O’Leary goal gets Sars back on track

SARSFIELDS had to stage a second-half recovery to overcome a determined Duffry Rovers revival in this Junior ‘A’ football championship quarter-final in St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Sunday last.

The Wexford town team held a 0-7 to 0-1 at the interval thanks in the main to five points on the trot in a sevenminute spell courtesy of Jack Ennis (two, one free), John Clancy, Shaun Donohue and Conor Halligan.

They were still ahead by 0-9 to 0-3 midway through the third quarter when the game was transformed as the experienced Ger Coleman goaled for the Duffry off the underside of the crossbar before Micheál Doyle set up overlapping defender James Nolan for the equalising goal.

Conor English gave them the lead in the 39th minute, and it was 2-7 to 0-11 at the three-quarters stage and last year’s Junior ‘B’ champions appeared to be in trouble.

Another wily campaigner, Ciarán O’Leary, swung the momentum back in favour of the Sars though when he finished a Con O Donnagáin pass to the net in the 49th minute, and a brace of late frees from Jack Ennis saw them through to a semi-final clash with either Adamstown or Gusserane who meet in a replay this evening.

Sarsfields: James Roice; Conor Halligan (0-1), Enda Whelan, Adam Roche; Con Ó Donnagáin, Cillian Lawlor (capt.), Colin Bent; Ciarán O’Leary (1-0), John Gannon; Shaun Donohoe (0-1), Lee Smith, John Clancy (0-1); Stephen Cummins, Jack Ennis (0-7, 6 frees), Shane Wilde (0-2). Subs. - David Gannon for Roche, Pádraig Clancy for Bent.

Duffry Rovers: Ben Nugent; Jason Watchorn, James Nolan (capt., 1-0), Matthew O’Connor; James Howlin, Seamus Cullen, Seán Brooks; Conor Nolan, Ciarán Pender; Donie O’Connor (0-1), Kevin Nolan (0-1), Thomas Dunne; Micheál Doyle (0-1), Ger Coleman (1-1), Gavin Rafter (0-1). Subs. - Conor English (0-3) for Dunne, Dunne for Watchorn.

Referee: David Owens (Kilrush).