Martin’s look team to beat
Starlights on receiving end
ST. MARTIN’S 9-15 STARLIGHTS 0-4
ST. MARTIN’S met very little early resistance in their Greenstar Under-20 football Division 1A championship contest with Starlights in Piercestown on Wednesday.
In fairness to Starlights, they could have gone down the route of other sides and given a walkover.
They were significantly short of bodies, with just seven of the side which gave Glynn-Barntown a cracking game in the championship opener available for this tie.
However, they kept plugging away for the full 60 minutes and were more competitive the longer the game went on.
The scoreboard certainly doesn’t represent the effort they put in, although the gulf between these two was undoubtedly significant.
St. Martin’s will probably be the favourites for both the football and hurling championships as the knockout stages approach. The structure has been a massive problem for some clubs but it suits the Piercestown/Murrintown crew as they have been able to give ample game time to players that need it.
They had 3-3 on the board before Starlights opened their account with a classy Jack Doyle point.
Zac Firman and Adam Cantwell grabbed the first two majors before Conor Coleman netted his first of four in the 13th minute.
St. Martin’s had five different goalscorers on the board after Diarmuid Barry and Adam McLoughlin found their way past Colm O’Brien.
Anthony Larkin’s quiet, shortlived time in the full-forward line ended when he was drafted back into the goal, and within two minutes the county Minor was beaten when Coleman scored his second.
A Lee Jordan point for Starlights left them 6-6 to 0-2 down at the interval.
He scored the first point after the resumption too but Barry goaled again, while Liam Ó Lionáin, Zac Firman (two) and substitute Conor Stafford (two) all pointed as St. Martin’s eased ahead (7-11 to 0-3).
Coleman netted twice in a minute early in the final quarter and the hosts kicked four more points as they ended the round-robin stages with their second win in three games.
St. Martin’s: Brandon Dodd; Sam Audsley (0-1), Philip Dempsey, Jack Roche; Stephen Doyle, Eoin O’Leary, Paddy Gallagher; Ben Maddock (0-1), Adam Cantwell (1-1); Adam McLoughlin (1-0), Kyle Firman (0-1 free), Liam Ó Lionáin (0-2); Diarmuid Barry (2-1), Conor Coleman (capt., 4-1, 0-1 ‘45), Zac Firman (1-4). Subs. - Conor Kelly for Dempsey (22), Conor Devereux for Maddock (31), Shane Walsh for Doyle (33), James Mernagh for K. Firman (41), Conor Stafford (0-3) for Gallagher (41).
Starlights: Colm O’Brien; Mick Cullen, John Murphy, Evan Murphy; J.P. Farrell, Craig Foley (capt.), Jack Doyle (0-1); Seán Breen, Darren Fortune; Craig Peare, Anthony Murphy, William Doyle; Lee Jordan (0-3, 2 frees), Floyd Murphy, Anthony Larkin. Subs. - Bradley Fortune for O’Brien (22), O’Brien for Cullen (31), Cullen for D. Fortune (37).
Referee: Peter Shannon (Kilmore).