Blackwater ensure safety
FIVE POINTS separated Blackwater and the Starlights in the Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group B tie in Oulart on Saturday.
In what was essentially a relegation semi-final, the seasiders triumphed to preserve their status.
The scoreline does not convey how one-sided this game was though, as Blackwater were by far the better team against a depleted Starlights who failed to register a score in the first-half.
Blackwater got off to a positive start and were ahead by 0-5 to nil after 15 minutes. During this period they were completely dominant, with scores from Richard Blake, Jake Nobbs and Dean Wright plus a couple from Conor Sutton.
Starlights did not look like scor- ing at all, and Blackwater further asserted their dominance in the 28th minute when corner-back Robert McGuinness rounded off a brilliant team move when he superbly found the top corner from a narrow angle.
At half-time Blackwater were in front by 1-8 to nil after a clinical display.
Things had to improve for the Starlights in the second-half, and they opened their account nine minutes in thanks to a point from corner-back Craig Foley.
This seemed to spark the Enniscorthy men into life and they hit 1-4 without reply in the next ten minutes thanks to points from Dale Galway (three) and substitute Anthony Murphy plus a fine goal from Jason Russell.
With ten minutes to play Blackwater’s lead had been reduced to five points and the most unlikely of comebacks looked on.
Blackwater did not panic however, and they tagged on points from Conor and Kerril Sutton to give themselves some breathing space.
By this stage Starlights had expended all of their energy into getting back into the game and they had no more to give, meaning Blackwater ran out easy winners to leave Starlights facing town rivals Shamrocks in the relegation final derby.
Blackwater: Aidan Whelan; Aaron Culleton, Shane Carroll, Robert McGuinness (1-0); Diarmuid Murphy, Paul O’Leary, Kevin Corrigan (0-1); Denis Carroll, Richard Blake (0-1); Jake Nobbs (0-1), Dean Wright (0-1), Michael Lillis; Conor Sutton (0-5 frees), Lar Lacey, Kerril Sutton (0-2). Sub. - Declan O’Leary for Lacey, inj. (37).
Starlights: Lee Murphy; Craig Foley (0-1), Joe Cullen, Michael Farrell; Ed Tobin, Tom Ryan, Wayne Breen; Jason Russell (1-0), Kevin Ryan; Dale Galway (0-3), Killian Lett, Brendan Kearney; Jack Doyle, Eoin Quigley, Pa O’ Rourke. Subs. - Nathan O’ Connor for Kearney (HT), Anthony Murphy (0-1) for O’Rourke (37).
Referee: Paul Browne (Clonee).