Martin’s coast through derby
Sars ship second big loss
ST. MARTIN’S 1-18 SARSFIELDS 1-8
PLAYING TWO Tom Doyle Supplies Senior football championship matches in April has proved a worthwhile exercise for St. Martin’s, with this Group A victory over Sarsfields in Hollymount on Friday enough to set them up for another crack at the title later in the summer.
This ended with a ten-point win and that’s probably a fair reflection on the game as a whole. In truth, the Piercestown-based side were able to ease right off in the second-half, let their opponents edge closer but respond with important scores when they were needed.
Their play between the fifth and 25th minutes was exceptional. They scored twelve points in those 20 minutes and one never felt like they needed to push too hard on the accelerator. It was controlled and clinical efficiency and nothing looked too difficult.
This is not the type of contest that’s going to define St. Martin’s, as that will be saved for the knockout stages when the chips are down. What might benefit them is that, considering Starlights’ form, nobody is likely to put them forward as championship favourites, a tag they have carried heavily in recent years.
Despite the fact their opponents didn’t have to over-extend to take the win, there was still shoots of promise for Sarsfields. It has to be a plus that they now have a squad of players that want to play for them, want to succeed and to improve.
They continue to blood their youth and getting games at this level is only going to help those lads play catch-up. It’s going to be difficult to pick up wins in this group but maybe they’ll only need one to avoid a relegation play-off.
Sarsfields showed enough to suggest they could get that win. They need to work on keeping it tight defensively, but at the other end the St. Martin’s rearguard got a real test from Eoin Roche and Philip Cullen.
The former was the focal point for the attack. It’s a job the missing Lee Chin had previously possessed but Roche proved against a stellar performer in Aaron Maddock that he has all the attributes to give any defender in the county a tough battle.
Sarsfields actually started with a couple of Cullen frees before St. Martin’s notched nine points in a row. Jamie Carty scored three of those but missed a great goal chance, as did Jack Devereux, as Eoin Healy showed his prowess between the sticks.
Again Roche was exceptional in breaking away from the St. Martin’s defence in the 18th minute. He released Cullen into the clear and the experienced forward made no mistake with a classy finish past Luke White.
Carty had five on the board and Philip Dempsey ended the first-half scoring with his point in added-time. The score gave St. Martin’s a six-point lead (0-13 to 1-4), which felt light considering their overall superiority.
Sarsfields missed a decent chance to net again when White saved from Cullen after Roche, and a defensive slip, saw him break through on goal.
Despite a couple of Lyng points, the Páirc Charman side closed the gap to four by the 46th minute with Roche, John Bridges (twice) and Conall Clancy all on target.
Any hopes of an upset were ended when Daithí Waters played a give and go with Kyle Firman. He collected the return pass, drove towards goal, was taken down for a penalty and Ciarán Lyng stepped up to coolly fire home from the spot.
From that moment on it was time for St. Martin’s to coast to the finish line. Firman scored himself in the 52nd minute to make it 1-16 to 1-8, and in doing so he became the ninth different marksman for the victors.
Sarsfields didn’t score in the final 14 minutes, with all the air sucked out of their lungs by the Lyng major.
With two losses from two, they will need to targets points from their next couple of games against St. Anne’s and Fethard, with Castletown to close out the round-robin stages.
St. Martin’s: Luke White; Philip Dempsey (0-1), Joe O’Connor, Eoin O’Leary; Conor Firman (0-1), Aaron Maddock (capt., 0-1), Ryan Murphy; Daithí Waters (0-1 free), Ben Maddock; Adam Cantwell, Ciarán Lyng (1-5, 0-4 frees, 1-0 pen.), Jake Firman (0-1); Jack Devereux, Jamie Carty (0-6, 2 frees), Peter Barry (0-1). Subs. - Harry O’Connor for Murphy, inj. (30), Kyle Firman (0-1) for Cantwell, Cantwell for C. Firman, inj. (54).
Sarsfields: Eoin Healy; Tomás Campbell, Michael Hanrahan (capt.), Fiach Ó Crualaoich; Shane Hall, Con Ó Donnagáin, Colm Browne; David Mooney, Eoin Roche (0-2); John Bridges (0-2, 1 free), Seán Ó Corcora, Dean Walsh; Philip Cullen (1-3, 0-3 frees), David Gouldson, Brendan Mulligan. Subs. - Conor Halligan for Ó Crualaoich, black card (16), Conall Clancy (0-1) for Walsh (31), Adam Dempsey for Gouldson, inj. (40), Ryan Furlong for Bridges (52).
Referee: David Jenkins (Gusserane).