Forde as accurate as ever
KILANERIN CLONGEEN 2-15 2-3 KILANERIN CEMENTED their position as front-runners for the Ashdown Park/Amber Springs Hotels Intermediate football championship crown win a comprehensive dismantling of Clongeen in their Group A clash at Bellefield on Saturday.
The north county men were 0-10 to no score to the good with the game in injury time at the end of the first-half, with a Paul Curtis goal in time added on sparing Clongeen blushes as they managed to get something on the board before the sides switched ends.
Matty Forde gave a virtuoso exhibition of score-taking in the opening half, contributing seven points from frees and play as Clongeen were simply cut to shreds.
Forde slotted over the first three points from placed balls, before quickfire scores from Bobby Hughes and Gavin O’Toole stretched the lead to five on 15 minutes.
Forde then registered his first from play on 17 minutes and he was at it again moments later, effortlessly splitting the posts with a booming, long-range free.
Jim Hughes then got in on the act, before two more points from Forde gave the Gorey District side a ten-point advantage, the second one a real beauty that he curled over from near the left sideline.
The game already looked over as a contest, but Paul Curtis did give Clongeen some hope to cling to when he raised the green flag in first-half injury time.
Paudie Cullen’s attempt at a point fell short and Curtis pounced on a defensive mix-up and fired the ball to the back of the net.
However, that three-pointer was quickly wiped out when Denis Jones arrowed the ball past goalkeeper Ricky Rochford within two minutes of the re-start.
Clongeen did manage to tag on the next two points through Paudie Cullen and Paul Curtis but midway through the half Danny Boland completely took the wind out of their sails when he finished off a flowing move with a goal.
Kilanerin were in complete control at this stage and were picking off points almost at will, with Dean O’Toole (two), Colm Kavanagh and Mark Boland all splitting the posts, before Clongeen fortuitously grabbed their second goal when Leon Stafford floated in a delivery from 50 yards out and it somehow found its way to the net.
Paul Curtis and Matty Forde (free) then swapped points as Kilanerin made it four wins from four, while Clongeen still have matters in their own hands and have to pick themselves up for a crucial clash against Ballyhogue in less than two weeks’ time.
Kilanerin: Tom Hughes; Aidan Jones, Colm Kavanagh (0-1), Brian Hughes; Danny Boland (1-0), Richard Hughes, Killian O’Toole; Jim Hughes (0-1), Mark Gethings; Gavin O’Toole (0-1), Matty Forde (0-8, 5 frees), Denis Jones (1-0); Dean O’Toole (0-2), Mark Boland (0-1), Bobby Hughes (0-1). Subs. - Damien Whelan for R. Hughes, Peter Hughes for G. O’Toole.
Clongeen: Ricky Rochford; Stephen Curtis, Paudie Cahill, Donal Whelan; Barry Foxe, Enda Murphy, Anton Stafford; Paudie Cullen (0-1 free), Cathal Murphy; Paul Curtis (1-2), Emmet Kent, Leon Stafford (1-0); Ger Foxe, Robert O’Farrell, Jamesie Rochford. Sub. - Lorcan Kent for Murphy.
Referee: Kevin Carty (Sarsfields).