Ferns hold on after late Starlights burst
LONG-TIME pace-setters Ferns St. Aidan’s had a few anxious moments near the end in Bellefield on Saturday, but ultimately they got the victory their overall display deserved as home side Starlights lost out in the opening round of the Greenstar Under-20 football Premier championship.
The Gorey District side led by 0-5 to 0-1 at the break after having first use of the wind, and the addition of 1-2 without reply on the re-start left them in an even healthier position.
Their town rivals hadn’t scored for an incredible 41 minutes before Lee Jordan finally picked off their second point near the end of the third quarter.
And while they ultimately fell short, at least the hardy souls huddled close together for warmth in the pavilion on a bitterly-cold night were able to witness a lively finish.
The game was initially fixed for Ferns with an afternoon throw-in, but it was moved to 7.30 p.m. under the Bellefield floodlights, with the pitch in very good condition considering it had hosted a Junior camogie league final earlier in the day.
Ferns captain James Lawlor swapped points with Cian Hanley inside three minutes of the start, but Starlights didn’t register again before the break and missed two very scoreable frees close to half-time.
And while the visitors were dominant for long spells, they had to work hard for the four additional points that left them with an interval lead of 0-5 to 0-1.
The accurate left foot of Chris Turner accounted for a brace, with Niall Murphy and Ciarán Murphy (free) also on target, but their fifth score arrived in the 20th minute and they registered three of their six opening half wides afterwards.
They did create one decent goalscoring chance too near the end of the first quarter, after Shane Breen won an opposition kick-out and fed James Lawlor.
He in turn picked out Ciarán Murphy who tried to fist the ball to the net, but netminder Ciarán
Sheil denied him at the expense of a fruitless ’45.
While Ferns were facing the wind on the re-start, they carried the ball effectively early on and it led to points from Murphy (free) and Chris Turner.
Murphy had a shot on goal smothered in between, but the key score arrived in the 39th minute.
Wing-back Adrian Breen intercepted a stray attempted crossfield pass and fed James Lawlor, before Lee Quigley was released to blast to the net via a defender’s deflection (1-7 to 0-1).
That concession finally woke up the sluggish Starlights, and recent county Minor Lee Jordan ended their long barren spell before Cian Hanley’s goal attempt was kept out by the leg of Ferns netminder Liam Murphy.
A tetchy second-half yielded the grand total of 35 frees, 18 for the victors, and both teams lost key men as Rory Scallan departed on a black card before Oran Carty saw red for an off-the-ball strike on Steve Warren.
Hope appeared on the horizon for the hosts when Jack Kirwan’s lob into the square was fisted to the net by midfielder J.P. Farrell in the 58th minute (1-7 to 1-2).
Two Lee Jordan frees left Starlights seeking an equalising goal, but they never really looked like getting it before the arrival of an insurance point for Ferns – a venomous Lee Quigley shot that went over via the crossbar – 45 seconds before the eight added minutes concluded.
Ferns St. Aidan’s: Liam Murphy; Steve Warren, Patrick O’Hagan, Patrick O’Toole; Rob Murphy, Conor Scallan, Adrian Breen; Eoin Murphy, Rory Scallan; Lee Quigley (1-1), James Lawlor (capt., 0-1), Shane Breen; Niall Murphy (0-1), Chris Turner (0-3), Ciarán Murphy (0-2 frees). Subs. - Shane Stafford for R. Scallan, black card (49), Pádraig Kinsella for Warren, inj. (56), Byron Jordan for S. Breen, inj. (60+7).
Starlights: Ciarán Sheil; Jack Kirwan, Mick Delaney, Martin Ryan; Nathan O’Connor, Seán Breen, Craig Peare; J.P. Farrell (1-0), Craig Foley; Jack Doyle, Oran Carty, Anthony Larkin; Cian Hanley (0-1), Will Doyle, Lee Jordan (0-3, 2 frees). Subs. - Mikey McVeigh for W. Doyle (57), Bradley Fortune for Hanley (57).
Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).