Blues pull away as Éire Óg challenge fades

BLESSINGTON ÉIRE ÓG 1-15 0-8

THIS was a meeting of two teams beaten in the opening round of the Fitzgerald Kitchens Junior ‘A’ Football championship with Blessington losing out to Baltinglas, while Éire Óg lost out to Ashford, so any prediction of an outcome was difficult.

Éire Óg started very well with points inside the first six minutes from Daniel Clarke and Wilie O’Hagan, however, the Greystones men failed to score again before the first water break, while the Blues kicked scores from Jordan McGarr with two (one free), Eoin Devlin and Brian Carroll (free).

The decisive score of the game was a goal for Blessington after 18 minutes as Conor Ryan following a sweeping move from their own half beat Éire Óg keeper Robert Nolan low to his right. With possession fairly even, both sides kicked four points before half-time as the action went end to end and so the tally stood at 1-8 to 0-6 in favour of the Blues at the break.

The game continued to be close on resumption with defences on top and both sides only managing one point before the second half water break, Brandon Byrne for Éire Óg and Brian Carroll for the Blues. There was a definite opening for Éire Óg five minutes into the second half when Blues corner-back Bradley Foster was black carded by referee Eddie Leonard.

Éire Óg, with Blessington down to 14, drove at the Blues defence and a great effort from Jamie McDonald was deflected off the crossbar by Blessington keeper Stephen Kitt. The siege lifted, Conor Ryan and Jordan McGarr kicked long-range points to put Blessington 1-11 to 0-7 in front.

There was an Éire Óg point from a free from James Delahunty, however when full-back Brian Lawless received a second yellow, Blessington took over in the final minutes with points from Brian Carroll, Glenn Farrell, Adam Boland and Eoin Devlin.