Taghmon-Camross on top in New Ross
SEMI-FINALISTS in 2017, Taghmon-Camross have put in a hugely impressive season that culminated in claiming the Enniscorthy Farm Systems New Ross District Junior ‘B’ football championship title in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, on Saturday.
There’s nothing quite like disappointment to drive a team on, and the new champions have found a blend of youth and experience that has served them well on the way to this victory. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing in this contest.
They had to work hard for their glory against a stubborn Rathgarogue-Cushinstown side. Taghmon-Camross managed just one point in the first-half but they turned the screw after the break to win with a little to spare in a low-scoring contest.
On the contrary, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown will be bitterly disappointed with a second-half that saw them take 28 minutes to register.
It was in that time Taghmon-Camross did the bulk of the damage, scoring 2-6 of their overall total.
The losers did get good showings from Liam O’Shea, Paddy Barron, James Bolger and Colin Whelan, but it wasn’t enough in the end.
T.J. Codd scored the only point for the eventual champions in the first-half but they did kick several wides and saw a Peter Murphy shot come back off the crossbar.
James Bolger opened the Rathgarogue-Cushinstown account in the tenth minute and Brendan Fitzpatrick added another early in the second quarter.
However, when Paddy Barron’s ball over the top picked out Chris Kent on the run and he beat Tagh- mon-Camross ‘keeper Richard Stafford with the last bit of action of the period, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown had something to build on after the interval (1-2 to 0-1).
They never quite managed to achieve that. Shane Lacey netted in the 40th minute to get Taghmon-Camross right back into the contest. With Thomas Furlong and Darren Deery picking off points, they were soon in front.
The killer score came ten minutes from time when Laccy added his second major.
Eight points behind, substitute Neil Merrigan raised a white flag in the 58th minute and Shane Whelan converted from the penalty spot deep into added time but it was too little, too late.
Both sides now go on to the county quarter-finals with plenty still to play for in the coming weeks.
Taghmon-Camross: Richard Stafford; Stephen O’Keeffe, Brian O’Gorman, Declan Carroll; Thomas Banville, Jimmy Doran, Darragh Winters; Thomas Furlong (0-3), Peter Murphy; T.J. Codd (0-1), Robert Nolan, Pádraic O’Gorman; Shane Lacey (2-1), Darren Deery (capt., 0-2, 1 free), Mick O’Gorman. Subs. - Matthew Doyle for Winters, Kevin Shannon for M. O’Gorman, Pat Nolan for B. O’Gorman, Anto Roche for Furlong, Darren Colfer for R. Nolan, also Adrian Doyle, John Banville, Jim Carroll.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Seamus Burke; Colm Murphy, Francis O’Brien, Liam O’Shea; Eoin Whelan, Paudie McGrath, Liam Roche; Luke O’Connor, Ian Kennedy; Brendan Fitzpatrick (0-1), Chris Kent (1-0), Paddy Barron; Colin Whelan, James Bolger (0-1), James Whelan. Subs. - Eoin Burke for Fitzpatrick, Seán Kehoe for Roche, Neil Merrigan (0-1) for Bolger, Shane Whelan (1-0 pen.) for C. Whelan, Shane O’Connor for J. Whelan.
Referee: Michael Gannon (Horeswood).