A fitting end to a memorable fortnight. Brian McEniff’s Ireland outplayed and outwitted their hosts to clinch the final test and the International Rules series with a resounding victory over Australia at Football Park, Adelaide today.
The unfortunate loss of key players through injury had cast a vague sense of insecurity over any belief that Ireland could maintain their six point aggregate advantage carried over from the MCG. But having weathered the early Australian storm, Ireland kicked on in stylish fashion to record an exhilarating victory.
While the Australians had notably improved their hand-passing and speed of distribution, their approach work to goal lacked creativity and guile. Their obvious discomfort with the round ball curbed all adventure down the flanks and left their big forwards isolated in front of goal.
Their inability to transfer wide ball to a focal position forced their play to be channeled predictably through the middle of the park. In the opening quarters Ireland struggled with this as Matthew Lloyd etched his mark on the scoreboard with alarming frequency.
As in the Melbourne test Ireland’s bigger stars - aside from Meath’s Graham Geraghty and Cormac Sullivan - played largely anonymous games until surfacing in the third and fourth quarters to quash the Australian attack and take control.
Ireland were quickly into their stride and seized the initiative after seven minutes when Brendan Devenney’s soccer skills set up captain Anthony Tohill for an easy six point tap-in. Dermot Earley and the enterprising Corkman Brendan Ger O’Sullivan added to the tally while Lloyd and Joel Smith kept the home side in contention.
Towards the end of the quarter, agile Australian forward Blake Caracella was sent through on goal and looked certain to score. However Cormac Sullivan, who played possibly his finest game in any code, raced off his line to brilliantly smother Caracella’s effort. Ireland led 16-15 at the hooter.
The Australian attack applied a vigorous stranglehold on the Irish defence in the first half, pushing up tightly on Irish kicks outs, cleverly restricting the speed of Ireland’s build up play. When Ireland did move the ball, their attacks lacked fluency and direction with stray balls being fired in every direction. This did improve, tellingly, as the game progressed.
With the Australians keen to hand-pass the ball out of defence, Garry Lyon’s side constantly ran the risk of getting caught out. Graham Geraghty, typically, was on hand to do just that seven minutes into the second quarter. The Meath full forward intercepted some Australian ball juggling to round ‘keeper Simon Goodwin soccer style and net the six points.
Australia hit back with a goal of their own two minutes later when Lloyd reacted quickest to the dropping ball by swiping out on the half volley to stun Sullivan with a fierce shot. Brent Harvey and Adam Goodes added to that score before Brendan Devenney, so instrumental in the Melbourne victory registered a tidy over on the hooter. Australia led 33-32 at half-time.
Ireland emerged a different side after the break. Wayward passing and lethargic shooting were replaced by a refreshing air of control and composure. Ireland came together as a team as Darren Fay, Kieran McGeeney and the young Graham Canty controlled and patrolled at the back; while Geraghty, Devenney, Tadgh Kennelly and Padraig Joyce stood tall up front.
Australia’s play had become so one dimensional and frustrating it was no wonder that Ireland quickly grew in confidence, obtaining a licence to thrill in the process. Intelligent play and timely use of the interchange facility produced a blitz of scores as Ireland battered the home side onto their knees. Joyce, Kennelly, Geraghty and Crowley combined well to stretch Ireland into a 56-44 lead with 20 minutes to play.
Australian heart and passion was sold somewhere in the midst of the end of quarter huddle as mere shells took to the pitch for the final quarter. With the scoreboard merrily ticking over, Australian tempers became frayed as minor scuffles broke out around the pitch. Fittingly, a long range effort from the Sydney Swans’s Tadgh Kennelly (a former Kerry minor) confirmed the victory for a gallant Irish side.