Rosslare shade it
Hayes goal key as Blackwater beaten
ST. MARY’S (R’LARE) 3-10
BLACKWATER 3-8
A DARRAGH Hayes goal midway through the second-half proved the decisive score as it helped St. Mary’s (Rosslare) to a hard-earned but deserved two-point victory over Blackwater in this excellent Gorey Guardian Under-15 football Roinn 2 championship final in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Sunday.
Very little separated the sides through the 60 minutes, but the extra fire power in the St. Mary’s attack proved the eventual difference.
Their central attacking pair of Kyle Clarke and Tadhg Brohan were particularly clinical in front of goal, while captain Ben Power was outstanding in midfield, winning an amount of possession and utilising the ball to the advantage of his attack.
Having found themselves five points adrift at the interval, a determined Blackwater opened the second-half with an increased tempo to their game.
They played some excellent football through the opening ten minutes on the resumption, reducing the deficit to one point (2-7 to 2-6) after Jamie Lambert had fired home an excellent 34th-minute goal.
The Rosslare boys went on to regain the initiative and held a twopoint lead going into the closing minutes, but they had to withstand some late pressure.
And it took a Danny Howlin goal-line clearance in the closing seconds to keep their advantage intact, leaving captain Ben Power to accept the Monsignor Roche Cup.
Blackwater full-forward James Whelan opened the scoring with a first-minute point. After Kyle Clarke and Tadhg Brohan had got St. Mary’s off the mark, they got a huge break on eleven minutes when midfielder Ben Power moved forward to collect a Brohan pass and finish excellently to the net, leaving his side leading by 1-2 to 0-1.
While Blackwater were continuing to impress outfield, they were finding scoring difficult until Jamie Lambert set up James Whelan for a 17th-minute goal to bring the sides level (1-2 each).
As the sides traded points, St. Mary’s excellent attacker, Tadhg Brohan, found himself in space to beat ‘keeper Nathan Moran with a shot to the corner of the net, setting his side up for a 2-6 to 1-4 interval lead.
Blackwater started the second-half in explosive fashion. Midfielder Rian Sammon kicked over a long-range point after three minutes, while one minute later Jamie Lambert got on the end of a sweeping move to finish to the net.
After 35 minutes Joseph Rossiter pointed the sides level (2-6 each).
Six minutes into the second-half, St. Mary’s managed to lift the early siege when Tadhg Brohan pointed a 30-metre free.
And the crucial breakthrough arrived after 43 minutes when Darragh Hayes won possession out to the right of goal and created space before firing a great shot from twelve metres across ‘keeper Nathan Moran into the opposite corner of the net, leaving his side leading by 3-7 to 2-6.
Full-forward James Whelan pulled a point back for Blackwater, but with the Mary’s now playing with great composure, they responded with points from David O’Rourke and Tadhg Brohan to lead by 3-9 to 2-7 with nine minutes remaining.
Blackwater, striving to get back into contention, got the breakthrough their battling play deserved when centre-back Eugene Clarke moved forward, picked up a Ciarán Cash ball into the centre, and made ground to finish low to the net seven minutes from the end.
With four minutes left a Joe Rossiter point left the minimum separating the sides, but as the game moved into additional time,
St. Mary’s lifted the siege on their goal as Kyle Clarke broke forward to kick an excellent point, giving his side a two-point win which they thoroughly deserved.
St. Mary’s: Eoghan Byrne; Shane Fortune, Danny Howlin, Dean Goodwin; Darragh Hayes (1-1), Tadhg Hayes, Garvan Woodcock; Ben Power (1-1), Ciarán Woodcock; Adam Lambert, Kyle Clarke (0-2), David O’Rourke (0-1); William Ling, Tadhg Brohan (1-5, 0-1 free), Robbie Osman. Subs. - Kyle Sinnott for Ling, Conor Murphy for Osman, Rory Donohoe for Fortune, also Eoin Martin, Shea Ryan, Diarmuid Roche, Adam Murphy, Robbie Byrne, Seán Cullen, Ciarán Byrne, Charlie O’Hagan.
Blackwater: Nathan Moran; Seán O’Brien, Adam O’Connor, Ultan O’Reilly; Ronan Malanowski, Eugene Clarke (1-0), Aidan Malanowski; Ciarán Cash (0-2, 1 free), Rian Sammon (0-2); Jay Mooney, Joseph Rossiter (0-2), Jamie Lambert (1-0); Caolan Sammon, James Whelan (1-2), Denis Dempsey. Subs. - Tristan Cash, Darragh Byrne, Barry Whelan, Ciarán Byrne, Callum Mooney, Callum Corrigan, Cillian Murphy.
Referee: Matty Kinnaird (Starlights).