Starlights attack too hot for Davidstown-Courtnacuddy to handle
THE GOAL-SCORING threat of Starlights proved too hot to handle for Davidstown-Courtnacuddy as they sauntered to a handsome victory in Group B of the Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship in St. Patrick’s Park on Tuesday.
First-half goals from Brendan Doyle, Eamonn Furlong and Dayle Donohoe helped the Enniscorthy town outfit to a 3-7 to 0-8 interval advantage, with Furlong and Dohohoe both finding the net for a second time late on to wrap up a convincing triumph.
After Pádraig Loughlin got Davidstown-Courtnacuddy off the mark by popping over a point inside 20 seconds, Starlights scored 1-3 without reply in the next five minutes.
They had the green flag waving with four minutes on the clock when Timmy Dwyer delivered a pinpoint pass to Eamonn Furlong, who picked out Brendan Doyle to confidently fire the ball to the back of the net.
The Davidstown-Courtnacuddy response was admirable though as they picked off six points on the trot, with David Dunne’s 20th-minute effort giving them a 0-7 to 1-3 advantage.
After the sharpshooting Lee Murphy levelled matters with a free,Davidstown-Courtnacuddy goalkeeper Seán Howlin was again picking the ball out of his net.
Eamonn Furlong got on the end of Brian Ronan’s long delivery into the danger zone and blasted an unstoppable shot over the line in the 25th minute.
As the game ticked into first-half injury time, Starlights had their third major when Mark Redmond picked out the run of Dayle Donohoe and his angled drive nestled in the far corner.
Trailing by eight points at the break, Davidstown-Courtnacuddy needed something special and they twice went close to getting the goal they desperately craved early in the half.
First wing-forward Stephen Kennedy saw his shot come crashing back off the woodwork and then county hurler David Dunne’s goalbound effort was well saved by Gary Murphy.
They did eventually get a three-pointer when the impressive James Kelly cut in from the left and blasted a searing shot past the Starlights netminder.
Stephen Kennedy followed up with a quick point to reduce the gap to six (3-11 to 1-11), but Starlights turned the screw again and scored 1-5 without reply to put the game to bed.
Eamonn Furlong got the goal with 53 minutes on the clock, after lively substitute Pa O’Rourke, who also helped himself to two points, had picked him out with a probing pass.
Dayle Donohoe then put the icing on the cake in injury time when he ran on to perfectly-weighted delivery from Diarmuid Byrne, hared forward and planted a powerful shot in the left-hand corner of the net.
Starlights: Gary Murphy; Mark Redmond, Daniel O’Brien, Declan Courtney; Dale Galway, Ricky Fox (0-1), Wayne Breen; Tom Ryan, Brian Ronan (0-1); Dayle Donohoe (2-1), Eoin Quigley (0-1), Brendan Doyle (12); Lee Murphy (0-7, 4 frees), Eamonn Furlong (2-2), Timmy Dwyer. Subs. Joe Cullen for Ronan, Ryan Hadley for Redmond, Diarmuid Byrne for Fox, Pa O’Rourke (0-2) for Quigley.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy: Seán Howlin; Barry Nolan, Kevin Keane, Kieran McCabe; Darragh Cooper, Patrick Rowsome (0-1), Donal O’Shea; Pádraig Loughlin (0-1), Alan Hickey; James Doyle, David Dunne (0-1), Stephen Kennedy (0-3, 1 free); Stephen Dunbar, John Delaney, James Kelly (1-5, 0-2 frees). Subs. - David Shore for Keane, Philip Murphy (0-1) for Doyle, David O’Dwyer (0-1) for Delaney, Ciarán Walsh for Dunbar, Andrew Furlong for McCabe
Referee: Lar Doyle (Taghmon-Camross).