Jamesie’s haul guides Craanford past the Vols

A haul of 1-5 from Jamesie Nolan guided Craanford to a six-point win over Volunteers in their Joyces Expert Intermediate A football championship quarter-final in Monamolin on Saturday.

The corner-foward’s goal in the 20th minute helped the north county side to a 1-6 to 0-5 halftime advantage and Volunteers couldn’t bridge the gap in the second-half.

The Wexford town side never managed to get any closer than four points adrift, although they did have an opportunity to get within three on 42 minutes but Troy Murphy dragged his penalty wide.

There was little between the sides in the opening quarter, with Volunteers holding a 0-4 to 0-3 lead on the 15 minute mark thanks to points from Peter Walsh, Troy Murphy, Donal O’Connor and Eoin O’Shea.

Craanford replied through Pat Murray, Des Kavanagh and Ger Lyons but they turned the screw with 19 minutes on the clock when Jamesie Nolan raised a green flag.

James Smyth picked out the inrushing Pat Murray and he laid the ball into the path of Nolan, and the number 13 did the rest, calmly slotting the ball to the net.

Nolan added two points to his personal tally before the end of the half, with Pat Murray also splitting the posts with a booming effort and Donal O’Connor responding for Volunteers.

Points from John Fleming and Jamesie Nolan stretched Craanford’s lead to seven points after the sides switched ends, but after Donal O’Connor had pulled one back from a free they were handed an opportunity to get right back into the game when referee Brian O’Leary awarded a penalty to the Volunteers.

However, Troy Murphy’s spotkick lacked power and accuracy and drifted wide of the left upright. he Wexford town men didn’t give up the fight though and registered three of the next four points, through Donal O’Connor (two) and Keith Kearney, to get back within four.

However, the impressive Jamesie Nolan picked off the last two points of the game as Craanford sealed their place in the semi-final.

Craanford: Bob Flynn; Pat Kenny, William Conroy, Tony Kavanagh; Joe Berney, James Byrne, Michael O’Loughlin; Niall Berney, Des Kavanagh (0-2); Michael Lyons, Pat Murray (0-3, 2 frees), James Smyth; Jamesie Nolan (1-5, 0-3 frees), John Fleming (0-1), Ger Lyons (0-1). Subs. - Ollie Doran for Lyons, Shane Kavanagh for Smyth, Gary Keating for Fleming, Jack Kenny for T. Kavanagh, Michael Sinnott for Nolan.

Volunteers: John Cody; Brian Sheridan, Mick Murphy, Anthony Walsh; Paudge Brennan, Jason Kearns, Stephen Burke; Danny O’Sullivan, Keith Kearney; Peter Walsh (0-1 free), Eoin O’Shea (01), Alan Donovan; Donal O’Connor (0-5, 3 frees), Troy Murphy (0-1), Cian Brennan. Subs. - Keith Kearney (0-1) for Donovan, Eoin McCarthy for Burke, Aaron McGuire for P. Brennan.

Referee: Brian O’Leary (Crossabeg-Ballymurn).