Murphy grabs hat-trick
DARYL MURPHY starred with three goals as he inspired Clongeen to a comfortable 15-point victory over Naomh Eanna in this one-sided All-County Football League Division 5 semi-final in Clongeen on Sunday.
While Naomh Eanna started smartly with an Eoin Conroy goal inside the opening minutes, they were unable to impose themselves on the home side who gradually hauled themselves back into the game with two points apiece from Liam Murphy and Martin Delaney.
And by the twelfth minute they were back level (0-5 to 1-2) after a Jamesie Rochford point.
Their rapid response to the concession of that early goal suggested they were about to take the initiative, and they managed to achieve this with their direct style of football.
When Liam Murphy goaled following a sweeping attacking move on 20 minutes, the home side led by 1-7 to 1-5, with Eoin Conroy and Willie Cullen points keeping the visitors in contention.
Clongeen were playing the smarter football with Daryl and Liam Murphy particularly prominent in attack, and points from Jamie O’Grady and midfielder Leon Stafford helped them to a 1-9 to 1-7 interval lead.
Although an Eoin Conroy point within a minute of the re-start gave brief hope of a Naomh Eanna recovery, Clongeen went on to assume total control as Leon Stafford and Richard Rochford grew dominant in midfield.
The first of Daryl Murphy’s three second-half goals arrived in the 33rd minute when he cut through the defence before firing past ‘keeper Barry Kinsella.
As a result of this breakthrough, Clongeen went on to dominate the remainder of the game, with Murphy going on to complete his hat-trick of goals with efforts on 48 and 53 minutes to send his side through to the final against Sarsfields.
Naomh Eanna could only manage two second-half points, with the second from a David O’Brien free, and the outcome was a foregone conclusion long before the final whistle.
The victory marked a welcome turnaround in fortunes for the Clongeen club after their first team lost the Division 3 semi-final to Castletown by a similarly big margin on Friday.
Clongeen: Ricky Rochford; Tommy O’Gorman (1-0), Donal Whelan, Jason Flood; Tom Donovan, Anton Stafford, Jamie Keating; Leon Stafford (0-1), Richard Rochford; Daryl Murphy (3-2), Liam Murphy (1-3), Martin Delaney (0-3); Jamesie Rochford (0-1 free), Jamie O’Grady (0-2), Garrett Mahon. Subs. - Joe Corish for L. Murphy, Laurence Murphy for Finn, Davy Whelan for Delaney.
Naomh Eanna: Barry Kinsella; John Doyle, Simon Doran, Evan O’Dwyer; Ciarán Sheridan, Michael Bernie, Eoin McGuckin; Stephen Byrne (0-1), Darren Cullen; Darragh Hughes, David O’Brien (0-3, 0-1 free), Seán Delaney (0-1); William Cullen (02), Eoin Conroy (1-2), John O’Brien. Subs. - John Lillis for McGuckin, Martin O’Donnell for Conroy, Patrick Dwyer for O’Dwyer, Larry Cullen for O’Brien.
Referee: Fintan Whyte (St.
James’).