Kilanerin forge solid win
KILANERIN 2-15 OYLEGATE-GLENBRIEN 1-6
SOME FINE score-taking in rather tricky conditions saw home side Kilanerin keep Oylegate-Glenbrien at arm’s length in Wednesday’s Greenstar Under-20 football championship Division 2B tie played at a drizzly Kilanerin.
With both sides on two points beforehand, final placing in the group, and a more favourable quarter-final draw to boot, was the prize on offer, and the hosts grasped the opportunity with both hands.
Rather peculiarly, Kilanerin wing-back Robert Murphy finished as the game’s joint top scorer with five points, including four frees, all kicked in the second-half.
He took over that important duty when Seán Forde departed injured four minutes into the new half, by which stage Oylegate-Glenbrien looked to be staging a comeback as a goal from substitute Tommy O’Rourke helped to reduce the gap to 1-7 to 1-3 immediately after the re-start.
Forde had been prominent in Kilanerin opening up some daylight at the break, and stylishly swept home their first goal on ten minutes after some good work from equally effective team-mate Paudie Hughes in claiming a kick-out.
Hughes’ midfield partner, Seán Bardon, kicked a point after a path direct to goal had briefly opened up for him, while full-forward Conor Hughes tagged on a nice brace as the difference stood at 1-7 to 0-3 at interval.
The Enniscorthy District lads enjoyed an ideal start to the new half when O’Rourke prodded to the net after the ball spilled his way.
They failed to build on that green flag though, instead seeing a couple more goal opportunities flounder, and only adding three more points to their total before the end.
In contrast, Kilanerin responded with clinical efficiency, Murphy converting two frees and Ben O’Connor lofting a point from play, while Andrew Murphy swept low to the net on 39 minutes to increase their lead to 2-10 to 1-3.
And only two players accounted for Kilanerin’s last five points, with a hat-trick from Murphy (two frees) supplementing a brace from Conor Hughes to bring his own personal total to five as well.
Kilanerin: Kyle Ryan; Liam McCarthy, Eoin Doyle, Donnchadh McDonald; Cathal O’Reilly, Jim Kenny, Robert Murphy (0-5, 4 frees); Paudie Hughes, Seán Bardon (0-1); Ben O’Connor (02), Seán Forde (1-1, 0-1 free), Andrew Murphy (1-0); Luke Devitt, Conor Hughes (0-5), Stephen Mordaunt (01). Subs. - Stephen Neville for Forde, inj. (34), Dylan Holahan for Devitt (51).
Oylegate-Glenbrien: Peter Rowley; Ryan Hill, Niall Parker, Conor Nolan; Gary Conroy, Lee Kehoe (0-1), Jack Reck; Eoghan Herlihy, Evan Kelly; Fiachra Hourihane, Pierce Murphy, Richard Murphy (0-1); Joe Dunne (0-3 frees), Adam Shanahan, Barry Doyle (0-1). Subs. - Tommy O’Rourke (1-0) for Shanahan (HT), Adam Gethings for Conroy (HT), Kevin Cosgrave for Hourihane (47).
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater).