Sinnott goal vital for Cushinstown
R’GAROGUE-C’TOWN 2-12 TARA ROCKS 1-9
A NICKY Sinnott goal early in the second-half put Rathgarogue-Cushinstown on the road to victory in this Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship quarter-final in Bree on Saturday.
The New Ross District outfit had switched ends trailing by two points (1-5 to 0-6), but Sinnott’s major edged them in front and they never looked back thereafter.
It looked like it would be plain sailing for Rathgarogue-Cushinstown as they got the first four points on the board in the opening eight minutes, with Bernard Furlong getting the ball rolling inside 30 seconds.
Aaron Ryan followed suit two minutes later, before sharpshooter Nicky Sinnott swung over a couple of frees.
However, Tara Rocks turned the game on its head in the space of four minutes midway through the half.
Joe Bolger got the north county men off the mark in the 13th minute and doubled their tally with a free two minutes later, and within seconds they had their noses in front.
The fast-thinking Noel Gallagher found Gearóid O Súilleabháin with a quick free, and he did the rest, coolly side-footing the ball beyond Johnny Kelly.
The Tara Rocks tails were up and a minute later they were two points ahead when Brendan Hobbs split the posts.
Points from Matthew Cody and Aaron Ryan drew Rathgarogue-Cushinstown level, but a Joe Bolger score and a beautiful point from Lee Owley with the outside of his boot restored the two-point advantage before the break.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown got the perfect start to the second-half though when Nicky Sinnott found the back of the net.
Peadar Cody and Enda Doran played a one-two, before Cody picked out the run of Sinnott and he had the simple task of palming the ball beyond goalkeeper Darragh McKenna.
Robert Murphy then fisted the ball over the bar and the pendulum had firmly swung in Rathgarogue-Cushinstown’s favour as Nicky Sinnott slotted over three frees on the trot to stretch the advantage to 1-10 to 1-5.
Tara Rocks briefly rallied, scoring three of the next four points through Joe Bolger (two) and Noel Gallagher, with Enda Doran responding.
However, the wind was completely taken out of the sails of the Gorey District side on 53 minutes when Daire Bolger gathered a Bryan Cody delivery and finished to the net with aplomb.
Bernard Furlong and Paul Carton then exchanged points before Rathgarogue-Cushinstown went close to raising the green flag again in injury time, but Tadhg Cody’s shot was smothered by Darragh McKenna.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Johnny Kelly; Eoghan Whelan, Paudie McGrath, Patrick Murphy; Jason Dunne, Bryan Cody, Brian O’Neill; Matthew Cody (0-1), Bernard Furlong (capt., 0-2); Daire Bolger (1-0), Peadar Cody, Robert Murphy (0-1); Nicky Sinnott (1-5, 0-5 frees), Enda Doran (0-1), Aaron Ryan (0-2). Subs. - Daniel Martin Carroll for P. Cody, Tadhg Cody for R. Murphy, James Whelan for Sinnott, Neil Merrigan for Dunne, Brendan Fitzpatrick for Ryan.
Tara Rocks: Darragh McKenna; Damien Tobin, Tomás Owley, Paddy Carton; Paul Carton (0-1), Gary Owley, Martin Sheehan; Niall Breen (capt.), Brendan Hobbs (0-1); Lee Owley (0-1), Gearóid O Súilleabháin (1-0), Paddy Phelan; Rhys Owley, Joe Bolger (0-5, 3 frees), Noel Gallagher (0-1). Subs. - James Mordaunt for R. Owley, Shane Tobin for O Súilleabháin, Declan Breen for Sheehan.
Referee: Seamus Whelan (Oylegate-Glenbrien).