A POWERFUL SHOW
Davidstown cruise into Minor semi
HOSTS Davidstown-Courtnacuddy powered into the semi-final of the Wexford People Minor football Roinn 2 championship with victory over Aughermon Gaels on Tuesday.
The Boolabawn side flew through the group stages unbeaten and are now going to provide one half of an intriguing semi-final against St. Joseph’s, fielding their first Minor team in over two decades.
In truth, they were just too powerful for an understrength Taghmon-Camross/Bannow-Ballymitty double-act in this clash.
Sensing their opponents’ weakness, they went at them from the first whistle and built a comfortable lead by the break.
While there was a handful of top performers for Davidstown-Courtnacuddy, nobody played better than hotshot James Kelly. The county Minor hurler scored 1-7 from play and, with most of the game played in the Aughermon half, he was able to dictate proceedings from centre-forward.
It was a tough defeat for the Gaels to take but they should be given credit for travelling when many other clubs are giving walkovers when lacking numbers. They are not the only Minor side struggling for players and it would make one wonder why the twelveand 13-a-side competitions were dismissed.
While the first-half was a struggle, Darragh Winters was really impressive breaking from deep while the two-man full-forward line were unlucky not to register the scores that their clever movement and hard work deserved.
After Davidstown-Courtnacuddy settled, they grabbed their first goal in the tenth minute.
Harry McCafferty was strong in the build-up but there was still plenty of work to do when Kelly took possession. He cut inside and dispatched a sublime finish to the top corner of the net.
With both midfielders, Pádraig Loughlin and Zeb Finn, getting on the scoreboard, plus McCafferty intercepting and tapping over a close-range score, Davidstown-Courtnacuddy opened a 1-9 to nil lead at the interval.
When things aren’t going a team’s way, they seldom get the rub of the green.
That happened to Aughermon Gaels when Zeb Finn’s shot cannoned off Aaron Neville and dribbled over the line, helping the hosts into a 2-15 to nil lead.
To their credit the Gaels had a purple patch in the last ten minutes. Adam Sinnott scored two superb points, Shane Lacey notched another, and Cormac McGrath poked Ryan Banville’s punched effort over the line from close range.
However, substitutes Aaron Groarke and T.J. Owens flighted over late points for Davidstown-Courtnacuddy as they booked a semi-final with St. Joseph’s.
Aughermon drop into the shield competition where they will face Crossabeg-Ballymurn or Shamrocks.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy: Eddie Kelly; Rory Loughlin, Darragh Cooper, Donal Harrington; Michael McGinty, Mark Murphy, Seán Cooper; Pádraig Loughlin (0-2), Zeb Finn (1-3); Owen Furlong (0-1), James Kelly (1-11, 0-4 frees), Michael Andrews; Harry McCafferty (0-1), Mark Kavanagh, Stephen Hickey. Subs. - Aaron Groarke (0-2) for McCafferty (51), T.J. Owens (0-1) for McGinty (51), Conor Blythe for Furlong (51), Cian Jordan for R. O’Loughlin (51), Luke Harrington for D. Harrington (51), also Joe Atkinson.
Aughermon Gaels: Adam Cummins; John Banville, Aaron Neville, Patrick Roche; Darragh Winters, Thomas Banville, Adrian Ryan; Ryan Banville, Shane Lacey (0-1); Pete Murphy, Robert Cogley, James Sinnott; Cormac McGrath (1-0), Adam Sinnott (0-2), Dylan Colfer-Furlong.
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).