Duffry’s good run continues
First-half goals were crucial
DUFFRY ROVERS continued their impressive run with a comfortable nine-point victory over Geraldine O’Hanrahans in this Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship quarter-final at Bree on Saturday afternoon last.
Despite facing a strong breeze Duffry Rovers still looked the more composed side through the opening 30 minutes, laying the foundations for their eventual victory with two goals during this opening period.
While the New Ross town sides did battle to remain in the game through pointed frees from Shane Roche, they were generally chasing the game for the most part.
The Geraldine’s opened impressively with three unanswered points through the opening eight minutes from Robbie Villego, Shane Roche, free, and Dylan Egan, before the Duffry eventually opened their account through a tenth minute Tim Bowler pointed free.
The New Ross outfit still led 0-4 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter, before a spell of fine football led to points from Conor Cleere, Shane Roche, free, and Jack Foran, that eased them into a 0-8 to 0-4 lead after 24 minutes of this game.
But it was a two-minute spell right on the break that the Duffry struck for goals that were to prove real hammer blows to the opposition, with Aidan Byrne goaling a penalty on 30 minutes, while ninety seconds into additional time, Robert Franey found the net from close in, a score that helped his side to a 2-6 to 0-9 interval lead.
With Shane Roche, Robert Franey and Dylan Egan all trading points on the resumption, and with the Duffry just managing a single point, and that from Franey after 38 minutes, during the opening 24 minutes of the second half, the Duffry who had switched off their game, left the result delicately poised.
But once they stepped up the tempo of their game once again in the closing six minutes they added points through a Bowler fre, Johnny Flynn-O’Connor, three, one free, and a Matthew Flynn-O’Connor goal on 30 minutes to seal their semi-final spot.
Duffry Rovers: Bobby Larkin; James Codd, Fergal Kenny, Conor Jordan; Aidan Byrne (1-0 pen), Paul Nolan, Craig Casey; Eamon Doyle, Tom Dunne; Stephen Watchorn, Mattie Flynn-O’Connor (1-0), Robert Franey (1-3); Gavin Watchorn (0-1), Tim Bowler (0-3 frees), Johnny Flynn-O’Connor 0-5, 0-2 frees).
Geraldine O’Hanrahans: Bryan Haberlin; Gary Hill (0-1), Conor Cleere (0-1), David Purcell; Robbie Villego (0-1), Matt Crowdle, Eoin Kelly; Jamie Cullen, Shane Roche (0-5, 0-4 frees);Barry Kelly, Sean Culleton (0-1), Jack Foran (0-1);Daryl Tuarter-finahomas, David Crowdle, Dylan Egan (0-2). Sub: Shane Murphy for Foran.
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).