Shels shine in eleven-goal feast
SHELMALIERS 6-10, SHAMROCKS 5-5: Shelmaliers got their Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group A campaign off to a flying start with a victory in a ding-dong, goal-laden battle with Shamrocks in Monageer recently.
The Hollymount side led for the majority of the 60 minutes.
They got ahead in the first quarter, drove on after half-time, and withstood a spirited last twelve minutes by the Enniscorthy crew.
Martin Sheehan’s men will play at least another four games this championship season.
With a bit of luck and a few wins it may be more, but they will hardly come up against an opponent as bang in-form as A.J. Lehane who is also lining out with Wexford F.C. in the SSE Airtricity First Division at the moment in a defensive role.
The former Senior has been struggling with injury and didn’t last the full match, but he did enough in the time he was on the field, including scoring 3-3, to drive his side to victory.
Throw in complimentary efforts from midfield cousins Eoin and Kevin O’Leary, plus a solid outing at full-back by Adam Hearne, and you have the recipe for a Shelmaliers victory.
Lehane and Ryan Hanrahan both had goals on the board as their side moved 2-3 to 0-2 ahead after the opening quarter.
Chris Cowman foraged a third goal but Jack Carroll and Robert Moorehouse responded in kind at the other end to leave the tie in the balance at the break.
Trailing by 3-7 to 2-4 with the aid of a partial crosswind to come, Shamrocks must have fancied their chances.
That wasn’t counting on a powerful third quarter by Shelmaliers as Lehane netted twice, sandwiching a Eoin O’Leary major, to ease Tom Tynan’s side 6-9 to 2-5 up.
Shamrocks refused to go away quietly and when the Shels went down to 14 when Lehane was forced off with a knee injury, they saw a ray of light.
With the excellent Brandon O’Connor driving them on, Jack Moorehouse, Carroll and Ciarán Joyce all netted to leave just eight points between the sides at full-time.
Shelmaliers: James Gordon; Joe Redmond, Adam Hearne, Aaron Doyle; Eoghan Fitzgerald, Conor Walsh, Mark Power; Eoin O’Leary (1-0), Kevin O’Leary; Chris Cowman (1-2), A.J. Lehane (3-3, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘45), Aodhán Foley; Kyle Roche (0-2), Ryan Hanrahan (1-2), Adam Kelly (0-1).
Shamrocks: Colin Sheehan; Graham Nolan, Conor Kelly, Philip Freeman; Shane Larkin, John Kavanagh, Ciarán Joyce (1-0); Seán Wildes, Padge Doyle; Jack Moorehouse (1-0), Brandon O’Connor (0-2), Robert Moorehouse (1-1); Niall Thorpe, Jack Carroll (2-2, 0-1 free), John O’Connor.
Referee: Ian Plunkett (Marshalstown-Castledockrell).