Reck goal ruins Clongeen
A DAVID Reck goal less than a minute after the interval propelled HWH-Bunclody to their second victory in Group A of the Amber Springs/Ashdown Park Hotels Intermediate football championship in Bellefield on Sunday.
It was a calamitous goal for Clongeen to concede as there looked to be little danger when Josh Martin floated a ball across the face of goal that was gobbled up by the defence. However, they failed to clear their lines and after a scramble in the goalmouth Reck got the vital touch to force the ball to the net.
Having led by 0-4 to 0-3 at the break, that three-pointer so quickly after the re-start gave Bunclody a real lift and they kicked on from there and never looked liked losing their grip, despite a late goal from the impressive Paul Curtis.
Bunclody held a 0-3 to 0-2 lead in the twelfth minute, with Eoin Kelly knocking over two fine points and Colm Farrell finishing off a sweeping move, while Willie McDonald (free) and Paudie Cahill responded.
Attractive passages of play were few and between in the opening half, although both sides did come close to plundering goals.
In the sixth minute Clongeen threatened, when Cathal Murphy’s vicious effort came back off the crossbar, while Peter Atkinson fluffed two opportunities at the other end, first seeing his shot come back off the post when well positioned and then skewing a chance wide when under pressure from goalkeeper Ricky Rochford.
A superb point from the left boot of Paul Curtis drew Clongeen level in the 25th minute, but Aidan Nolan floated over a free shortly before the break to restore Bunclody’s advantage.
The Half Way House crew couldn’t have asked for a better start to the second-half, with Reck’s goal giving them what looked like a healthy four-point lead given the conditions.
Bunclody then pressed home their advantage, keeping the scoreboard ticking over with Aidan Nolan, Josh Martin, John Dunne and Peter Atkinson all finding the range to give them a 1-10 to 0-5 buffer.
After good work from Robert Farrell, Paul Curtis burst through the Bunclody defence and rifled a shot beyond Patrick Kavanagh in the 56th minute, but it was too little, too late for Clongeen, who remain rooted to the foot of the table and are now in the relegation final.
HWH-Bunclody: Patrick Kavanagh; Billy Kelly, Martin O’Connor, Adam Hogan; Peadair Cowman, John Atkinson, Paddy Dunbar; John Dunne (0-2), Aidan Nolan (0-3 frees); Colm Farrell (0-1), Eoin Kelly (0-2), Keith O’Hara; David Reck (1-0), Peter Atkinson (0-1), Josh Martin (0-1). Subs. - Mark Sheehan for O’Hara, Enda Slevin for Dunbar, Jamie John Murphy for Reck.
Clongeen: Ricky Rochford; Marty Reville, Barry Foxe, Jamie Keating; Donal Whelan, Anton Stafford, Enda Murphy; Shane Kilkenny, Shane Cahill; Ger Foxe, Paudie Cahill (0-1), Robert Farrell; Paul Curtis (1-2), Cathal Murphy, Willie McDonald (0-2 frees). Sub. - Leon Stafford for Farrell.
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).