Four goals see blues seal deal
Oylegate-Glenbrien on top
A GOAL-HUNGRY Oylegate-Glenbrien side fired their way past Starlights and to the Permanent TSB Enniscorthy District Junior ‘B’ football championship crown in St. Patrick’s Park on Saturday. IN what was otherwise a pretty even game, Oylegate-Glenbrien simply offered a far greater goal threat than that of their Enniscorthy opponents.
Despite this, the sides took some time to settle into a pattern and, as the rain started to fall, nerves played their part early on.
Starlights kicked their first minor in the ninth minute through Martin Armstrong before Graham Donohoe agonisingly saw his penalty kick rebound back off the post.
Indeed, it took Oylegate-Glenbrien a quarter of the match to get their first score, with Stephen McDonald pointing from play, but once they got the scoreboard ticking they never looked back.
Barry Doyle and Ciarán O’Brien quickly added two more before the game’s opening goal, with Tommy O’Rourke tucking the ball in the bottom right corner from a move started by O’Brien.
Daithí Mernagh, Armstrong and J.P. Farrell minors closed the gap momentarily, but when some neat skills from O’Brien set up Barry Doyle for the game’s second goal, the title appeared to be slipping from the Starlights’ grasp.
Armstrong got his third of the game before the break to leave five points between the sides (2-4 to 0-5).
The second-half began in a similar vein and the writing appeared to be on the wall for Starlights when John Lambert tapped in Doyle’s saved shot in the 33rd minute to raise the green flag for the third time.
While Joe Carley and Armstrong picked off two more points, it was clear Starlights lacked the ability to score the goals required to find a way back into the game.
Doyle finished it off in the 45th minute when his shot from distance dropped under the crossbar, and Oylegate-Glenbrien added two more minors through Stephen Ring and O’Rourke before substituting their entire full-forward line in the 50th minute.
Armstrong and Barry Deegan brought the Starlights points tally up to nine late on, but it was nowhere near enough to prevent Oylegate-Glebrien deservedly getting their hands on the championship trophy.
Oylegate-Glenbrien: Adrian Harris; Davy Phillips, David O’Brien (capt.), Aidan Murphy; John Reck, Pádraig O’Connor, Niall Kinsella; Brian Doran, Tommy O’Rourke (1-1); Ryan Hill, Stephen Ring (0-1), Ciarán O’Brien (0-2); Stephen McDonald (01), John Lambert (1-0), Barry Doyle (2-2, 0-1 free). Subs. - M.J. Reck for Doyle (50), Micheál Doyle for Lambert (50), Mick Reck for McDonald (50).
Starlights: Maurice Donohue; Martin Ryan, Fiacre Ryan, Joe Newe; Adam Kirwan (0-1), Joe Carley, Jack Doyle; Seánie O’Gorman, J.P. Farrell (0-1); Gary Millar (capt.), Martin Armstrong (0-5, 3 frees), Graham Donohoe; Daithí Mernagh (0-1), Ciarán O’Connor, Mick Donohoe. Subs. - Barry Deegan (0-1) for O’Connor (35), Seán McGrath for M. Donohoe (45), Bradley Fortune for Mernagh (45), Alan Franklin for Millar (49).
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).