-0. They wouldn’t score again in the half.

St Michael’s finally got their first score 21 minutes in when Eoghan Buckley pointed. 

In a game that won’t live long in the memory, albeit with the wind having a massive bearing, St Michael’s went into the dressing room just four points behind when Buckley — their only scorer so far — bisected the posts. It was 1-3 to 0-2 at half-time.

It was now St Michael’s turn to use the strong wind, and they did so straightaway. A driving run 30 seconds into the new half from Fionnán Leahy resulted in the defender finishing high into the net. Andrew Murphy then raised an orange flag as St Michael’s led for the first time, 1-4 to 1-3.

Valley’s goalkeeper Curtin kicked a difficult free into the wind to draw parity five minutes into the second half, and they went in front when Adam Walsh-Murphy slotted over a free, 1-5 to 1-4, with 18 minutes remaining.

The sides traded points as the game moved into added time, with Valley Rovers holding a slender advantage. 

Sub Jack Walsh then extended the lead to two. St Michael’s had the chance to share the spoils, but O’Herlihy’s two-point effort from a free went wide.

Scorers for Valley Rovers: S Ryan 1-0, E Delaney (1 2pt), B Curtin (0-1 45, 0-1 f) 0-2 each, F Lynch (0-1 f), A Walsh-Murphy (0-1 f), J Walsh 0-1 each.

St Michael’s: F Leahy 1-0, A Murphy (1 2pt), E Buckley 0-2 each, L O’Herlihy 0-1 (0-1 f).

VALLEY ROVERS: B Curtin; C O’Keeffe, T McGrath, N Daly; T O’Brien, C Johnson, L Casey; C O’Leary, W Hurley; O McCarthy, E Guinane, A Walsh-Murphy; S McEntee, E Delaney, S Ryan.

Subs: A Casey for S McEntee (h-t), M Woods for C Johnson (42), J Walsh for E Delaney (47), F Lynch for S Ryan (52), E O’Reilly for O McCarthy (58).

ST MICHAEL’S: M O’Connell; R Ahern, J Golden, S Keating; L Carroll, F Leahy, A Murphy; E Hickey, E Sheehan; L de Búrca, A Hennessy, J Ryan; L O’Herlihy, E Buckley, S Murphy.

Subs: R O'Shaughnessy for E Buckley (h-t, inj), R Kavanagh for L de Búrca (47), R Coleman for A Murphy (52), E Hegarty for S Murphy (58).

Referee: Robert Whelan (Aghada).