WHAT DO YOU do if your club is short a man and facing the prospect of handing a walkover to your opponents? Grab your boots, pull on your kit and get out there between the sticks, that’s what!
Fair play to 67-year-old Johnny McEvoy, who ‘filled the gap’ for Clonad against Timahoe in Division 4 of the Laois junior hurling League on Easter Sunday. And Johnny kept a clean sheet in the second half as Clonad came from behind to score a 1-11 to 1-9 win.
“You don’t have to be good at it to enjoy it!” Johnny laughed when the42 caught up with him this morning.
“I was filling a gap, you, know yourself. We are one man sort and the way it was, I wasn’t going to let the rest of the team down. It was very easy to stand in the goal.”
Johnny McEvoy pictured at yesterday's junior B clash in Laois
We think that Johnny’s being far too modest and it was very much a family affair as his sons Tom and Joe also lined out at wing back and wing forward. But it wasn’t all plain sailing for Clonad as they had to play 40 minutes a man down anyway after having a player sent off.
Johnny confirmed: “A lad was put to the line and that was unfortunate. He was put off a bit in the wrong.” Johnny let in just one goal in the first half and it was his son Joe that put over the lead score at the end as Clonad came on strong to score a famous, backs against the wall victory.
“We still managed to win the game by two points. I was only in the goals, doing very little. I can’t be blamed for any of the points! Their goal came from a high ball, deflected in and I couldn’t do much about it.”
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Clonad GAA confirm Johnny's return on their Facebook page
Johnny was reluctant to confirm his retirement after the game, having filled in a few years back in similar circumstances.
“It was the first match of the season and it’s always hard to get lads out. I filled a gap a few years ago there as well. I was glad to be able to help. We thought we had everybody coming but there were lads ringing up saying they couldn’t make it.”
We suspect that the Easter weekend may have had something to do with that but Johnny, who won junior B championship and League medals back in the day, wasn’t about to let his club down.
“We couldn’t give them a walkover – that wouldn’t be fair on the other 14 lads. You need 14 lads at the start and you have to start the second half with 15 men. Everything was legal. We were waiting on a lad and even half an hour late, he would have been ok. But I started the game.”
Johnny had to deal with a couple of melees in around the goalmouth but otherwise, it was a routine day at the office. “I didn’t have a lot of running to do. I was minding my own area.”
Wonderfully-named defender Mark Onions pucked out the ball for Johnny, who’s confident that his services won’t be required for Clonad’s next outing against Rosenalis in a fortnight.
“I think we’ll have a full house for that! The first one is always the hardest to get the crowd out but everyone knows there’s a space available now! Everything was against but we still won the game and when lads know their backs are against the wall, they’ll get more out of themselves. And our backs were against the wall – we had to deliver! To get that first win is great but the lads knew there was no alternative but to pull their weight and everything worked out well!”
67-year-old goalkeeper Johnny McEvoy wasn't going to let his club down on Easter Sunday
WHAT DO YOU do if your club is short a man and facing the prospect of handing a walkover to your opponents? Grab your boots, pull on your kit and get out there between the sticks, that’s what!
Fair play to 67-year-old Johnny McEvoy, who ‘filled the gap’ for Clonad against Timahoe in Division 4 of the Laois junior hurling League on Easter Sunday. And Johnny kept a clean sheet in the second half as Clonad came from behind to score a 1-11 to 1-9 win.
“You don’t have to be good at it to enjoy it!” Johnny laughed when the42 caught up with him this morning.
We think that Johnny’s being far too modest and it was very much a family affair as his sons Tom and Joe also lined out at wing back and wing forward. But it wasn’t all plain sailing for Clonad as they had to play 40 minutes a man down anyway after having a player sent off.
Johnny confirmed: “A lad was put to the line and that was unfortunate. He was put off a bit in the wrong.” Johnny let in just one goal in the first half and it was his son Joe that put over the lead score at the end as Clonad came on strong to score a famous, backs against the wall victory.
“We still managed to win the game by two points. I was only in the goals, doing very little. I can’t be blamed for any of the points! Their goal came from a high ball, deflected in and I couldn’t do much about it.”
Johnny was reluctant to confirm his retirement after the game, having filled in a few years back in similar circumstances.
“It was the first match of the season and it’s always hard to get lads out. I filled a gap a few years ago there as well. I was glad to be able to help. We thought we had everybody coming but there were lads ringing up saying they couldn’t make it.”
We suspect that the Easter weekend may have had something to do with that but Johnny, who won junior B championship and League medals back in the day, wasn’t about to let his club down.
“We couldn’t give them a walkover – that wouldn’t be fair on the other 14 lads. You need 14 lads at the start and you have to start the second half with 15 men. Everything was legal. We were waiting on a lad and even half an hour late, he would have been ok. But I started the game.”
Johnny had to deal with a couple of melees in around the goalmouth but otherwise, it was a routine day at the office. “I didn’t have a lot of running to do. I was minding my own area.”
Wonderfully-named defender Mark Onions pucked out the ball for Johnny, who’s confident that his services won’t be required for Clonad’s next outing against Rosenalis in a fortnight.
“I think we’ll have a full house for that! The first one is always the hardest to get the crowd out but everyone knows there’s a space available now! Everything was against but we still won the game and when lads know their backs are against the wall, they’ll get more out of themselves. And our backs were against the wall – we had to deliver! To get that first win is great but the lads knew there was no alternative but to pull their weight and everything worked out well!”
Bravo, Johnny McEvoy. Bravo!
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