Rosslare ensure a very safe passage
ST. MARY’S (R’LARE) TARA ROCKS 1-16 0-9 ST. MARY’S (Rosslare) ensured their passage to the quarter-finals of the Junior hurling championship with a comprehensive Group B win over table-toppers Tara Rocks at Monamolin on Saturday.
Having won four games from four, the Gorey District men were already through before this clash but were without injured brothers Colin and Niall Breen whose loss was clearly felt.
Nevertheless, this was a more than competent display from St. Mary’s who themselves needed a win to keep alive their championship hopes.
Free-taker Paul Kinsella and Robert Butler were prominent throughout for St. Mary’s and helped to ease them into an 8-3 lead after 25 minutes. Trained by former Wexford player Stephen Doyle, Tara Rocks only managed three points from play over the hour.
They did stay in contention until almost the final quarter but Rosslare - who had Redmond Barry in their management team - stepped up a gear, notching five points in a row between the 43rd and 52nd minutes.
Oscar Pitt then showed he still has the goal-poaching knack, burying an opportunist effort to the Tara Rocks net not long after entering the fray.
The losers did hit a couple of late consolation points but will be quickly erasing this game from the memory banks ahead of the knockout stages.
St. Mary’s (Rosslare): Niall Walsh; Emmett Byrne, Conor Cafferkey, Stephen Cogley; Ned Power, David Murphy, Larry Morrissey (0-1); Tiarnan Rossiter, Gearóid Byrne; Peter Carr, Robert Butler (0-3), Andrew Murphy; Ian Kavanagh, Paul Kinsella (0-10, 7 frees, 1 ’65), Ultan Quirke (0-2). Subs. - Richard Bent for A. Murphy, Oscar Pitt (1-0) for Kavanagh, Derek Brohan for Morrissey.
Tara Rocks: Lee Owley; Damien Tobin, Gary Owley, Shane Tobin; Martin Sheehan, Tomás Owley, Liam Fitzpatrick; Declan Breen (0-6, 5 frees, 1 ’65), Gearóid O Súilleabháin; Craig Kenny (0-1), Brendan Hobbs (0-1), Paddy Phelan; Joe Bolger (0-1), Patrick Fortune, Wayne Farrell. Sub. - Richie McDonald for Kenny.
Referee: Paddy Brady (Ballygarrett).