Kilrush canter to success
KILRUSH CANTERED to victory over Gusserane in their opening round clash in Group A of the Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship in St. Patrick’s Park on Sunday.
Just down from Intermediate ‘A’ and one of the favourites to win this competition and bounce straight back up, the Ballyroebuck boys took the game by the scruff of the neck in the early minutes and never let go.
While bad luck played a part, it’s a testament to the heart and desire of Gusserane that the Gorey District side didn’t win by more.
The victors had multiple glaring goal chances but their opponents threw bodies, legs, everything in the way to stay within touching distance.
Conor Levingstone and Colm Buttle both knocked over early points and Seán Kirwan tapped over a free-kick as their side moved 0-3 to nil ahead.
Levingstone came within the width of a post of doubling the advantage, but the lead did swell to five-nil at the end of the first quarter.
Gusserane had a much better second quarter. After Ciarán Conway got them on the scoreboard, they almost goaled when Jack Nolan saved from Jack Culleton.
Still, Seán O’Connor and Tom Foran points were enough to leave the deficit at five at the interval (0-8 to 0-3).
Levingstone and Kirwan added points early in the second-half, but Gusserane also had their chances, with Conway firing narrowly wide and Jamie Cooney sending a long-range effort off the crossbar.
Between the 33rd and 57th minutes there was just one point scored, a Keith O’Grady minor that left six between the sides (0-10 to 0-4). After a huge push to keep in touch, Gusserane did start to run out of legs in the final few minutes.
Both Billy and P.J. Nolan looked more likely to net than not, but Brian Hennessy made two excellent close-range saves.
When the latter was fouled on the way to goal there was nothing the ‘keeper could do about Seán Bookey’s penalty in added time that put the icing on a strong Kilrush showing.
Kilrush: Jack Nolan; Garrett O’Connor, Frank Lancaster, Jim Sharry; Peter O’Neill, James Lancaster (0-1), Tom Byrne; Shane Tomkins, Colm Buttle (capt., 0-1); Seán Bookey (1-0 pen.), James Byrne (0-1), Tom Kavanagh; Seán Kirwan (0-5, 2 frees), Conor Levingstone (0-3), Pádraig Byrne. Subs. - Billy Nolan for P. Byrne (43), David Travers for Kavanagh (46), Tommy Devereux for O’Neill (46), P.J. Nolan (0-1) for T. Byrne (53).
Gusserane: Brian Hennessy; Eoghan Foran, Cathal Somers, Donal Kinsella; Eoin Codd, Gary O’Grady, Dylan Ryan; Ciarán Conway (0-1), Mark Kehoe; Tom Foran (0-1), Keith O’Grady (0-1), Jack Culleton; James Redmond, Jamie Cooney (capt.), Seán O’Connor (0-1). Subs. - Thomas Ryan for E. Foran (33), Tom Breen for Codd (43), Evan O’Neill for Culleton (60+3).
Referee: Martin Armstrong (Starlights).