Pettit hits fine hat-trick
FORTH AND BARGY MUNNA-ABBAIN
A DAVID Pettit hat-trick propelled Forth and Bargy Gaels to a fully-deserved Greenstar Under-20 football Division 2A championship victory in Tagoat on Friday.
The St. Mary’s (Rosslare), St. Fintan’s and Our Lady’s Island combo found the going tough in their opener against Dunbrody Gaels, and there didn’t seem to be a massive amount of confidence about a positive outcome before this one either.
However, they actually looked like a well-oiled machine as they built a ten-point interval lead with a collection of superbly-taken scores, and they maintained it without too many scares in the second-half.
The Taghmon/Adamstown duo came into the game with a decent victory against Moguegeen Gaels under their belts. Yet, they never really got going in this contest, as their opponents’ guts and intensity left them under the cosh throughout.
Cian Meyler and Reece Broaders registered the pick of the points in the opening exchanges as Forth and Bargy prospered. Despite a couple of points from Munna-Abbáin’s best, Luke Sinnott, the hosts still built a 0-9 to 0-4 lead.
A one-two between Eoin O’Callaghan and Jason Ellard released Pettit for his opening goal in the 25th minute. When he added a second, after a classy feed from Broaders, right on the stroke of half-time, his side was in total control (2-10 to 0-6).
David O’Keeffe was more of an influence for the visitors after the break and he helped narrow the gap to eight after a bright start. However, any hopes of a comeback were dealt a near-fatal blow when Pettit punched home his hat-trick major at the third time of asking.
Philip Foley ghosted in to rob possession and net coolly in the 42nd minute but Sinnott responded with a bobbly major in response at the other end.
When the Munna-Abbáin talisman was black-card two minutes later, the game was up, and the hosts were able to sugar-coat an excellent win with Jason Ellard’s late goal.
Forth and Bargy Gaels: Josh Burke; Edmund Cleary, Paul Cummins, Kevin Power; Reece Broaders (0-1), Robert Cloney, Adam Devereux; Cian Meyler (0-1), Eoin O’Callaghan; Liam O’Connor (0-1), Cathal Devereux (0-5, 2 frees), David Pettit (3-1); Shane Pettit (0-1), Jason Ellard (1-2), Philip Foley (1-0). Subs. - Dean Corish for Broaders (57), Ben Hayes for S. Pettit (57), Shane Kehoe for Power (57).
Munna-Abbáin: Alex Gondard; Patrick Roche, David O’Keeffe, Dylan Colfer; Anto Roche, David O’Keeffe (03), Adrian Doyle; Darren Hayden (0-1), Shane Doyle; Seán O’Neill (0-1), Luke Sinnott (1-5, 0-1 free), Shane Lacey; Adam Sinnott (0-1), Andrew French, John Banville. Subs. - James O’Shea (0-1) for Banville (27), Banville for L. Sinnott, black card (48).
Referee: Seán Whelan (St. Martin’s).