Roche hits fine hat-trick
SHELMALIERS 4-8 NAOMH EANNA 2-7
A HAT-TRICK of neatly-taken goals from Kyle Roche assisted the Shelmaliers to a seven-point victory against slow-starting Naomh Eanna at parched Hollymount on Wednesday to leave the winners second in Division 1B of the Greenstar Under-20 football championship behind HWH-Bunclody.
After the long Leaving Cert. break, the home team hit the ground running, though Naomh Eanna could have taken the lead as early as the second minute when Evan O’Dwyer had a shot smartly save by Adam Howlin in the Shels goal.
By the time Charlie McGuckin hoofed the ball over Howlin’s bar to give the boys in green their opening score, 26 minutes had elapsed and they had given their opponents a lead which they never looked like surrendering.
The hosts began their assault with big Seán Keane-Carroll deployed as a battering ram bursting from deep up the middle, but it soon became apparent that best rewards were to be had by working the ball wide, especially up the right where there was excitement every time Roche took the ball in hand.
He notched his first goal on four minutes and kicked his second on 14 minutes after slick inter-play with Liam ‘Rocky’ Rockett and Ryan Hanrahan put him in position to beat ‘keeper Cillian Donohoe.
The pace-setters were ahead by 2-3 to 0-2 at the interval, a comfortable advantage in favour of the unit which had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, though Paddy O’Dwyer had struck the bar above Adam Howlin’s head so the scores could have been closer.
The introduction of Seán Stokes at half-time gingered up the Naomh Eanna attack, marking his arrival promptly with a goal, while McGuckin dropped deep to catch the eye as play-maker in chief for the boys in green.
However, they continued to be vulnerable at the back, as Roche completed his hat-trick with a beautifully disguised shot and Chris Cowman also found the net to leave a formidable ten-point gap at one stage midway through the second-half.
Only when the contest was effectively over did Gorey’s Jack Cullen find the accuracy which had eluded him up to then with a point kicked high and a goal drilled low to help close the gap to respectable proportions.
Shelmaliers: Adam Howlin; Jamie Furlong, Dan Campbell, Adam Hearne; Thomas O’Connor, Craig Parker (0-2, 1 free), Aaron Doyle; Seán Keane-Carroll, Chris Cowman (1-2); Ross Banville, Aaron O’Neill, Liam Rockett (0-1); Kyle Roche (3-2), Ryan Hanrahan (0-1), Adam Kelly. Subs. - Hugh Peter Manley for Keane-Carroll (48), Niall Hearne for Kelly (48), James Doyle for Hanrahan (48).
Naomh Eanna: Cillian Donohoe; Cian Kenny, Jack Cushe, Corey Meyler; Seán Dowling, Seamus O’Donnell, Nathan Byrne; Jack Cullen (1-1), Seán Delaney; Larry Cullen, Evan O’Dwyer, Jack Doran (0-1); Paddy O’Dwyer, Charlie McGuckin (0-3, 1 free), Aaron Byrne (0-1). Subs. - Darragh Canavan for P. O’Dwyer (30), Seán Stokes (1-1) for L. Cullen (30), Joseph Naughton for Kenny (42), Tom Cleary for N. Byrne (53), Eoghan Collins for A. Byrne (53).
Referee: Stephen Burke (Volunteers).