St. James’ leave it behind

Date Published: {J}

Dara Bradley

ST. James’ intermediate footballers aren’t used to defeat. They haven’t tasted it in well over a year.

On several occasions since losing the county final of 2009 against Leitir Mór, the city men rode their luck and were fortunate to either scrape draws or hold on for narrow victories.

On Saturday evening at GAA headquarters, St. James’ luck ran out at the most inopportune time – the All-Ireland intermediate final.

Their Achilles heel all season – a lack of a ruthless streak and an inability to punish teams by taking their chances when they have their opponents on the rack – came back to haunt them at Croke Park.

Two weeks previous in Mallow, St. James kicked 17 wides against Gneeveguilla in the semi-final. They got away with it.

At the weekend, against the Fermanagh and Ulster champions Lisnaskea they recorded 14 wides and didn’t get away with it.

The city men also failed to bury one of the three goal opportunities they created; and should have won this decider in normal time.

But instead of driving home their advantage, St. James’ three points lead with nine minutes to go had evaporated by the time Lisnaskea’s sharpshooter Daniel Kille slotted over the leveller with a free, the last kick of the match.

St. James’ Tommy Walsh can perhaps feel hard done after conceding the foul – when he protested, the free was brought forward which made it scoreable. Lisnaskea, despite a gallant effort from the Tribesmen, just about had the edge in extra-time and landed a killer blow goal with just a minute or so remaining.

The real controversial talking point was the score that wasn’t. Leading by 0-9 to 0-10 with a minute to go, Paul Conroy looked to have kicked the winner but it was flagged wide. Afterwards the dejected midfielder told Sentinel Sport that he felt it was definitely on target.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.