Goals give Oylegate edge
LIVELIER AND more enterprising in the drizzle throughout their Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship tie at St. Patrick’s Park on Friday, Shamrocks nevertheless found themselves on the losing end of their Group A fixture against Oylegate-Glenbrien.
The winners maintained their unbeaten record thanks to the priceless ability to score goals, two in either half, whenever they appeared to be in trouble.
It seemed that their opponents, also assured of qualification for the knockout stages, had to work twice as hard to achieve not quite as much from start to finish.
Bizarrely, the game was 56 minutes old before the boys in blue struck their first point from play - and that came from the boot of defender Damien Reck.
A nicely-taken long-range opening point from Brandon O’Connor suggested that the Rocks meant business, with Barry Dobbs adding a score from a free as his side set a lively early tempo.
Oylegate-Glenbrien were content at times to pass aimlessly, with goalkeeper Eddie Mernagh included in a keep-ball exercise which suggested little attacking ambition.
However, they showed their claws on the quarter hour when Fergie Heffernan was perfectly placed to find the net behind Thomas O’Brien as he converted a cross from the right into a well-taken goal.
The pattern for the night’s entertainment had been set, with the Shamrocks consistently busier than their laid-back rivals, only to be stung on the break.
The eventual winners were 2-1 to 0-4 up at the break after Jamie Reck profited from O’Brien’s failure to cope with Heffernan’s delivery into the danger area.
Solid free-taking by Colin Sheehan brought the men in the hoops to within a point, only for Shane Reck to claim goal number three with glee from a Seamus Casey pass on 38 minutes.
Once more, the Shamrocks hauled themselves to within touching distance as the ever energetic Robert O’Connor knocked over a lovely point on the run on 45 minutes.
This time it was Casey’s turn to hammer home a goal in response, making the most of breaking ball on 47 minutes.
The town team showed that they too had a nose for goal when substitute Kyle Foley pounced as ’keeper Eddie Mernagh misjudged a bouncing ball shortly afterwards.
They even went ahead briefly when free-taker Sheehan slotted over his sixth point, only for the long-time leaders to respond with the equalising score from centre-back Damien Reck.
And the last word was left to Jamie Reck who struck an excellent match-winner over the bar from far out on the right flank.
Oylegate-Glenbrien: Eddie Mernagh; Robert O’Connor, Michael Heffernan, Lee Kehoe; Peadar O’Mahoney, Damien Reck (0-1), Shane Reck (1-0); Jim White, Ciarán Hourihane; Jamie Reck (1-1), Peter Nolan, Seamus Casey (1-0); Daithí O’Mahoney (1-0), Fergus Heffernan (1-0), Pa Cullen. Subs. - Fergal Doran for O’Connor, black card (17), Conor Heffernan for Nolan (46), Ciarán O’Brien for D. O’Mahoney (46).
Shamrocks: Thomas O’Brien; Ricky Murphy (0-1), Aaron O’Toole, Shane Larkin; Padge Doyle, Anthony Wallace, Cory Brennan; James Carty (0-1), Seán Wildes; Barry Dobbs (0-1 free), Dwayne Kelly, Brandon O’Connor (0-1); Alan Dobbs, Colin Sheehan (0-6, 5 frees), Jack Moorehouse (0-1). Subs. - Jamie Dagg for Kelly (45), Kyle Foley (1-0) for B. Dobbs (48), Rees Dunne for A. Dobbs (51), Kelly for Larkin (52).
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).