Vital win as promoted Spa take down Rathmore

A HIGH scoring and ultimately successful return to the top flight for Spa for the first time since 2013 as they gave a more fancied Rathmore something to think about for the rest of the year at the weekend. Nothing separated the two sides in the first period as they went in level at 1-8 apiece.

Mike O’Donoghue set up Shane Cronin for Spa’s first goal for a lead of 1-3 to 0-2 early on but three Shane Ryan points and 1-1 from Mark Reen had Rathmore right back in the thick of things. O’Donoghue and Ryan O’Carroll for the hosts and Padraig Cronin and Reen for the visitors exchanged points in sending them in level at the interval.

Shane Ryan scored Rathmore’s second goal early in the second period as they went ahead by 2-9 to 1-11 but Liam Kearney’s introduction was crucial for Spa as a run of seven unanswered points put them ahead by four before Dara Moynihan scored what proved to be a game clinching goal for the hosts. Ryan scored a second for himself and a third for Rathmore in consolation but it was the host’s day in winning out by a somewhat surprising margin of seven points.