Bunclody made most of first-half wind advantage

HWH-BUNCLODY M’TOWN-C’RELL 3-9 1-7

THERE’S NOTHING like a bit of Junior football between neighbours on a bitterly cold afternoon to get the playing season under way, and that’s precisely what unfolded in Farmleigh on Saturday when HWH-Bunclody were comfortable winners over Marshalstown-Castledockrell in this EBS All-County League Division 5 encounter.

Back in 1990, my long-time colleague David Medcalf penned an end-of-year piece for the Wexford G.A.A. Yearbook, giving his first impressions of the Enniscorthy District scene after arriving in the area to work in June of that year.

He had high praise for the ‘wonderfully attractive, tree-lined’ ground at Farmleigh, ‘looking at its best in the evening summer sun’.

And it is, indeed, still a lovely setting for a game when the weather is fine, with the venue now boasting an impressive three pitches rather than just the one which was the case for David’s first visit.

However, it’s not quite as attractive a prospect for a visitor when the weather is bad, and even those durable trees couldn’t provide the shelter that would have been more than welcome as this season-opener unfolded.

It was played on the ‘back’ pitch, and referee Martin Quigley didn’t have anything of note to contend with in terms of applying the new rules in competitive fare for the first time.

HWH-Bunclody did finish with 14 men after Cathal Dunbar was dispatched to the sin-bin in the 54th minute, but nobody sought an offensive mark at any stage on a day when delivering accurate foot passes from outside the 45-metre line was easier said than done.

It was encouraging to see two Junior teams with large panels for a game at this early stage of the year, although on a selfish note, the unlimited substitutes rule is a godsend for mentors but a real pain for reporters.

The new faces were flying in from the sideline for both teams as the second-half progressed, with HWH-Bunclody fully in command by that stage and never looking in danger of defeat.

Referee Quigley did bring the game to a halt two minutes early according to my stopwatch, although I was probably the only person to realise and nobody was going to kick up a stink either way given the circumstances.

The dressing-room provided welcome refuge at that stage for the hardy protagonists, after the visitors had made ample use of first-half wind advantage to lead by 3-5 to 1-0 at the break.

It was blowing diagonally from right to left, but in the direction of the Scarawalsh-Ballycarney road, and HWH-Bunclody netted for the first time in the fifth minute when Barry Kehoe got the last touch after a strong approach by John McCormack.

This pair were very sharp in the full-forward line, while the strong runs made in support of his attack by centre-back John Atkinson also paid rich dividends.

McCormack made it 2-2 to nil from the penalty spot in the 13th minute after a foul on Mark Sheehan, still going strong 21 years after playing in the Leinster Minor final against Dublin.

The sole bright point of the opening half for Marshalstown-Castledockrell was Cathal Roche’s goal at the end of the first quarter, created by Ryan Quigley, but they went on to trail by 3-5 to 1-0 at the interval.

That third HWH-Bunclody major arrived in the 20th minute when John Atkinson burst forward and played a one-two before directing the ball beyond Jack White.

When Barry Kehoe pointed inside 70 seconds of the re-start, it was a sign that the leaders were going to be just as menacing playing into the elements.

And although Marshalstown-Castledockrell did outscore them by 0-7 to 0-4 in that second-half, with the hard-trying Cathal Roche and Michael Kinsella accounting for their best points, the gap was always wide enough for HWH-Bunclody to remain well in control.

They might not have scoredagain after impressive wing-back Paddy Dunbar split the posts in the 45th minute, but they were able to make a raft of changes without putting their victory prospects in jeopardy.

HWH-Bunclody: Craig Moules; Diarmuid Crean, James Moorhead, Tadhg Ó Ceallaigh; Steven Kavanagh, John Atkinson (1-0), Paddy Dunbar (0-1); Bryan O’Hara, James Taylor (capt.); Seán Taylor, Mark Sheehan (01), Cathal Dunbar; Simon Black, John McCormack (1-5, 1-0 pen., 0-1 free), Barry Kehoe (1-2). Subs. - Gerry Connors for S. Taylor (HT), Mylie Connors for Black (HT), Conor Thorpe for Crean (HT), Jamie Kavanagh for Moorhead (HT), Gearóid Roberts for Kavanagh (40), Barry Murphy for Kehoe (43), Ger Cowman for McCormack (48), Mike Cash for Sheehan (52), Thos. O’Neill for Ó Ceallaigh (52), P.J. Murphy for Atkinson (52), Bobby McKeown for Moules (52), Seán Hogan for J. Taylor (55). Sin-bin: Cathal Dunbar (54).

Marshalstown-Castledockrell: Jack White; Jack Quigley, David O’Connor, P.J. O’Brien; Ken Doyle, Colm Bennett, David Kinsella; Eoin Bennett (0-1), Seán McLoughlin; Mark Morris (0-2 frees), Joe Kelly (capt.), Cathal Roche (1-1); Ryan Quigley, Michael Kinsella (0-1), Tom Lambert. Subs. - Richard Ormonde for Lambert (39), Tom Bennett for D. Kinsella (39), James Finn for McLoughlin (39), Danny Byrne (0-1) for R. Quigley (47), Eoin Ryan for J. Quigley (48), Colm Quigley (0-1 free) for Morris (52), Mark Brennan for O’Connor (52), Mark Quigley.

Referee: Martin Quigley (Rathnure).