Honours even in topsy-turvy contest

Grange Utd 3, Inny FC 3

In a dark, damp, windy and cold D'Alton Park on Sunday morning last, the Westmeath derby of Grange United and Inny ended somehow in stalemate after a game that had more twists and turns than an alpine road.

This game fluctuated between the sublime and downright incredulous at times with both teams probably wondering how they did not win it, and Grange especially wondering how they let a two-goal lead slip twice in a game for the most part they held sway in. In fact possession stats would suggest that United had the lion’s share of the ball, but Inny simply refused to lie down and showed amazing character and belief to scramble a draw. They almost grabbed a winner at the death and Grange must ask themselves how they conceded three very soft goals when in the ascendancy in general, but by and large a draw was possibly the fairest result.

Grange had the aid of a very strong breeze in the opening half and made great use of it with good control and patient and precision attacking at times, but they did overplay the ball on far too many occasions in the opening quarter. But for half chances for Paul Reid, David Nevin, Dylan Mugavo and David Markey, they really didn’t penetrate all that much and were lucky when a Jarlath Boyce goal for Inny was ruled out for a very close offside call.

Slowly, though Grange began to up the ante and just after the half hour they got their reward when David Dyer struck a low free that was deflected into the path of David Markey, who tapped the ball to an empty net, giving his side a 1-0 lead. Indeed Markey could have had second moments later but his effort went just over the bar, and after a pretty forgettable first half Grange held that one goal advantage.

Inny had the wind at their back for the second period and they immediately began to try and level matters, but Reid and then Markey went close for Grange instead with Markey just screwing wide when put through by the former. Dylan Mugavo’s shot was saved and Markey shot just wide in the follow-up. Reid was causing mayhem, though and on 53 minutes doubled the Grange advantage: when the ball caught in the wind, he latched on to it and slotted coolly to the net for a 2-0 lead.

Grange looked in cruise control and made a number of personnel changes, but Inny pulled one back on 61 minutes when David Devine tapped in after some calamitous Grange defending failed to clear a routine attack. Boyce should have equalised moments later for Inny, but finished poorly and almost from the next attack, the excellent Reid was hauled down in the box, and a penalty was awarded. Stephen Thompson was sent off for Inny and it looked game over.

However, the red was rescinded by the referee, the penalty from David Dyer stopped only for Dyer to pounce on the rebound and restore Grange's two-goal advantage. It was a crazy few moments as 90 seconds later, sub Louis Pratt pounced on another awful blunder from the Grange defence to tap in for 3-2 and it was game on again. Grange sub Danno Fitzsimons should have put the game beyond doubt but missed a great opportunity.

On 80 minutes, a long ball from Stephen Thompson deceived everyone but Jarlath Boyce, who tapped in from five yards for an equaliser against a very static and stunned Grange defence. It was all Inny now and Boyce almost won it for the visitors, but his effort went right across the goal and no one could get a touch. It was soon all over and a point apiece after a rollercoaster second half.

Scorers - Grange United: Paul Reid, David Markey and David Dyer (pen.).

Inny F.C.: David Devine, Louis Pratt and Jarlath Boyce.

Teams

Grange United: John Joe Myers, David Nevin, Pat Donoghue, Lee Kelly, Jamie Archibald, Dean Kavanagh, Dylan Mugavo, David Dyer, David Markey, Paul Reid and Phelim Crichton. Subs: Eddie Myers and Stephen Myers for Markey and Donoghue (42 mins), Callum Crichton and Louis McCullagh for Phelim Crichton and Archibald (60 mins), Danno Fitzsimons for Mugavo (74 mins).

Inny F.C.: Ruairi Coyne, David Devine, Stephen Thompson, Bobby Barry, Barry Murphy, Brendan Doyle, Paul O’Leary, Owen McMahon, Jarlath Boyce, Shawn Ndebele, Jason Hyland. Subs: Darragh Fleming for Barry (55 mins), Louis Pratt for Fleming (69 mins).

Referee: John Dermody.