Blackwater steady the ship
HAVING LOST their opening round game by 21 points, Blackwater dramatically bounced back with a thoroughly-deserved nine-point victory over a lack-lustre Buffers Alley side in this Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group B game in Ballygarrett on Friday.
Putting that nightmare opening round game behind them, when they conceded 8-9, Blackwater were never led in this game. In the main they were in control, but having said that Buffers Alley were still guilty of missing out on a couple of gilt-edged scoring chances.
Blackwater would have been happier at the break when leading by six points as their injury-ravaged side had dominated most of the opening 30 minutes.
Enjoying an inordinate amount of possession, Blackwater missed out on numerous chances early on but took a third-minute lead through Kevin Purcell. After Dillon Dixon and Shane Grannell had exchanged points, the game’s only goal arrived at the end of the first quarter.
Substitute Kevin Murphy, just introduced for the injured Denis Carroll, got on the end of a sweeping move involving five players to direct a low shot to the bottom right-hand corner of the net, giving his side a 1-2 to 0-1 lead.
After Diramuid Murphy and Paul Nangle exchanged points, Blackwater finished the half by adding points through Kerill Sutton and Dean Whelan to lead by 1-5 to 0-2 at the interval.
Blackwater opened the second-half with a Dean Whelan point after 33 minutes, going on to lead by 1-8 to 0-4 with ten minutes remaining as both sides were guilty of wayward finishing.
Buffers Alley created numerous chances of reducing the deficit but their poor finishing was to prove costly, with Paul Nangle missing out on a goal chance five minutes from the end.
And Blackwater closed out the scoring with points from Michael Lillis, Paddy Cullen and a Dean Whelan free to gain their opening two points of the campaign.
Blackwater: Robert O’Leary; Mark Donoghue, Ian Curran, Declan O’Leary; Diarmuid Murphy (0-1), Darren Byrne, Shane Wright; Denis Carroll, Michael Lillis (0-1); Kevin Purcell (0-1), Kerrill Sutton (0-2), Dillon Dixon (0-2); Lar Leacy (0-1), Dean Wright, Dean Whelan (0-3). Subs. - Kevin Murphy (1-0) for Carroll, inj., Paddy Cullen (0-1) for Purcell.
Buffers Alley: Darren O’Brien; Colm Og Doran, Seán Murphy, Alan Doyle; Conor Kenny, Shane Grannell (0-1), Ciarán Murphy; Pat Kenny, Seán Og Whelan; Robert O’Leary (0-1), Domhnall McArdle, Kevin Roche (0-1); John Lee Meyler, Paul Nangle (0-2, 1 free), Paul Doyle. Subs. - Ross Donohoe (0-1) for C. Kenny, John Farrell for Meyler, Thomas Dempsey for Doran.
Referee: Paddy Campbell (Shelmaliers).