Early May in Saint Annes (although you wouldn’t know it from the weather)
for this Championship semi final against our local rivals Trinity Gaels.
The last meeting of these two sides was a friendly about a year ago in
Blunden drive which the home side won easily, but this is Championship
football where the form guide and all previous encounters can be launched
out the window – this will surely be a tight affair.

As I enter the park I glance at my watch and realise I’m late. As a match
reporter the one thing that’s frowned upon is being absent for the throw
in, my P45 could be in the post. I emerge from the undergrowth to see a
Gaels forward send the ball over the bar for their second point, not a good
start for the home side and the visitors appear well up for the challenge.
There’s a good following on both lines and the atmosphere is bubbling.
O’Tooles are quick to reply with a fortunate goal and from there they
assume the upper hand with another goal and three well taken points before
half time. At the break though, the Gaels are still in touch 2:3 – 0:4.

The holy trinity (aka RAJ) begin their half time team talk. From a distance
it appears to be a calm affair, they are obviously content with a five
point lead at half time. I’m thinking we should be further ahead – we’ve
had most of the play and restricted them to only a few half chances – but
hey I’m just a two bit hack who’s never kicked a competitive ball in his
life, what would I know !!!

The second half begins and O’Tooles continue on the front foot with a
brilliantly taken goal. A pair of points are added and by mid-point in the
half the Larriers have a commanding nine point lead. At this juncture my
mind wanders forward to the final – what date? – who will we be playing? –
but my daydream is rudely interrupted by the Gaels centre forward marauding
goal-wards and isolating the O’Tooles full back in a two on one. He glides
past and rifles the ball into the back of the net. Ten minutes to go –
surely they can’t mount a comeback – right ??? Wrong !!! Trinity now have
the belief, they’ve pinned O’Tooles into their own half and are working
some lovely points. On the rare occasion O’Tooles do foray forward they’re
wasteful in front of the sticks, although they do rattle the bar in one
attack – then the siege on the O’Tooles posts resumes again. As the game
winds down the Gaels scramble another goal and are just two points behind.
The Larriers seem like the walking dead falling towards the finish line,
can they hang on ??? Another two points and the game is tied with seconds
to go. Trinity mount a final attack and and from distance make one last
desperate try for the posts. It sails over and the O’Tooles players slump
in despair. From the kick out the referee signals full time – Trinity have
triumphed by a single point 2:10 – 3:6.

It’s difficult to say what went wrong, maybe like me the O’Tooles players
thoughts wandered forward to the final, who knows. But one thing’s for sure
– you can take nothing away from the visitors, they seemed dead and buried
at one point but somehow managed to pick the Larriers pockets for the win.
This was certainly ‘the one that got away’.

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