Shamrocks see off Buffers Alley

A FINE second-half performance fired Shamrocks to an impressive ten-point victory over Buffers Alley in this Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship quarter-final at St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Saturday.

Both sides came into this game off the back of hurling defeats the previous weekend so one did not know what to expect. While they could not be separated through the opening 30 minutes, the Enniscorthy town side took the initiative on the resumption to run out worthy winners with a highly-impressive performance.

Buffers Alley had the ideal start with three points inside the opening four minutes through Paul O’Leary (two) and Paul Nangle, with Shamrocks having to wait until the seventh minute for their opening score, an Emmet Quirke point.

After the sides had exchanged points through Domhnall McArdle and a John O’Connor free, leaving the Alley leading by 0-4 to 0-2, the Shamrocks came ever so close to a goal but Emmet Quirke saw his shot rebound back into play off the crossbar.

While Buffers Alley were having the better of the exchanges, a penalty after 19 minutes resulting in a goal from Colin Sheehan eventually saw that the sides go in level (1-4 to 0-7) at the interval.

There was a lively start to the second-half as a Paul Doyle goal inside 30 seconds gave the Alley a three-point cushion, but that was as good as it was going to get.

They could only manage a further point for the remainder of the half, a Paul O’Leary effort one minute from the end, as the Shamrocks assumed total control, with James Carty and Seán Wildes taking a firm grip in midfield.

Nine minutes into the second-half Emmet Quirke finished a James Carty pass to the net, with their third goal arriving at the end of the third a quarter in the form of a second penalty from Sheehan, which gave them a 3-7 to 1-7 lead.

There was no way back for the Alley as the Shamrocks remained in total control for the remainder of the game.

Shamrocks: Thomas O’Brien; Ricky Murphy, Philip Freeman, Shane Larkin; Brandon O’Connor, Anthony Wallace, Podge Doyle (0-1); James Carty (0-2), Seán Wildes; John Kavanagh, Emmet Quirke (1-1), John O’Connor (0-5, 3 frees); Jack Moorehouse (0-1), Colin Sheehan (2-1, 2-0 pens.), Barry Dobbs (0-1). Subs. - Corey Breen for Murphy, Aaron O’Toole for Larkin, Dwayne Kelly for Quirke, Jack Carroll for Dobbs, Rhys Dunne for Sheehan.

Buffers Alley: Barry Turner; Ciarán Murphy, Willie Doran, Alan Doyle; Aaron Redmond, John Farrell, Shane Grannell (0-1); Seán Murphy, Domhnall McArdle (0-1); Ross Donohoe, Paul O’Leary (0-3), Tomás O’Leary; Paul Doyle (1-1, 0-1 free), Paul Nangle (0-1), Colm Og Doran (0-1). Subs. - Michael Sinnott for Grannell, John Furlong for Og Doran (black card), Simon Besanson for Redmond.

Referee: James Flood (St. Mary’s, Maudlintown).