Big win for Bride’s
Mary’s up to fourth
Picture: Paul Connor ST Brides registered their second win in the league with this hardearned victory in Monasterboice on Sunday afternoon.
The visitors opened the scoring with a pointed free kick in the fourth minute from goalkeeper, Conaill Devin but a Sam Mulroy brace gave his side a one-point margin with nine minutes gone on the clock.
The Reds enjoyed a purple patch for the next quarter of an hour but could only manage three unanswered points during this spell of dominance.
Thomas Sullivan brought his side back into it with a well taken point, but this was cancelled out immediately at the other end by another Devin free kick.
Sam Mulroy concluded the scoring for the half when he converted a free kick just before the interval to leave his side trailing 0-5 to 0-4.
As in the first half, St Brides opened the scoring early for the second half when Patrick Reilly converted. Sullivan replied in style at the opposite end six minutes later. However, Sean Marry edged the visitors further ahead with a well taken point on 41 minutes.
Two quick-fire singles by ‘The Jocks’ made it all square on 43 minutes. These came from the boots of John Clutterbuck and Mulroy.
However, some tenacious defending by St Brides with three unanswered points by their forwards meant they ran out winners on a scoreline of 0-10 to 0-7.
ST BRIDES: Conaill Devin (0-3); Andrew Smyth, Ronan Bailey, Padraig Mackin; Mark Hoey (0-1), Cillian Kirk, Michael Keane; Patrick Reilly (0-2), Alan Dunne; James Costelloe, Kevin Hearty (0-2), Johnny Culleton; Sean Marry (0-2), Cathal McKenna, Aaron Hoey. Subs: James Searson for J Culleton, Bernard Laverty for C McKenna.
NAOMH MAIRTIN: Craig Lynch; Alan Downey, Mick Fanning, Paul Berrill; Padraig McDonagh, Thomas Sullivan (01), Conor Healy; Wayne Campbell, John Clutterbuck (0-2); Stephen Campbell, Eoghan Callaghan, Sam Mulroy (0-4); Brian McQuillan, JP Rooney, Conor Morgan. Subs: Adam Winters for A Downey, Mark McCullough for B McQuillan. ST Marys moved into fourth place in the table on score difference after returning home from Fr McEvoy Park with a six-point victory on Sunday.
The Ardee side got off to a blistering start as points from Ronan Carroll and Mark Fay were followed by a Paudy Clarke goal inside five minutes.
Clarke then added another point before Cooley got off the mark with a Michael Rafferty point.
However, Jamie Rooney replied with a point before Robbie Leavy fired in a second goal to put his side 2-4 to 0-1 ahead with just over ten minutes played.
The advantage was 2-7 to 0-3 after 18 minutes but Cooley rallied in the closing stages and four unanswered points from Emmet Rogan (3) and Rafferty saw them cut the gap to six at the interval.
Although Cooley kicked the first point of the second half, any thoughts of a comeback were soon dashed as a brace from Kian Moran was followed by a goal from Conor Keenan to extend the lead to ten points.
Cooley did manage to find the net through Peter Thornton after 45 minutes but it was too late to save the game as the Marys held out for a comfortable victory.
ST MARYS: Alan McGauley; Brendan Matthews, Philip Traynor, Conor Keenan 1-0; Donal McKenny, Karl Faulkner, Eimhin Keenan; Robbie Leavy 1-1, Ronan Carroll 0-1; Paudy Clarke 1-2, Daire McConnon 0-1, Kian Moran 0-3; Mark Fay 0-1, Joe Mulholland, Jamie Rooney 0-1. Subs: Dean Matthews for M Fay, Liam Jackson 0-2 for P Clarke, John Bingham for J Mulholland, Wayne Matthews for J Rooney.
COOLEY KICKHAMS: Sean Hayes; Richard Brennan, Patrick Hanlon, James O’Reilly; Conor McGuinness, Darren Marks, Gerry Malone; Peter Thornton 1-0, Fearghal Malone 0-4; Michael Kane, Eoin McDaid, Michael Rafferty 0-2; Aoghain McGuinness 0-1, Emmet Rogan 0-4, Michael Carron 0-1. Subs: Conor Kenny, Keith White, Ciaran Sheelan, Alan Page.