Golden Gaels
Ballinastragh boys on top
B’STRAGH GAELS STARLIGHTS 2-10 0-3
BALLINASTRAGH GAELS held Starlights scoreless from play on the way to a convincing victory in this low-key Gorey Guardian Under-15 football Premier shield final in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Wednesday.
It was a comfortable success for the Kilanerin/Tara Rocks crew, with two first-half goals from centre-forward David Neville powering them to a 2-5 to 0-2 interval lead and a subsequent 13-point winning margin.
Although Starlights scored first via a Bill Peare free in the third minute, it certainly wasn’t a foretaste of what was to come.
Instead, the north county side utilised the ball very well and never looked back after Neville rifled a shot to the top left corner of the net from a David Smith handpass in the tenth minute (1-2 to 0-1).
His second goal arrived just after the midway stage of the half following a one-two with Josh White, and he was only denied a hat-trick by a good save from Liam Kenny just before the interval.
A paltry two points were scored in the first 22 minutes after the break, from rival free-takers Seán Hughes and Oisín Pepper, and the outcome was never in doubt.
The losers, who lost captain Tommy McVeigh to a late second yellow card, were unable to add to their meagre tally in the last 19 minutes.
In contrast, Ballinastragh Gaels hammered home their advantage near the end as midfielder Cathal Murphy and dead-ball kicker Seán Hughes added a brace of points apiece.
Ballinastragh Gaels: Eoin Blanchfield; Hugh Fahy, Conor Jones, Ben Ryan; Andrew Smith, Simon Carthy-Campbell (capt.), Lee Polglase; Cathal Murphy (0-2), David Smith; Cian Hughes (0-1), David Neville (22), Micheál McGonigle; Cillian Byrne, Seán Hughes (0-4 frees), Josh White (0-1). Subs. - Ultan O’Donovan for Polglase, black card (48), Brendan Bolger for White (49), Gearóid Boland for Ryan (56), James Higgins for Fahy (57), Shane Kelly for Neville, inj. (58), Dylan Nash for D. Smith, inj. (59), also Kyle Kinsella, Finn Mulcahy, Aidan Mulcahy, Noah Maher, Daniel Bolger, Billy Trafford, Evan Duffy, Karim Boukima.
Starlights: Liam Kenny; Jack Byrne, Jack Kehoe, Seán Leacy; Ronan Kervick, Cian Murphy, Brian Cronin; Matt Kinnaird, Mikey Webster; Stephen San Augustin, Tommy McVeigh (capt.), Callum Murphy; Jordan Sharlott, Bill Peare (0-2 frees), Oisín Pepper (0-1 free). Subs. - Shane Farrell for Sharlott (HT), Riley Doran for Cian Murphy, black card (33), Billy Redmond for Callum Murphy (39), Dylan O’Brien for San Augustin (52), also Bill Collins, Tom Collins, Charles Fortune, Lee O’Connor, Shane Williams, Cian Dwyer, Danny Breen.
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater).