Sars stroll to title
Hosts Kilmore no match for town team
SARSFIELDS 8-11 KILMORE 1-8
SARSFIELDS STORMED to the Wexford District Under-21 football Roinn 1 championship title when they mercilessly dismantled the shell-shocked hosts in Kilmore on Saturday.
The Wexford town side continued in the same attacking vein that saw them score three goals in the final eight minutes in their semi-final win over St. Anne’s, and they quickly had the green flag waving again this time around when Jamie McDonnell collected a John Bridges handpass and stroked the ball to the net.
They then added their second major on eight minutes, with Pádraig Clancy coolly picking his spot to finish off a flowing move.
Sarsfields had goals in their sights almost every time they swept forward in packs, and John Gannon saw his effort saved in the twelfth minute.
They also showed they were more than capable of picking off points though, and two apiece from impressive duo Dylan Furlong and Eoin Roche helped them to a 2-4 to nil advantage, before Thomas Carley finally got Kilmore off the mark midway through the half with a good score.
The respite was shortlived for the home side, however, with Adam Carroll bagging Sarsfields’ third goal before the break.
Cathal Kirwan found the inrushing Eoin Roche and although his shot was blocked by Kilmore netminder David Bates, Carroll was on hand to slide in the rebound, helping his side to a 3-6 to 0-1 half-time advantage.
Kilmore enjoyed their best spell of the contest immediately after the interval, outscoring their opponents by 0-4 to 0-2 in the opening eight minutes of the half, with Thomas Byrne firing over a couple of booming efforts.
That good work was quickly undone though when the industri- ous Dylan Furlong burst through the defence at pace and planted the ball beyond the reach of the goalkeeper.
A youthful Sarsfields side sprang five substitutes from the bench in the second-half and they certainly made their mark with three of the new arrivals helping themselves to goals.
The first of the replacements to hit the net was Shane McGrath as he touched fellow substitute Stephen Cummins’ delivery over the line just moments after entering the fray. Cummins then applied the finish in the 52nd minute when he steered a Conor Halligan pass past goalkeeper David Bates.
Eoin Roche added the seventh goal for Sarsfields in the 56th minute when he made no mistake after linking up with Danny Walsh, and substitute Andrew Harrington finished off the ground two minutes later, with Walsh again providing the assist.
Thomas Byrne gave the Kilmore faithful something to smile about in injury time when he scored the goal of the game, unleashing a ferocious, dipping piledriver from over 30 yards that rippled the back of the net, but it did little to dampen Sarsfields’ spirits after a commanding display.
Sarsfields: Matthew Murphy; Conor Halligan (0-1), Liam Barry, Rian Carty; Jamie McDonnell (1-0), Fiach O Crualaoich, Shane Hall; Cathal Kirwan, Dylan Furlong (1-2); John Bridges (0-2 frees), Eoin Roche (1-3), Adam Carroll (1-0); John Gannon (capt.), Danny Walsh (0-2), Pádraig Clancy (1-0). Subs. - Stephen Cummins (1-0) for Carroll, Shane McGrath (1-0) for Clancy, Liam Kehoe for Barry, Darragh Goodison (0-1) for Gannon, Andrew Harrington (1-0) for Bridges.
Kilmore: David Bates; Conor Power, Eoin Cooney, Thomas Kinsella; John Maguire, William Carley (capt.), Craig Carroll; Thomas Byrne (1-5, 0-1 free), Nathan Bates; Conor Moore (0-2, 1 free), Seán Hogan, Cormac Bates; Liam Shannon, Thomas Carley (0-1), Jake Furlong. Subs. - Oisín McGee for Carroll, Darren Cousins for Furlong.
Referee: Stephen Burke (Volunteers).