Parke pipped as Durcan kicks stoppage-time winner
Ray Dempsey was on familiar stomping ground as his Parke side very nearly took a result home from their trip to Knockmore on Saturday evening. Picture: David Farrell Photography
Knockmore overcame a second-half red card to edge past Parke-Keelogues-Crimlin in a tight contest at St Joseph’s Park on a sunny Saturday evening last, to pick up their first win of the new season.
The hosts didn’t have things all their own way throughout the contest and will consider themselves lucky to have come away with both points on offer as Parke, now managed by Knockmore legend Ray Dempsey, brought an impressive team performance just up the road to North Mayo.
It was the visitors who opened the scoring on nine minutes when Simon Cloherty fired over a point from play but a minute later Aidan Orme hit his first of the evening to level matters.
Parke opened a two point lead following a Sean Corcoran free and an excellent outside of the boot effort from 45 metres by Ronan Carolan. The full-forward was dropping deep and linking up well with his midfield to cause Knockmore problems.
Shane McHale and Carolan swapped points to keep two between the teams after a quarter of an hour.
McHale grabbed a second point in the 18th minute, catching a mark in front of the posts and tapping over before he was immediately substituted with what looked like a hamstring injury. He would prove a big loss to the home side as he had moved in to full-forward and was beginning to dominate.
Orme levelled matters just after McHale’s departure as neither side could take full control of an evenly matched game.
Corcoran hit his second free in the 25th minute and a minute later Colm Lynch pushed Parke’s lead back out to two but Caolan Hopkins pulled a free back for Knockmore just before the half-time break to leave one between the sides.
Colm Lynch pushed the visitors lead out to two immediately after the restart with a point from play but Orme negated that shortly after from a free.
Parke’s best chance at goal came in the 35th minute when a long ball was played in to Sean Corcoran behind the Knockmore defence. Sean Holmes did an excellent job of getting back and tackling the corner-forward before he could shoot on goal and the ball was recycled out to Simon Cloherty for his second point.
Parke would rue that missed chance as Knockmore levelled matters within three minutes thanks to points from Orme and Hopkins.
The game’s big talking point came in the 43rd minute when Nathan Armstrong received his marching orders following an off the ball incident with Mark Walsh. The midfielder was left lying on the ground and Jerome Henry had no hesitation in sending the Knockmore man to the line.
Despite the disadvantage it was the home side who would rattle off the next three points through Hopkins, Liam Durcan and Pearse Ruttledge to open the biggest lead of the day with ten minutes remaining.
Ronan Carolan and Lynch pulled Parke back to within a point on 52 minutes and the visitors went in search of an equalising score down the closing stretch.
It came on 58 minutes when Cloherty burst through on goal but inexplicably took his point rather than rattle the net from close range.
Hopkins edged Knockmore back into the lead a minute later before Carolan equalised again for Parke.
In the 62nd minute Liam Durcan swung over the winning score from the right wing but there was still time for Parke to almost snatch the draw. Substitute Sean Sweeney saw his effort half blocked and drop short with the last kick of an enthralling game.
Scorers – Knockmore: Aiden Orme (1f) and Caolan Hopkins (3f) 0-4 each, Shane McHale (1m) and Liam Durcan 0-2 each, Pearse Ruttledge 0-1.
Parke KC: Ronan Carolan 0-4 (1f), Simon Cloherty and Colm Lynch 0-3 each, Sean Corcoran 0-2f.
Knockmore: Brian McMahon; Keith Coleman, David McHale, Declan Melvin; Nathan Hardy, Conor Flynn, Nathan Armstrong; Shane McHale, Connall Dempsey; Oliver Armstrong, Aidan Orme, Keith Ruttledge; Kieran King, Caolan Hopkins, Liam Durcan. Subs used: Tadhg Staunton, Sean Holmes, Pearse Ruttledge, Adam Battle Parke Keelogues Crimlin: Kieran Doocey; Cian McHale, Cian Lynch, Ethan McDonagh; Aaron McHale, Lucas Kenny, Aaron Moran; Mark Walsh, Simon Cloherty; Colm Lynch, Simran Singh, Dara Neary; Ronan Reilly, Ronan Carolan, Sean Corcoran. Subs used: Sean Sweeney, Sam Deane.
REF: Jerome Henry (Castlebar Mitchels)
