Stars hold on for win

AFTER LEADING by ten points entering the final quarter, Starlights had to rescue a victory with desperate defending in the closing stages as Shelmaliers’ late surge brought them ever so close to a dramatic victory in this Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group B game in Taghmon.

An even first-half saw little separate the sides. Kevin O’Leary, Jody Donohoe and Craig Parker kicked some good points for the Shels, while Tomás Mahon, Ricky Fox, Brian Ronan and Ed Tobin found the target for the Cathedral town side. Starlights suffered a missed penalty after 30 seconds when Fox blazed his effort high and wide, but they still led by 0-9 to 0-8 at the interval.

The play really swung Starlights’ way on the resumption, with Eamonn Furlong - who had moved to full-forward - carving out the opening for goals from Eoin Quigley, Ricky Fox and Tomás Mahon to lead by 3-10 to 0-9 at the end of the third quarter.

The Shels surged back in the closing ten minutes though, inspired by Kevin O’Leary as Craig Parker goaled a 52nd-minute penalty. As the game entered the closing minutes the Starlights were clinging to a four-point lead, but a Colin Cleary goal three minutes into additional time reduced the deficit to the minimum.

Starlights somehow managed to hold out through the following two minutes of additional time to salvage a victory after a dramatic conclusion to a high-octane game.

Starlights: Dylan Cloke; Christy Doyle, Daniel O’Brien, Ryan Hadley; Wayne Breen, Joe Cullen, Ed Tobin (0-1); John Ryan, Kevin Ryan; Brian Ronan (0-4 frees), Eamonn Furlong, Ricky Fox (1-3); Pa O’Rourke, Tomás Mahon (1-4), Eoin Quigley (1-0). Subs. - Timmy Dwyer for O’Rourke, Declan Courtney for Doyle, Paddy Connors for Quigley, Tom Ryan for J. Ryan.

Shelmaliers: Graham Lawler; Joe Redmond, Cathal Gaule, Eoghan Fitzgerald; Michael Feeney, Conor Walsh (0-1), Cian Manley; Colin Cleary (1-0), Eoin O’Leary; Craig Parker (1-5, 0-5 frees, 1-0 pen.), Chris Gordon, Jody Donohoe (0-2); Liam Rockett, Kevin O’Leary (0-5), Dan Campbell (0-1). Subs. - Brian O’Connor for Campbell, Emmet O’Leary for Rockett.

Referee: Lar Doyle (Taghmon