Russell puts ’Rocks down

STARLIGHTS SHAMROCKS 1-11 2-7

A JASON Russell punched point four minutes into injury time gave Starlights a lifeline with a narrow victory over town rivals, Shamrocks, in this Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship relegation final in St. Patrick’s Park on Friday.

It was a sweet late strike from the veteran Russell that saw the Bellefield crew preserve their status, while at the same juncture it left their Templeshannon rivals devastated as they lost their status with the final play of the game.

Four minutes into additional time, Starlights were awarded a free in midfield.

Lee Murphy saw his point attempt rebound off the crossbar with the assistance of ’keeper Tom O’Brien, but Russell got his fist to the high bouncing ball to deflect it over the bar for the crucial winning score, with referee Seamus Whelan calling full-time on the kick-out.

As Starlights piled the woe on their arch town rivals, they should never have found themselves in this position.

Entering the final quarter they held a six-point cushion, but somehow they allowed the lead to slip.

Shamrocks, once they got back into contention, missed out on a number of crucial chances, as they blazed wide from scoreable positions, and that later came back to haunt them.

Starlights opened impressively with Lee Murphy kicking over three points, one from a free, inside the opening seven minutes, with Shamrocks having to wait until the ninth minute for their opening score, a Colin Sheehan pointed free.

While Sheehan and Kyle Foley points kept the ‘Rocks in contention, the accuracy of Murphy along with Pa O’Rourke helped the Starlights to an 0-8 to 0-4 interval lead.

Starlights looked as if they had secured the result when, within two minutes of the re-start, O’Rourke was put through by Lee Murphy and finished to the corner of the net, extending his side’s lead to 1-8 to 0-4.

Within two minutes Shamrocks gave themselves a real boost when substitute Jack Carroll goaled, although the Starlights still looked comfortable when they led by 1-10 to 1-4 entering the final quarter.

Five minutes from the finish Carroll went on a mazy run and somehow from an acute angle close to the endline managed to find the opposite corner of the net.

When a Colin Sheehan pointed free with two minutes to go had the sides level (1-10 to 2-7), it led to a tense finish before Russell held his nerve to snatch the winningpoint.

It was a second successive relegation for Shamrocks, after dropping down from Intermediate ‘A’ last season.

Starlights: Tom Ryan; Declan Courtney, Ryan Hadley, Joe Cullen; Eoin Quigley, Nathan O’Connor, Wayne Breen; Jason Russell (0-1), Kevin Ryan; Dale Galway, Killian Lett, Willie Hudson; Lee Murphy (08, 6 frees), Pa O’Rourke (1-1), Craig Foley (0-1). Subs. - Garry Murphy for K. Ryan, Ryan for O’Rourke.

Shamrocks: Tom O’Brien; Rhys Dunne, Anthony Wallace, Conor Kelly; Brandon O’Connor (0-1), Podge Doyle (0-1), Barry Dobbs; Seán Wildes, John Kavanagh; Jack Moorehouse, Emmet Quirke (0-1 free), Kyle Foley (0-1); Conor O’Neill, Colin Sheehan (0-3, 1 free), Jamie Dagg. Subs. - Jack Carroll (2-0) for Dagg, Philip Freeman for Dunne, Corey Breen for Moorehouse.

Referee: Seamus Whelan (Oylegate-Glenbrien).