Alley enhance survival hopes
BUFFERS ALLEY M’TOWN-C’RELL 5-9 2-13 BUFFERS ALLEY did their Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football Championship survival hopes the world of good with a Group B victory over Marshalstown-Castledockrell in Monageer on Friday, writes Dean Goodison.
Paul Nangle was the Alley hero with a hat-trick of goals to lift his club into fifth place in the table with one game remaining. Marshalstown-Castledockrell must now beat Castletown in their final game to give themselves any hope of avoiding a relegation final.
The Farmleigh side started the game in the ascendancy, kicking two points through Michael Kehoe, as well as flashing three wides. However, Buffers Alley slowly got themselves into the game and took the lead when Nangle lashed home a spot-kick after an Aaron Redmond shot was foot-blocked.
Marshalstown-Castledockrell went ahead again when Frank Kelly thumped home a penalty after John Kinsella was fouled, the offence occuring during a move that saw him crack the post. It wasn’t enough to give them an interval lead as Michael Sinnott sent Nangle away and the full-forward drilled home to make it 2-3 to 1-5.
Nangle’s third, four minutes after the resumption, was followed seven minutes later by Paul O’Leary’s well-taken major. The game was pretty much up when Aaron Redmond’s long-range pot shot beat Joe Swaine to give his side a 5-8 to 1-10 advantage.
Marshalstown-Castledockrell kept plugging away and scored the goal of the evening, a Michael Morris rocket to the top corner, in added-time. The actual margin of victory was five, although it seems referee Pádraig Byrne awarded the Alley one of their opponents’ points on a poor evening all round for an official who left a player, who threw several punches right in front of him, on the field.
Buffers Alley: Keith Burke; Laurence Gahan, Willie Doran, Alan Doyle; Aaron Redmond (1-0), Kevin Roche, Ross Donohoe; Shane Grannell, Seán Murphy (0-1); Michael Sinnott (0-1), Paul O’Leary (1-1), Darren O’Brien (0-1); Paul Doyle (0-4, 2 frees), Paul Nangle (3-1, 1-0 pen.), Ed Doyle. Subs. - Barry Turner for E. Doyle (39), Walter Gahan for Nangle (57), Doyle for Murphy, inj. (59), Murphy for Gahan, inj. (60+5).
Marshalstown-Castledockrell: Joe Swaine; Tom Bennett, Michael Kinsella, Richard Ormonde; Joe Kelly, John Frayne, Mark Kehoe; Mick Kelly, Micheál Bennett; Michael Kehoe (0-8, 4 frees), Frank Kelly (1-4, 1-0 pen.), Adam Harte; Mark Brennan, John Kinsella, James Finn (0-1). Subs. - Kevin Rellis for J. Kelly, inj. (33), Michael Morris (1-0) for Mark Kehoe, inj. (55).
Referee: Pádraig Byrne (Kilanerin).