Bowler bags brace of Duffry goals
A BRACE of Tim Bowler goals were enough to see Duffry Rovers to their second Amber Springs/ Ashdown Park Hotels Intermediate football championship Group B win on the bounce in Cushinstown on Saturday.
In a stop-start, untidy contest, with more errors than minutes of good football, the Coolree boys were worthy of the victory over a laboured Bannow-Ballymitty side which played the whole of the second-half with 14 men after the dismissal of Art Sweetman before the break.
A slog is unlikely to suit a Duffry Rovers side loaded with pace but a slog is what they got. There was a more balanced physicality to the Bannow-Ballymitty game than what the victors experienced against St. Joseph’s in their first outing, and they struggled to consistently win battles in the middle third.
Bannow-Ballymitty are clearly a limited side. With their main scoring threat gone, much of the pressure falls on Niall Harney and it’s a tough assignment for the talented attacker.
It would take a very brave, possibly foolish, person to give the Grantstown club much of a shot at this competitive Intermediate title after back-to-back losses to start the season.
The Duffry actually got off to a quick start with Bowler casually stroking the opening goal past Philip Murphy with less than four minutes gone. The game meandered along, uneventfully, towards the interval, with Rovers leading by 1-2 to 0-4 heading into first-half added-time.
Then, moments after conceding a free upfield, Sweetman hauled down Stephen Watchorn close to goal, picked up his second yellow card, and conceded a penalty. Aidan Byrne took the spot-kick, low to the ‘keeper’s left, but Murphy got down well and tipped it behind, via the foot of the post.
After twelve awful minutes without a score at the start of the second period, Mark Wallace kicked Bannow-Ballymitty level (1-2 to 0-5). However, it seemed to shake the Duffry into life and mere seconds later Bowler ignored the easy point and sent a thumping 25-yard drive high to Murphy’s net.
While Harney added a couple of late frees, scores from Johnny Flynn-O’Connor, Cian Fitzhenry and Eamonn Doyle kept the New Ross District side at arm’s length. The Duffry will book their place in the quarters with a round three win when championship resumes later in the summer.
Duffry Rovers: Bobby Larkin; Feargal Kenny, Paul Nolan, Liam Pender; Thomas Dunne, Aidan Byrne, Craig Casey (joint capt.); Eamonn Doyle (0-1), Donie O’Connor; Stephen Watchorn, Tim Bowler (2-1, 0-1 ‘45), Johnny Flynn-O’Connor (joint capt., 0-2); Robert Frayne, Donie Doyle, Cian Fitzhenry (0-1 free). Subs. - Gavin Watchorn for Frayne, inj. (51), John Dunne for Bowler, black card (52).
Bannow-Ballymitty: Philip Murphy; Clem Rossiter, Conor Furlong, John Mernagh; Nicky Doyle, Art Sweetman, Darragh Murphy; Mark Wallace (0-1), Michael Murphy; Conor Neville, Niall Harney (capt., 0-4 frees), Pat Fitzharris (0-1); Richie Walsh (0-1 free), John O’Leary, Gary Morton. Subs. - James McCormack for M. Murphy (16), Murphy for McCormack (21), McCormack for Murphy (31), Jack Farragher for McCormack (58).
Referee: Eric Molloy (St. James’).