Rocks finish on real high

A POWERFUL final ten minutes sealed a six-point victory for Shamrocks as they moved into second place in the Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group A in Oylegate on Saturday at the expense of Monageer-Boolavogue.

The lead had changed hands a competitive four times and the tie had been level on eight separate occasions before the Enniscorthy side took it by the scruff of the neck and pulled away for a six-point win.

The ’Rocks began the search for their second win of the championship with four minors from dead balls, with John O’Connor and Emmet Quirke sharing the responsibility before Cathal Walsh kicked Monageer-Boolavogue into action with three scores in just two minutes.

Exchanging scores throughout the half, the teams were rarely separated.

This stayed true until the half-time whistle with the sides sharing the spoils at 0-6 each, Matthew Dunne on target for Monageer-Boolavogue while Quirke and Kyle Foley kept their team in touch.

For the first 20 minutes after the re-start the teams could still not be pried apart, with Colin Sheehan and James Carty opening their accounts for the eventual winners while Walsh dominated the scoring for the losers.

With the clock ticking towards the 50th minute and the sides still deadlocked at ten apiece, it was clear a special effort would be needed to find a victor.

Increasing the pace of the game with one last mammoth push, Shamrocks fired over a succession of late minors.

James Carty began the procession and was soon aided by the accurate boots of Quirke and

Barry Dobbs.

A late O’Connor free sealed the hard-earned win for the Enniscorthy side.

Shamrocks: Thomas O’Brien; Ricky Murphy, Phillip Freeman, Reece Dunne; John Kavanagh (capt.), Anthony Wallace, Podge Doyle; Seán Wildes, James Carty (0-3); John O’Connor (0-4, 3 frees), Emmet Quirke (0-6, 4 frees), Barry Dobbs (0-1); Kyle Foley (0-1), Colin Sheehan (0-1), Alan Dobbs. Subs. - Jack Moorehouse for Foley (31), Jamie Dagg for A. Dobbs (43), Shane Larkin for Kavanagh (54).

Monageer-Boolavogue: Seán McCabe; Paul Gahan, Chris Daly (capt.), Morgan Gahan; Liam Gahan, Patrick Breen, Niall O’Reilly; Cathal Walsh (0-5, 3 frees), Ian Hawkins; Mick Sweeney (0-2), Conal Nolan, James Gahan; Matthew Dunne (0-3, 2 frees), Damien Fenlon, Robbie Breen. Subs. - Shane Kehoe for Breen (14), John Darcy for Nolan (28), Stephen Lacey for J. Gahan (46), Bertie Gahan for Kehoe (47).

Referee: Seamus Whelan (Oylegate-Glenbrien).