Martin’s look team to beat
Starlights on receiving end
ST. MARTIN’S STARLIGHTS 9-15 0-4
ST. MARTIN’S met very little early resistance in their Greenstar Under-20 football Division 1A championship contest with Starlights in Piercestown on Wednesday.
In fairness to Starlights, they could have gone down the route of other sides and given a walkover.
They were significantly short of bodies, with just seven of the side which gave Glynn-Barntown a cracking game in the championship opener available for this tie.
However, they kept plugging away for the full 60 minutes and were more competitive the longer the game went on.
The scoreboard certainly doesn’t represent the effort they put in, although the gulf between these two was undoubtedly significant.
St. Martin’s will probably be the favourites for both the football and hurling championships as the knockout stages approach. The structure has been a massive problem for some clubs but it suits the Piercestown/Murrintown crew as they have been able to give ample game time to players that need it.
They had 3-3 on the board before Starlights opened their account with a classy Jack Doyle point.
Zac Firman and Adam Cantwell grabbed the first two majors before Conor Coleman netted his first of four in the 13th minute.
St. Martin’s had five different goalscorers on the board after Diarmuid Barry and Adam McLoughlin found their way past Colm O’Brien.
Anthony Larkin’s quiet, shortlived time in the full-forward line ended when he was drafted back into the goal, and within two minutes the county Minor was beaten when Coleman scored his second.
A Lee Jordan point for Starlights left them 6-6 to 0-2 down at the interval.
He scored the first point after the resumption too but Barry goaled again, while Liam Ó Lionáin, Zac Firman (two) and substitute Conor Stafford (two) all pointed as St. Martin’s eased ahead (7-11 to 0-3).
Coleman netted twice in a minute early in the final quarter and the hosts kicked four more points as they ended the round-robin stages with their second win in three games.
St. Martin’s: Brandon Dodd; Sam Audsley (0-1), Philip Dempsey, Jack Roche; Stephen Doyle, Eoin O’Leary, Paddy Gallagher; Ben Maddock (0-1), Adam Cantwell (1-1); Adam McLoughlin (1-0), Kyle Firman (0-1 free), Liam Ó Lionáin (0-2); Diarmuid Barry (2-1), Conor Coleman (capt., 4-1, 0-1 ‘45), Zac Firman (1-4). Subs. - Conor Kelly for Dempsey (22), Conor Devereux for Maddock (31), Shane Walsh for Doyle (33), James Mernagh for K. Firman (41), Conor Stafford (0-3) for Gallagher (41).
Starlights: Colm O’Brien; Mick Cullen, John Murphy, Evan Murphy; J.P. Farrell, Craig Foley (capt.), Jack Doyle (0-1); Seán Breen, Darren Fortune; Craig Peare, Anthony Murphy, William Doyle; Lee Jordan (0-3, 2 frees), Floyd Murphy, Anthony Larkin. Subs. - Bradley Fortune for O’Brien (22), O’Brien for Cullen (31), Cullen for D. Fortune (37).
Referee: Peter Shannon (Kilmore). ST. ANNE’S blitzed Volunteers through the opening 30 minutes, setting up an eventual comfortable eight-point victory in the process in their Greenstar Under-20 football Division 3A championship game in Rathangan on Wednesday.
Much like the majority of games in this championship to date, there was a real lack of a competitive atmosphere, particularly as St. Anne’s took the initiative from the opening minutes.
With the Vols struggling for numbers, just managing one substitute, they were always playing catch-up despite an improved second-half showing.
St. Anne’s dominance became quickly apparent as they powered into a 2-3 to nil lead inside the opening seven minutes.
After Kyle Kennedy had powered his side in front with an excellent long-range point inside the opening minute, the opening goal arrived four minutes later when Kevin Breen pounced to find the cornet of the net.
The excellent Kyle Kennedy was causing early problems and he set Breen up for his second goal two minutes later.
The eventual winners were leading by 2-4 to nil when the town side eventually managed to open their account with a 17th-minute Paddy Glover point.
While Aaron McGuire picked off a neat second point for the visitors, the home side finished with Breen completing his hat-trick of goals close to the break, leaving them with a 3-5 to 0-2 interval lead.
St. Anne’s continued to control matters on the resumption as Barry Roche and Páraic Reville dominated in midfield.
Within two minutes of the re-start they added a fourth goal when Kyle Kennedy got on the end of a four-man move to beat ‘keeper Aaron Kinsella with a rising shot to the net.
That should have proved a real body blow, particularly as the eventual winners added further points through Andy Kennedy and two from Dylan O’Brien, while Paddy Glover managed one in between for the opposition.
The Vols gave brief hope of a recovery when Harry Kehoe finished a fine move with a terrific goal, but they still trailed by 4-8 to 1-3 after 43 minutes.
The Vols finished the half strongly, with Jack O’Leary adding a 50th-minute goal, but there was never any doubt regarding the eventual outcome.
St. Anne’s: Dylan Kavanagh; Vincent Carroll, Andrew Walsh, Kevin Redmond; Michael Carroll, Brian Kavanagh, Billy Ryan; Barry Roche (0-1), Páraic Reville; Philip Rawson, Andy Kennedy (0-2), Kyle Kennedy (1-3); Conor Ryan, Dylan O’Brien (0-5), Kevin Breen (3-0). Subs. - Eric Molyneux for K. Kennedy, Barry Stone for Ryan.
Volunteers: Aaron Kinsella; Jason Moore, Cian Rossiter, Jack Murphy; Cian Kehoe, Paddy Glover (0-2), Eoin Reck; Ben McMahon, Harry Kehoe (1-2, 0-1 free); Aaron McGuire (0-2), Jack O’Leary (1-2), Luke Dowdall (0-1); Jack McMahon, Ryan Busher, Aaron Roche. Sub. - Oisín Kehoe for Roche.
Referee: James Flood (St. Mary’s, Maudlintown).