Marshalstown continue their slide down grades

MARSHALSTOWN-CASTLEDOCKRELL continued their slide down the grades as they lost their Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship relegation final against Shelmaliers in St. Patrick’s Park on Friday.

There will be no quick-fix for a club which started this game with a sextet of forwards with an average age of 37 and ended it in the fifth tier of Wexford club football. Marshalstown-Castledockrell were playing Intermediate football as recently as 2011.

Shelmaliers let them hang in this game for a long time, with the victory only truly secured in added time when Craig Parker slotted home a penalty after Kevin O’Leary was fouled in the process of shooting.

Yet, by and large, they were the better team. The Over The Water men had nine different scorers from play and that tells its own story.

They had plenty of misses too but there was enough quality within Shels’ second string to cement their spot in Junior for another season.

Two Parker points helped Shelmaliers move 0-4 to 0-3 ahead after 17 minutes, only for Michael Kehoe to cut in from the left and smash high to their net.

However, Chris Gordon’s handpass across goal was fisted to the net by Kevin O’Leary in added time as Shels took an interval lead (1-6 to 1-5).

Colm Quigley netted within five minutes of the re-start as the Farmleigh club led for the final time, and they would only add one further point - a Michael Hughes score four minutes from the end.

Meanwhile, Shelmaliers kept the scoreboard ticking over with Denis Kelly and Neal Rossiter scoring equally impressive points as their side eased away to victory.

Shelmaliers: David Shiggins; Eoghan Fitzgerald, Neal Rossiter (0-1), Cathal Gaule (capt.); Craig Parker (1-3, 1-0 pen.), Aaron O’Neill, Cian Manley; Eoin O’Leary (0-1), Niall Murphy (0-1); Shane Griffith, Conor Hearne (0-2), Aodhán Foley (0-1); Mark Flood, Kevin O’Leary (1-2), Stephen McGuire (0-1). Subs. - Chris Gordon for McGuire, inj. (19), Denis Kelly (0-1) for Flood (31), Stephen Rossiter for Hearne (60), Stephen Whelan for Foley (60+4), Dan Campbell for Griffith (60+4).

Marshalstown-Castledockrell: Eoin Bennett; Tom Bennett, Joe Kelly, Richard Ormonde (capt.); Johnny Frayne, Colm Bennett, Michael Kelly; Michael Morris, Mark Kehoe (0-1); Michael Kehoe (1-0), Frank Kelly (0-3 frees), Colm Quigley (1-0); Mitch Jordan (0-1), John Kinsella, Michael Hughes (0-1). Subs. - John Cullen for Frayne, black card (16), Patrick Kinsella for Michael Kehoe (34), James Finn for P. Kinsella, inj. (47), Micheál Bennett for J. Kinsella, black card (49).

Referee: David Owens (Kilrush).