Holmes at heart of Castletown glory

CASTLETOWN turned on the style to end a nine-year barren spell with an impressive victory over Gusserane O’Rahilly’s at Innovate Wexford Park yesterday.

Castletown had a storming start when the excellent James Holmes sparked a move that saw Brendan Halpin find the net inside 30 seconds, giving them a lead they never relinquished.

They led 1-7 to 0-2 by the 22nd-minute when Gusserane had a Sam Wall-goal disallowed for a square infringement, and in a counter attack from the resulting free Jonathan Bealin blazed home a superb goal helping his side to a 2-8 to 1-6 lead at the interval.

An Adrian Flynn goal minutes before the break hauled Gusserane back into contention, but three unanswered points through Holmes, Jonathan Bealin and Donnchadh Holmes after the restart settled Castletown nerves.

Gusserane kept battling and a 44th-minute Gavin Sheehan goal reduced the deficit to four points, 2-12 to 2-8, but sub Robbie Brooks scored a superb third goal to seal it.

SCORERS – Castletown: J Bealin 1-6 (2f); J Holmes 0-6; R Brooks 1-1; B Halpin 1-0; C Carty, R Heffernan, D Holmes 0-1 each. Gusserane: A Flynn 1-3 (2f); G Sheehan 1-0; S Wall, M Rossiter, S Ryan 0-2 each; P Conway 0-1.

CASTLETOWN – A Masterson; J Ahern, D Gardiner,

F Roche; C Carty, C Morris, J Gardiner; R Heffernan, L Coleman; J Shaughnessy, B Halpin, D Holmes; J Bealin, B Brosnan, J Holmes. Subs: S Moloney for Shaughnessy (37), R Cody for Ahern (48), R Brooks for J Holmes (53), C Kennedy for D Holmes (59), K Pierce for Gardiner (60), R Farrell for Coleman (60).

GUSSERANE O’RAHILLY’S – M Ryan; J Burford, K Cahill, J O’Connor; A Redmond, M O’Neill, G Sheehan; J Roche, C Kehoe; S Wall, G Cullen, P Conway; M Rossiter, A Flynn, S Ryan. Subs: T Foran for Cahill (37), S Cullen for Kehoe (45), F Ryan for Roche (53).

REF – K Carty (Sarsfields).