Leinster Club SFC final: Moorefield 3-6, Rhode 0-8 It was all over including the shouting. Moorefield had their hands on the Leinster club football trophy for the first time and captain Kenny Duane gave a victory speech that naturally broke into song. Yet the man who could best explain what this meant to the Newbridge club - manager Séamus "Sos" Dowling - was missing, and it was over 30 minutes after the finish when he showed up outside the team dressing-room.
Dowling had the look of a man who had just wiped a tear from his eye. He recalled the generations that had links to Moorefield - his parents, grandparents, uncles, and father-in-law - and added he'd played for the club for 20 years, only retiring after his 40th birthday.
"There's nothing like winning something big with your club," he said. "It's back to the bread-and-butter job. So it's a very historic day, and a very emotional one as well. I probably will cry about it later on."
The Kildare champions defied all predictions and left Rhode defeated long before the final whistle. In a game played halfway between a hurricane and a tornado they somehow adopted perfect tactics and ended up with supreme authority.
The game did turn on two first-half penalties, brilliantly converted by Ronan Sweeney, but Dowling wasn't at all surprised by the seven-point victory.
"I knew we had a big one in us, that all these lads were capable of it. I've seen them play from under-14 all the way up, and they've won everything. A lot of people were saying Rhode had more experience, but these lads have a lot of football played too."
The other thing that won it for Moorefield was their passion, evident in every passage of play - and epitomised by 18-year-old David Whyte, introduced on 45 minutes (he scored their third goal with his first touch.)
It was clear Dowling had instilled that passion: "Yeah, I feel if I can get that into the players then nothing will beat them. But you have to play with a bit of a passion. All the great teams, those great Kerry teams, Tyrone teams - I always think how the managers do it."
Of course Rhode also showed passion. Reportedly the coin got blown away in the toss, but it looked as if the Offaly champions had the advantage of the swirling gale in the first half.
Rhode were up 0-2 to 0-1 after the opening quarter as Niall McNamee and Roy Malone stated their intent, but without much warning Moorefield suddenly took control.
On 16 minutes Jason Phillips, who was causing all sorts of problems for Rhode, was taken down in front of goal. Up stepped Sweeney to coolly convert the penalty, low and right of the goalkeeper.
Seven minutes later Phillips was again tackled illegally, and again Sweeney struck, this time low and right of the keeper.
"I'd missed one in the county final and another one against the Wicklow champions," admitted Sweeney. "Thank God the first one went in, and my confidence was up for the second.
"But once we won the Kildare championship I honestly felt we were good enough to compete in Leinster. I think it's our team spirit that gets us through. And I don't think there are any teams in the country that will relish playing us now."
Up 2-2 to 0-4, Moorefield had established their winning platform. But they didn't sit back on it. The full-back line of Pauric O'Flynn, Ian Lonergan and Kevin O'Neill (who took on McNamee) were a revelation, repeatedly breaking down the best attacks Rhode had to offer. And while McNamee ended with 0-5 (including two gems from play) the Moorefield defence won that battle hands down.
Phillips, at only 20 - and named by Dowling only moments before the start to reduce the pressure - was another huge part of the Moorefield artillery.
Nor was Whyte - at 18 and a Kildare minor this year - expected to play such a key role, yet his goal midway through the second half sealed the memorable win.
They had changed ends with Moorefield up 2-2 to 0-6, and after an early exchange of points, Ian Lonergan started the superb long-range move that ended up with Whyte's sweetly struck goal.
When Patrick Murray added an easy point shortly afterwards it was clearly game up for Rhode.
So, having won a third successive Offaly title, Rhode end a third successive Leinster championship with nothing to show.
"Well I do feel Moorefield deserved it," said their manager, Stephen Darby. "They moved the ball better and more sensibly and had men to support them all the way. We didn't get enough scores in the first half, but were really thrown back big time with the two sucker punches of penalties. I feel they came at critical times, and killed us off, knocked the stuffing out of the guys mentally.
"Their backs also took the ball out very well against the breeze. We didn't apply enough pressure on them, so they were able to build from the back.
"Unfortunately it just didn't work out for us. We didn't get any luck at all."
MOOREFIELD (KILDARE):T Corely; K O'Neill, I Lonergan, P O'Flynn; K Duane, G Naughton, J Lonergan; R Glavin, D Flynn; P Murray (0-2, one 65), R Sweeney (2-3, two penalties, one free), M Treacy; F Hanniffy, J Phillips (0-1), P Wolfe. Subs: R Delaney for Treacy (42 mins), D Whyte (1-0) for Hanniffy (45 mins), K Duane for Wolfe (56 mins), A Melia for Naughton (59 mins).
RHODE (OFFALY):C Masterson; M Cassidy, B Malone, B Darby; C Heavey, D Bannon, E Byrne; A McNamee, P Sullivan (0-1); J Kilmurray, R Malone (0-2), S Sullivan; M Cole, P Kellaghan, N McNamee (0-5, two frees). Subs: G Hickey for Heavey (37 mins), D Hope for Cole (54 mins).
Referee:M Deegan (Laois).
