Adamstown in command

ADAMSTOWN BALLYHOGUE 4-13 1-12

HAVING BUILT up an eleven-point interval lead, Adamstown withstood a third quarter Ballyhogue recovery before going on to a comfortable ten-point victory in this Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior ‘A’ football championship quarter-final in Clongeen on Saturday.

Adamstown dominated the opening 30 minutes, having got off to a bright start.

They led by 2-3 to 0-1 after just ten minutes after goals from Shane Bradley and Mervyn Moloney, while through this spell their opponents could only manage a Jim Bob Levingstone point in reply after three minutes.

Playing all the quality football during this opening period, the Adamstown dominance continued, with Brendan Kehoe scoring a fine third goal on 26 minutes.

Ballyhogue were reliant on Mick Condon and Seán Ring for their scores, but the eventual winners looked comfortable when they led by 3-8 to 0-6 at the interval.

On the resumption, Ballyhogue showed huge improvement, winning the outfield exchanges, and within seven minutes of the re-start they had added on points through Mick Condon (two frees) and Mick Parker.

And when Condon found the net with a low drive across the goal into the opposite corner, suddenly just four points separated the sides (3-8 to 1-10).

A further Condon point reduced the deficit to three after 47 minutes, but once Paddy Whitty kicked his side’s first second-half point two minutes later, they went on to control the closing ten minutes.

Adamstown added a fourth goal through substitute Tomás French, leaving them comfortable winners in the end.

Adamstown: Jason Whitty; James O’Shea, John Whelan, Robert Delaney; Mick Cowman (0-1), James Delaney, John French; Alan Bradley (0-4, 2 frees), Mark Dunphy; Mervyn Moloney (1-2), Shane Bradley (1-1), Eric Bradley; Ian White (0-2, 1 free), Paddy Whitty (0-1), Brendan Kehoe (1-1). Subs. - Michael Curtis for Kehoe, Paul Cooper for J. Whitty, Paudge Kavanagh for P. Whitty, Shane White for S. Bradley, Tomás French (1-1) for J. French, Seánie O’Neill for I. White.

Ballyhogue: Enda Byrne; Shane Fenlon, Edward Byrne, Cian Rossiter; Peter Doyle, Conor Long, Mark Browne; Gerry Heanue, Kevin Ring (0-1); Liam Rossiter, Mick Condon (1-5, 0-2 frees), Cian Rodgers; Jim Bob Levingstone (0-1), Seán Ring (0-3, 1 free), Mick Parker (0-2). Subs. - Michael Long for Edward Byrne, Jack Fortune for Fenlon, Nick Doyle for Levingstone, Davy Byrne for P. Doyle.

Referee: Lar Doyle (Taghmon-Camross).