Routine Cloughbawn win
CLOUGHBAWN 2-12 REALT NA MARA 1-7
FILE THIS one in the ‘routine’ cabinet for Cloughbawn, as they got in front early, built a comfortable lead and never looked like surrendering it in the Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship Group B in Hollymount on Saturday.
That’s two straight wins for the Castleboro side, and two victories while short on numbers as they again look to be one of the teams to beat in this season’s renewal. They had too much firepower for Réalt na Mara in this contest.
Bob Whitty had two early points on the board and was involved in the build-up with Colm Kehoe for the opening goal. The finish was dispatched by Connal Flood, high past Shane Quinn, giving the Réalt na Mara ‘keeper no chance.
The boys from Ballygarrett added points from Seamus Doyle and James Fleming as the half wore on but they were rare diamonds in the rough.
Otherwise Cloughbawn bossed things as Colm Kehoe, Whitty (three) and Harry Kehoe all registered as the half wore on to make it 1-7 to 0-2 at the interval.
The same trio were on target early in the second-half as the lead swelled to eleven. To their credit, Réalt na Mara refused to throw in the towel and, after Doyle goaled from Stephen Redmond’s pass, they started to close the gap.
The deficit was down to six (112 to 1-6) when Brian O’Connor pointed in the 53rd minute, but if they had any hopes of a dramatic comeback they were blown out of the water when Kyle Murphy collected Colm Kehoe’s long ball and coolly slotted past Quinn with five minutes left.
With the game all-but up, Cloughbawn were given one final test. Colm Kehoe was on the receiving end of a box to the solar plexus, a cowardly and unnecessary strike. Denying every urge in his body, Kehoe somehow held in the fury and didn’t retaliate.
Now, had he decked the culprit, Kehoe would have been dismissed and suspended.
This is a situation where players need protection. Referee Brendan Martin may have been blindsided but he had a neutral linesman, John O’Loughlin, closer to the action.
If there is no retribution dealt out by the officials it’s left up to the players to fight their own battles, and sooner or later that avenue is going to end in more than a black eye or a concussion.
Cloughbawn: Paul Foley; Daniel Dempsey, David Doyle-Murphy (joint capt.), Fionn Codd; Stephen Casserly, Gavin Murphy, Gareth Murphy; James Dempsey, Connal Flood (1-0); Harry Kehoe (0-2), Colm Kehoe (0-3, 1 free), Kyle Murphy (1-1); Bob Whitty (0-6, 4 frees), Brendan Coleman, Thomas Foley. Subs. - Aaron Byrne for Codd (31), Colin Murphy for Coleman (42), Codd for Whitty, inj. (51).
Réalt na Mara: Shane Quinn; Eddie Redmond, Darren Morris (0-1), Aidan Murphy; Stephen Redmond, Colm Kennelly, Eoin Corcoran; Seán O’Brien, Seamus Doyle (1-1); Brendan Corcoran, Brian O’Connor (0-1), Adam Fleming; James Fleming (0-1), Patrick Naughter (0-3 frees), Johnny Sinnott. Subs. - Cormac Moore-Kavanagh for Redmond, black card (30), Gavin Morris for A. Fleming (40), Fergus Lacey for O’Brien (40).
Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).