SWEET SUCCESS!
St Patrick’s see off Askamore in Junior district decider
ST PATRICK’S 1-12 ASKAMORE 1-7
ST PATRICK’S threw out the form book in the Permanent TSB Gorey District Junior B Hurling Championship final as they battled past Askamore in Ballyroebuck on Sunday evening last.
The home side were unbeaten in their group games, including two wins against their final opponents, but there was no doubt about who were the better team throughout this district decider.
The Pat’s played against the breeze in the first half and at no stage did they look like underdogs. They were more dynamic in attack and closed down the avenues at the back with rugged, powerful defending.
Darragh Kinsella opened the scoring with a 2nd minute free for Askamore but the lively Damien Grannell responded at the other end.
Some of referee Pat Owley’s decision were nothing short of bizarre and one of those helped Paul McDonald put the visitors ahead.
Another dead-ball increased the advantage to two but a pair from Kinsella at the other end levelled the game for the second time.
Dave Kenny flicked Pat’s back ahead before his captain Kyle Byrne took a crushing strike in the midriff that warranted a card but brought not even a talking to.
After Grannell and McDonald pointed the Ballyoughter boys looked to be in great shape, leading 0-6 to 0-4 after 23 minutes.
However, Eoin Carton did superbly well to partially block Conor Morris and when Kinsella knocked the ball back into his path the full-forward pulled to the net.
The least St Pat’s deserved at the break was parity and they got it when McDonald tied the game shortly before the interval whistle (0-7 to 1-4). Kinsella put his side ahead for the final time moments after the restart and they held it for eleven minutes.
However, when McDonald converted another soft free it started a purple patch that proved critical to the end result.
Enda Murphy drilled a superb point, the dead-ball specialist hit the target again and Niall O’Brien pointed (0-11 to 1-5).
After John Harte responded, Mark Furlong did enough on the edge of the square to ensure that McDonald’s laser line-ball evaded a crowded goalline and found the rigging.
Grannell increased the lead to six and despite a few moments of mayhem in the goalmouth in added-time, St Pat’s held on to advance to the county semi-final.
ST PATRICK’S: Conor Morris; Parash Flynn, John Cousins, David Graham; Lorcan Hamilton, Kyle Byrne (capt.), Enda Murphy (0-1); Dave Kenny (0-1), Mikey Byrne; Damien Grannell (0-3), Mark Furlong, Ian Maguire; Paul McDonald (1-6, 0-6 free, 1-0 lineball), Niall O’Brien (0-1), John Morris. Subs. - Kayman Flynn for J. Morris (38), Ger Gahan for Furlong, inj (49), J. Morris for Maguire (60).
ASKAMORE: David Owens; Liam O’Rourke, Raymond Lancaster, Padge Moynihan; Eugene Sheridan, Colm Buttle (capt.), Ciaran Lancaster; Sean Foley (0-1), John Kavanagh; Eoin Murphy, John Harte (0-1), Jamie Quinn; Darragh Kinsella (0-5, 4 frees), Eoin Carton (1-0), Conor Byrne. Subs. - Jamie Murphy for E. Murphy (51), John Donohoe for Byrne (51).
REFEREE: Pat Owley (Tara Rocks)