Goals key for Sars
Outcome of Féile decider repeated
THE ABILITY to score goals proved to be the difference again as Sarsfields edged past Glynn-Barntown and into the New Ross Standard Under-14 football Division 1 championship final in St. Patrick’s Park on Thursday.
The Páirc Charman boys headed north for the Féile courtesy of a 3-3 to 1-7 win against the same side back in April.
And they showed that their cutting edge when going for goals was no fluke as Darragh Grant and Jason Gordon found the net to see them safely through to the county final.
In truth, these are two evenly-matched sides but if there is one thing that sets them apart it’s the play of Gordon in the Sarsfields midfield. He proved to be a colossus in the centre, winning high balls, tacking fairly with strength, while adding energy and power driving forward.
Luke Murphy opened the scoring for the Sarsfields inside three minutes and only great defending prevented Calum Corcoran netting moments later.
Glynn-Barntown had a purple patch and went ahead after points from Michael Mackey and Darragh Carley, but Darby Purcell levelled with a dead ball.
The equalising point began Sars’ best spell of the match. Grant netted after great work by Kyle Clancy, while Jack Foley and Purcell quickly followed with points to ease their side 1-4 to 0-2 ahead after 15 minutes.
The sin-binning, moments later, of Darragh Carley could really have damaged Glynn-Barntown but they battened down the hatches and actually scored the only point when their talismanic midfielder was off the pitch when Mackey tapped over a free.
Down by 1-4 to 0-3 at the break, Carley announced his return with a point immediately after the re-start. However, Purcell added another in the 27th minute before Gordon converted a penalty after Corben Brown was adjudged to have footblocked Foley’s shot.
Glynn-Barntown prevented their opponents from scoring in the final 20 minutes but couldn’t find the scores they needed themselves. Mackey and Alan Mahoney scored frees but they couldn’t find a way past Eoin Halligan in the Sarsfields goal and ended with 14 after Luke O’Rourke was red-carded.
Sarsfields: Eoin Halligan; Jack Connolly, Luke Ryan, Cillian Twomey; Emmet Gahan, Alex Boggan, Patrick Duignan; Kyle Clancy, Jason Gordon (1-0 pen.); Darby Purcell (0-3, 2 frees), Jack Foley (0-1), Luke Murphy (0-1); Eoin Hartigan, Darragh Grant (1-0), Calum Corcoran. Subs. - Alex Kirby for Connolly, black card (21), Cal Innes for Clancy, inj. (28), Tiernan Doyle for Corcoran (41), also Eoin Doyle, Jack Corcoran, Callum Doyle, Killian Whelan, Kyle Carroll, Darragh Maloney, Brandon Tracey, Cuan Gallagher, Charlie Hynes, Oliver McMahon, Darragh Haughton.
Glynn-Barntown: Darragh Murphy; Aaron Cuddihy, Robbie Hillis, Conor Lyne; Dylan Mooney (0-1), Tommy Gallagher, Corben Brown; Darragh Carley (0-2, 1 free), Josh Carley; Will Hayes, Luke O’Rourke, Conor Foley; Moragh O’Flaherty, Michael Mackey (0-3, 2 frees), Alan Mahoney (0-1 free). Subs. - Ferdia Murphy for O’Flaherty (26), James Doyle for Mackey (41), Daniel Brazzill for Mooney (41), Conor Mackey for J. Carley (44), Mackey for Foley (45), also Cian White, Maurice Reynolds, Josh Murphy, Nicky Rossiter.
Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).