Donard-The Glen off to a super start
Fenin’s men see off battling Laragh
DONARD-THE GLEN LARAGH 2-12 0-05
TADHG FENIN seems to be settling in well in Donard-the Glen if their performance against a depleted Laragh is anything to go by in their opening Division 2 football league clash of the season.
The former Kildare star sent out a strong team for this game under lights on Saturday evening, but they were made to work hard by Decky Byrne’s charges until Conor Healy slipped home Donard-The Glen’s second goal mid-way through the second half to put the home side 2-09 to 0-04 ahead and kill the game off as a contest.
The 0-05 to 0-03 difference on the scoreboard at half-time will tell you that the opening 30 minutes were a dogged affair. Donard-The Glen corner-forward Dermot Daly grabbed the game’s opening two scores; the first when he got on the end of a deftly floated ball from Alan Daly and Dermot might have had a goal but for the presence of Andrew Kenny and Craig McCoy who forced him to shoot high and over the bar from close range.
Daly’s second arrived thanks to a perfectly weighted Brian Lennon ball over the top which the corner-forward was out in front for and he rode a challenge and dropped over a dinger.
Laragh struck back through a sweet free from Keith Lawlor after Conor Healy had bundled David Miley over in front of referee Kieron Kenny.
Good work from Brian Lennon allowed Conor Kelly the chance to point and the half-forward took it with aplomb, before Alan Daly showed ambition but a slight lack of accuracy to fire wide from distance for his side’s first wayward shot of the game.
Laragh’s David Miley got on the end of a nice move to fire over a decent score off his left, but Donard-the Glen were looking that much stronger around the middle and fine work from Conor Healy coming in from the wing allowed him fist pass to Alan Daly who turned neatly and stroked over James Nolan’s crossbar to make it 0-04 to 0-02.
Five wides followed, three for Donard-The Glen, two for Laragh, before Tadgh Fennin was forced to send Colm Osborne in for Willie Rooney who had picked up a knock with 26 minutes gone.
A foul on Eric Olohan by Kevin Osborne allowed the young corner-forward the chance to poiint his own free and his success brought Laragh to within a point of the Donard-The Glen men.
Brian Lennon closed the scoring for the first half with a well struck free-kick to make it 0-05 to 0-03 at the break.
Donard-The Glen’s start to the second half was electric. A Lennon point after the midfielder had pilfered possession from Laragh substitute Steve Olohan and while referee Kieron Kenny was cleverly playing advantage got the home side up and running for the second half and when Dermot Daly finished to the back of the Laragh net after four minutes after good work by Alan Daly the writing was on the wall for Laragh.
Around this time Conor Healy picked up a yellow card and Tadhg Fenin switched the county man with full-forward Alan Daly and this move seemed to give Donard-The Glen a major boost.
Dermot Daly, Alan Daly, and Colm Osborne pointed as the home side started gathering serious momentum and Eric Olohan’s reply from a free left the sides at 1-09 to 0-04.
And then came the move of the game. A dinky ball into space in front of goal from Brian Lennon was collected by Gerard Healy but it was the run of Conor Healy that was key. Before Lennon had even received the ball, Healy had set off on a run in behind the Laragh defence, cutting infield as Lennon fired in the pass. And when Gerard Healy gathered in the danger zone there was Conor coming alongside to take the pass and drive low and hard past James Nolan, 2-09 to 0-04, game as good as over.
Colm Osborne bagged a beauty of a score before Laragh were thrown a lifeline with a penalty after 21 minutes. Eric Olohan stood up to take it and directed it sweetly towards the bottom corner, but Mark Moore got down superbly to slap it away and out for a 45 which was missed. It was an excellent save.
Laragh battled on, but the task was too great and Donard-The Glen cantered home to a 2-12 to 0-05 victory.
Scorers - Donard-The Glen: Dermot Daly 1-03, Alan Daly 0-03, Conor Healy 1-00, Brian Lennon 0-02 (1f), Colin Osborne 0-02, Harry Mangan 0-01 (f), Conor Kelly 0-01.
Laragh: Eric Olohan 0-02 (2f), Liam McEvoy 0-01, David Miley 0-01, Stephen Curley 0-01 (f).
Mark Moore; Kevin Osborne, Joseph Whyte, Alan Tutty; Eoin Kelly, Willie Rooney, Gerard Healy; Brian Lennon, Connor Healy; Conor Kelly, Niall Curran, Harry Mangan; Dermot Daly, Alan Daly, Ray Halloran. Subs: Darren O’Neill, Colm Osborne.
James Nolan; Alan Smyth, Peter Merrigan, James Cullen; Craig McCoy, Andrew Kenny, Ian Merrigan; David McDonald, Mark Miley; Aaran Lynham, David Miley, Dan Power; Stephen Curley, Keith Lawlor, Eric Olohan. Subs: Steve Olohan, Liam McEvoy, Kyle Merrigan.
Kieron Kenny (Tinahely)