Comfortable Craanford win in derby
CRAANFORD ST. PATRICK’S
CRAANFORD’S IMPRESSIVE form in the Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship shows no sign of abating as they comfortably brushed aside Gorey District rivals St. Patrick’s by 2-11 to 1-4 in Sunday’s rather tetchy Group B tie at a sunny Monamolin.
Even when having ten points to spare at the end, Craanford didn’t have to over-exert themselves, and as soon as Patrick Murray sent Jack Quinn the wrong way from a penalty, the Camolin-based men had an uphill battle on their hands.
For all their supporters’ complaints to the referee about what constitutes a black card offence, that was simply clutching at straws as none of their starting forwards scored from play, and at one stage they were on course to register the lowest tally from any team in this grade in this year’s championship.
The paltry 1-4 they did finish on is still one better than the 1-3 they managed against Volunteers in May, and it’s clear that they are struggling to work the scoreboard.
They struggled to contain the rampant John Fleming early on too, with the imposing full-forward knocking over two nice points in the first six minutes.
Shane Finn responded with a point for the losers, before Murray dispatched that penalty after Michael Lyons was impeded in the square.
Glen Carton and Richie Flood converted a free each for St. Pat’s, but Fleming, Lyons and Murray (free) opened up a 1-6 to 0-3 gap at half-time.
St. Patrick’s didn’t score again until six minutes from time when Niall O’Brien struck home a penalty, but Craanford were already home and hosed by then.
Indeed, they carved open their forlorn opponents on 43 minutes when Michael O’Loughlin made the incision, and Niall Berney injected pace off his shoulder and teed up Fleming to palm to the net from close range (2-7 to 0-3).
That was actually the penultimate score from play, as Murray tagged on four frees either side of Daryl Murphy pointing a consolation for the outplayed Pat’s.
Craanford: Bob Flynn; Páraic Redmond, Pat Kenny (capt.), Mick Sinnott; Joe Berney, Michael O’Loughlin, Jim Kenny; Matthew Nolan, Niall Berney; Ger Lyons (0-1), Patrick Murray (1-5, 0-5 frees, 1-0 pen.), Michael Lyons (0-1); James Smyth (0-1), John Fleming (1-3), Jamie Doyle. Subs. - Martin Doyle for Nolan (44), Matthew Nolan for P. Kenny, black card (55), Eoin Doyle for J. Berney, inj. (58).
St. Patrick’s: Jack Quinn; Joe Cousins, James Cousins, Peter Roche (joint capt.); Hughie Doyle, Michael O’Brien, Tommy Morris; Daryl Murphy (joint capt., 0-1), Shane Finn (0-1); Tommy Dunne, Glen Carton (0-1 free), Stephen Ryan; Niall O’Brien (1-0 pen.), Richie Flood (0-1 free), Tomás Morris. Subs. - Andrew Doyle for M. O’Brien, black card (18), Damien Grannell for Ryan (48), Ashley Tully for Carton (52).
Referee: Pádraig Byrne (Kilanerin).