Rathnure’s second win
RATHNURE 2-16 MONAGEER-B’VOGUE 1-16
A RUN of three points in less than 60 seconds on the 51-minute mark proved crucial in edging Rathnure to a hard-earned victory over fellow first round winners Monageer-Boolavogue in this Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship Group B game in Oylegate on Sunday.
The black and ambers were clinging to a 2-10 to 1-12 lead and the outcome was still in the balance when Stephen Martin marked his move from defence to attack with a brace of points, and Mark Boland added one for good measure.
All of a sudden a gap of four points had been opened up and, although Monageer-Boolavogue whittled it down to two on three occasions through the accuracy of free-taker Peter Mernagh, Rathnure always had an answer.
Brendan O’Leary, Syl Barron (free) and James Flynn added the last three scores for the victors, but they did live dangerously in the 58th minute when Colm O’Loughlin had a couple of goal attempts blocked.
Cameron O’Leary had forced Niall Finn into a fine save in the tenth minute, but Rathnure did grab a goal with the first touch of blood substitute Nigel Higgins at the start of the second quarter.
He was on the field a matter of seconds after Alan Ronan sustained a head wound when his long-range shot ended in the net, with Mark Boland’s presence upsetting netminder Finn (1-3 to 0-2).
Monageer-Boolavogue took over for a spell despite that setback, outscoring their rivals by 1-5 to 0-1 with centre-forward Brian O’Loughlin in sharpshooting form.
The goal was a fine first-time effort by James Sweeney when a Peter Mernagh delivery hopped invitingly into his path in the 25th minute, but the lift that gave his team was immediately wiped out when Fran Murphy netted at the other end just 45 seconds later.
Mernagh’s sole point from play left Monageer-Boolavogue ahead at half-time by 1-8 to 2-4, and the gap between the sides was never higher than two in a tight contest until those scores from Stephen Martin (two) and Mark Boland gave Rathnure the daylight they needed to push on and claim victory.
Rathnure: Seán Nolan (capt.); Philip Redmond, Teddy O’Connor, Stephen Martin (0-2); Ben Ronan (01), Alan Ronan (0-1), Seán O’Neill; Syl Barron (0-5, 3 frees, 2 ’65s), Cameron O’Leary; Aodhán Foley, Fran Murphy (1-0), Michael Martin (0-3); Mark Boland (0-1), Brendan O’Leary (0-2), James Flynn (0-1). Sub. - Nigel Higgins (1-0) for A. Ronan, temp. (15-25).
Monageer-Boolavogue: Niall Finn; Ray O’Brien, Tomás O’Leary, Lee McHale; Shane Kehoe, Paddy Breen, Arran Breslin; Ger Daly, Peter Mernagh (0-10, 9 frees); Mark Walsh (0-1), Brian O’Loughlin (capt., 0-5), Dean Fenlon; James Sweeney (1-0), Colm O’Loughlin, James Donohoe. Subs. - Colin Hawkins for Breslin, inj. (14), Breslin for Hawkins (HT), Hawkins for Daly, inj. (50), John O’Loughlin for Breslin (60+1).
Referee: Philip Murphy (Faythe Harriers).