Martin’s seconds run riot

ST. MARTIN’S 5-11 CASTLETOWN 1-10 THE CLIMB up the levels shows no sign of slowing down for the St. Martin’s second string after a crushing 13-point victory over Castletown in the Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group A at St. Patrick’s Park on Sunday.

Junior ‘ B’ champions just a couple of seasons ago, the Piercestown-based side got a hat-trick from ace marksman Philly Waters to see off a determined but ultimately overmatched Gorey District side.

The eventual victors got off to a rotten start when Castletown youngster Daragh Brooks found the net inside the first 60 seconds. However, it quickly went downhill from there with St. Martin’s bossing the first-half.

Conor Coleman was first to apply a cool finish after being played in by Eoghan Rackard (1-1 to 0-1). After a flurry of points, Waters notched his first major at the end of the opening quarter and his side soon moved 2-6 to 1-0 clear.

Some respite, in the form of scores from Danny Dixon, Aaron Condren (two) and Shane Halpin, slowed the Wexford District side’s momentum but they were still able to take a six-point advantage in at the change of ends (2-7 to 1-4).

Waters added his second goal shortly after the resumption and put the game to bed with his third before the start of the final quarter. Kevin Price converted a 59th-minute penalty after Jack Devereux was fouled to complete the salvo for St. Martin’s.

With the quality within the sides, they are both likely to go deep into the knockout stages but St. Martin’s boast a classy mixture of youth and experience that is going to take some stopping when the championship resumes later in the summer.

St. Martin’s: Nicky Greene; Pádraig Rossiter, Donal Kelly, Tony Kelly; Adrian Ryan, Kevin Price (1-0 pen.), Johnny Hamilton (0-1); Luke White, Peter Barry; Conor Coleman (1-2), Richard Devereux (0-1), Adam Cantwell (0-2); Eoghan Rackard, Seán Stafford (0-3), Philip Waters (31). Subs. - Ciarán Redmond (0-1) for Cantwell, Jack Devereux for Rackard, Philip Dempsey for Waters, Eoin O’Leary for Hamilton.

Castletown: Niall Hempsenstall; David Deering, Conor Cleary, Paul Nugent; Aaron Condren, George Sunderland, Oisín Condren; Jimmy Fogarty, Yusif Frih; Danny Dixon (0-1 ‘45), Kevin Morris (0-1), Liam Condren (0-2); Shane Halpin (0-2), Daragh Brooks (1-2, 0-2 frees), Peter Fogarty. Subs. - Noel Morris (0-1) for O. Condren, Seán Roche for Nugent, Colin Molloy (0-1) for Morris, Stephen Rafferty for Dixon, Killian Pierce for Deering, Ross Cody for L. Condren.

Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).