Cushinstown start on solid note
RATHGAROGUE-C’TOWN 1-10 BALLYHOGUE 0-11
THEY MAY not be far removed from their incredible 2019 season, but Rathgarogue-Cushinstown got their new campaign off to an impressive start with victory over Ballyhogue in Division 2 of the EBS All-County Football League in Bree on Friday.
Winning a Leinster title probably puts a bit of a target on a team’s back, and it would have been a nice confidence boost for the hosts to get an early league scalp under their belts. It was a closely-contested early-season tie, but the better team on the night took the spoils.
The big score of the game was Matthew Cody’s clinically-taken 50th-minute goal, but the most important piece of action was probably Nicky Sinnott’s save from Noel Roche’s spot-kick six minutes earlier.
The Rathgarogue-Cushinstown goalkeeper had denied Ballyhogue a goal in their best move of the match when knocking James Parle to the ground, and he made a solid stop with his feet after going the right way from Roche’s penalty.
Much of the talk coming into the local season has been about the effect the new rules might have. Referee Damien Donovan took a good five minutes talking to each side before the start of the game but really didn’t need to implement them throughout the 60 minutes.
There was no attacking mark taken at any stage and, as one might expect from two teams interested in playing football, there was no need for Donovan to reach for his black card and send anyone to the sideline for a ten-minute ‘rest’.
The biggest controvesy of a nip and tuck first-half was more old school in nature, an arguement about the potential validity of Tadhg Cody’s 28th-minute point attempt that was called wide by the near side umpire.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown had taken a 0-4 to nil lead thanks to Cody, Eric Cummins and Aaron Ryan.
While Ballyhogue raced back to go ahead by 0-6 to 0-5, with Roche on target five times, Ryan ensured parity at the break with an injury-time free.
John Kehoe and Roche gave the Enniscorthy District side an 0-8 to 0-6 lead after 39 minutes but they didn’t score in the next twelve.
Rory O’Connor knocked over a free before Cody drilled his side ahead with a rasping finish off the underside of the crossbar.
Dean Doyle and Eddie Galavan levelled the game at 0-10 to 1-7 with eight minutes left, but Rathgarogue-Cushinstown finished the stronger with points from O’Connor, Tadhg Cody and Bernard Furlong enough to give them the win.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Nicky Sinnott; Pádraig McGrath, Peadar Cody, Robert Murphy; Brian O’Neill, Bryan Cody, Jason Dunne; Danny Martin Carroll, Matthew Cody (1-0); Bernard Furlong (0-1), Ian Kennedy, Tadhg Cody (0-2); Aaron Ryan (0-2 frees), Eric Cummins (0-3), Patrick Barron. Subs. - Donal Porter for Kennedy (31), Ricky McGrath for B. Cody (31), Rory O’Connor (0-2, 1 free) for Ryan (40), Luke O’Connor for Martin Carroll, inj. (47), Aodhán Slattery for Dunne (48), Liam O’Shea for Murphy (60+2).
Ballyhogue: Myles Roche; Matthew Hope, Seán Rochford, Colm Parnell; James Parle, Enda Minogue, Eamonn Doyle; Graham Parker, Shane Byrne; Dylan Dalton, Eddie Galavan (0-1), John Kehoe (0-1); Peter Kelly (0-1), Noel Roche (0-6, 3 frees), Dean Doyle (0-2). Subs. - Daire Rochford for Kehoe, inj. (53), Denis Leacy for Galavan (58), Kevin Ring for S. Byrne (60+1).
Referee: Damien Donovan (Volunteers).