Cian fits bill
Hollow overcome stiff test
HOLLOW ROVERS BALLYHOGUE
TWO GOALS from sharpshooting Cian Fitzhenry proved to be the decisive scores as a highly-fancied Hollow Rovers overcame a stiff test from a gallant Ballyhogue side in this Greenstar Under-20 football Division 3B championship tie in Bree on Friday.
While the eventual winners did look the better side throughout and always held a lead over their opponents, the home team did provide a lot of anxious moments.
They never allowed their victors to assume a position of dominance, and proved a handful right up to the final moments of play.
But in the end, a touch of class shone through as Fitzhenry hit the net late in the second-half to give his side breathing space.
Hollow Rovers took an early lead with points from Cian Fitzhenry and Michael Doyle, with the home side kept within touching distance thanks to Dean Doyle.
The soft conditions underfoot didn’t allow for much free-flowing football and scores were proving hard to come by for both sides, but the eventual winners were given a great help when a Cian Fitzhenry free found its way to the net to give his side a four-point lead.
Ballyhogue’s spirit seemed unbreakable however, and after some great work from Enda Minogue, Cian Rochford and Dean Doyle, they clawed their way back to leave two between the sides at the break.
In the second-half, Hollow Rovers seemed to up the ante with Fitzhenry continuing to be deadly accurate from placed balls and, getting help from tireless midfielder, Johnny Dunne, they gave themselves a reasonably comfortable lead in the third quarter.
However, Dean Doyle was just as deadly for the home side, kicking two points before converting a penalty which really put a question to the visitors as the game entered the final ten minutes.
But answer the question they did, and with some style as Fitzhenry finished off a wellworked move with a goal that sealed victory for Hollow Rovers and gave them their second win.
Hollow Rovers: Tom Lambert; Jamie Ryan, Mark Morris, Ken Doyle; Diarmuid Doyle (0-3), Gavin Watchorn, Alan Doyle; Seamus Doyle, Johnny Dunne (0-1); Michael Kinsella (0-1), Michael Doyle (0-1), Cian Cowman; Cian Fitzhenry (2-4, 1-4 frees), Colm Redmond, Mark Kehoe. Sub. - Michael O’Leary (0-1) for Redmond.
Ballyhogue: Paddy Carley; Ian Donohoe, Shane Fenlon, Cian Rochford (0-1); Edward Byrne, Darragh Byrne, Matt Browne; Peter Kelly, Enda Minogue; Ronan Byrne, Cian Wickham, Liam Rossiter; Tadhg Malone, Dean Doyle (1-6, 1-0 pen., 0-2 frees), Conor Rossiter. Subs. - Peter Rodgers for Donohoe, John Kehoe for Kelly (black card), Aaron Murphy for Malone, Dara Rochford (0-1) for C. Rossiter.
Referee:
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FOOTNOTE: Our reporter arrived in Bree for the officially supplied 8 p.m. throw-in, only to discover that the game had actually started at 6.45 p.m.
The personnel involved didn’t have the common courtesy to inform this newspaper, even though we have championed the cause of this new competition by sending a reporter to every game thus far.
However, we weren’t alone, because the change was also made without the prior knowledge of the C.C.C.C. Secretary, Mary Foley.
In this instance, we weren’t the only ones treated with utter contempt. Philip Murphy (Faythe