Martin’s win battle of the saints

ST. MARTIN’S second string battled their way to a worthy 1-9 to 1-5 win over St. Patrick’s in this low-quality Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship Group B clash played at a wet Monamolin on Saturday.

A thunderstorm before throw-in ensured that the surface was like an ice-rink and the ball like a bar of soap, and it made for stopstart action as a result.

Philip Waters aided Darren Jordan in kicking the opener on four minutes, while Adrian Ryan was the supplier as Diarmuid Barry doubled their tally soon after.

Wing-back Hughie Doyle took the initiative to lash onto Stephen Ryan’s looped handpass and open St. Patrick’s scoring after 17 minutes, while some more Ryan involvment led to Richie Flood flighting over a fine point four minutes later.

Seán Stafford then cashed in on some rare space to pop over St. Martin’s fourth point of the half, and it was a enough to give them a slender 0-4 to 0-3 lead at the change of ends.

Glen Carton converted a levelling free for the Camolin-based men three minutes into the new half before the game’s biggest talking point arrived.

Stafford and Barry had caused their fair share of problems on occasion, and when the duo linked up on 38 minutes, Stafford was grabbed by the collar in the process of finding the net.

Referee Mick Lanigan brought play back for a penalty though, which Jordan subsequently missed when he hit it straight down the middle for Jack Quinn to palm away.

Jordan made amends with the next two scores all the same, including an unintentional point when his delivery towards goal bounced over the bar.

St. Martin’s had the benefit of a stiff breeze blowing towards the scoreboard end by now, and top scorer Darren Jordan converted another free amid the latest shower to stretch the difference to 0-8 to 0-5.

Ben Stafford made it a two-score game five minutes from time, before Waters produced a clever drop-kicked goal from about 30 metres out.

Richie Flood responded when sliding in a consolation goal at the death, but it wasn’t enough to deny St. Martin’s a maiden victory in this campaign.

St. Martin’s: Nicky Greene; Donal Kelly, Sam Audsley, Adam McLoughlin: Adrian Ryan, Pádraig Rossiter, Johnny Hamilton; Conor Coleman (capt.), Darren Jordan (0-5, 4 frees); Ben Stafford (0-1), Richie Devereux, Diarmuid Byrne; Diarmuid Barry (0-1), Philip Waters (1-1), Seán Stafford (0-1). Subs. - Liam O Lionáin for Stafford (51), Leo Burke for Ryan (60+1).

St. Patrick’s: Jack Quinn; Glen Carton (0-2, 1 ‘45, 1 free), Michael O’Brien, Joe Cousins; Hughie Doyle (0-1), James Cousins, Tommy Morris; Peter Roche (joint capt.), Daryl Murphy (joint capt.); Tommy Dunne, Richie Flood (1-2), Stephen Ryan; Tomás Morris, Andrew Doyle, Niall O’Brien. Subs. - Damien Grannell for Roche (55), Ashley Tully for A. Doyle (56).

Referee: Mick Lanigan (Shelmaliers).