Monageer see off Stars

MONAGEER-B’VOGUE 3-9 STARLIGHTS 0-11

MONAGEER-BOOLAVOGUE sentenced Starlights to their fourth straight loss in Hollymount on Saturday in Group B of the Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship.

Their win means that they sit comfortably in third spot, having acquired five points from a possible eight, and they will be assured of a quarter-final spot if Blackwater fail to beat Rathgarogue-Cushinstown on Friday.

In truth, they had the job done by half-time. They had matched Starlights’ points tally of six but crucially scored two majors before the interval to break the Enniscorthy side’s belief (2-6 to 0-6).

Monageer-Boolavogue had six different point scorers in the opening half - Matthew Dunne, Ian Hawkins, Micheál Gahan, Chris Daly, Mark Gahan and Cathal Walsh. Meanwhile, two-thirds of Starlights tally came from the boots of Conor Farrell and Lee Murphy.

But the important actions were the two occasions when Monageer-Boolavogue managed to raise the green flag.

The first came when Mark Sweeney finished after Ronan Kirwan had initially denied him from the penalty spot.

The other came on the quarter hour mark as Dunne capitalised on a loose ball to finish past the onrushing ‘keeper.

The second-half became somewhat of a dead rubber game. Starlights clearly lacked the belief to mount any sort of comeback and Monageer-Boolavogue were happy to keep the scoreboard ticking over and let the clock run down.

Two early points, from Mark Gahan and Cathal Walsh, certainly helped Monageer-Boolavogue put the game to bed and it took their opponents 20 minutes to get their first two points after the re-start.

Jack Doyle, Jason Russell and Kevin Ryan did add late points for Starlights to bring their points tally into double figures, but Mark Gahan’s late goal added gloss to Monageer-Boolavogue’s seven-point win, finishing low after being supplied by Shane Kehoe.

Monageer-Boolavogue: Niall Finn; Morgan Gahan, Brian O’Loughlin, Niall O’Reilly; Paddy Breen (0-1), Chris Daly (0-1), Micheál Gahan (01); Ian Hawkins (capt., 0-1), Damien Fenlon; Shane Kehoe, Mick Sweeney (1-0), Seán Roche; Mark Gahan (1-2), Matthew Dunne (1-1), Cathal Walsh (0-2, 1 free).

Starlights: Ronan Kirwan; Chris Doyle, Joe Cullen, Ben Edwards; Wayne Breen (capt.), Ed Tobin, Craig Foley; Jason Russell (0-2), Kevin Ryan (0-1); Diarmuid Byrne, Killian Lett, Brendan Kearney (0-1); Conor Farrell (0-2), Lee Murphy (0-3, 1 free), Pa O’Rourke. Subs. - Jack Doyle (0-1) for Byrne (46), Eoin Quigley (0-1) for O’Rourke (46), Declan Courtney for Edwards (53).

Referee: Peter Shannon (Kilmore).