Castletown in last four

CASTLETOWN SEEM to have developed a gameplan that will be difficult to crack, as they surged past the challenge of Rathgarogue-Cushinstown to advance to the semi-finals of the inaugural Greenstar Under-21 football Premier ‘B’ championship with a 3-13 to 2-7 victory at a chilly Tomnahely on Saturday.

The hosts’ movement up front, particularly off the ball, was a sight to behold on occasion, and it really brought the best out of their forward unit on a night when all bar three of their overall total came from open play.

But they didn’t have it all their own way, as a quickfire goal and point from Aaron Ryan established a 1-1 to 0-2 lead as Rathgarogue-Cushinstown settled well after their long journey.

Daire Bolger’s direct running posed plenty of problems in the first-half, and his incision down the centre put the ball on the plate for Ryan to bravely palm to the net ahead of Alex Reid.

But Castletown responded through four splendid Darragh Brooks points, including one perfectly flighted free off the ground, while Yusuf Frih was quickest to react when prodding to the net after Killian Pierce’s shot rebounded out as they gradually built a useful 1-8 to 1-4 lead at the break. Breakthrough Senior attacker Robbie Brooks notched two points on the resumption, and when he supplied his younger brother Darragh, the recent county Minor goalkeeper produced an emphatic finish to the top corner as the gap swelled to 2-11 to 1-4 by the 37th minute.

But complacency seeped in over the next ten minutes, as Bolger pegged back two placed-balls, although Rathgarogue-Cushinstown also missed three scoreable frees in this juncture.

Home netminder Alex Reid was sprung into action too to smother substitute Eoin Burke’s punt at goal, while his opposite number Jack Murphy foiled Ross Bealin at the other end with a fine save.

However, the locals were unfazed by Rathgarogue-Cushinstown’s mini-revival, as Shane Halpin cheekily lobbed their third goal five minutes from time to seal their passage, with Eoin Porter producing a consolation goal out of nothing before the end.

Castletown: Alex Reid; Eoin Cullen, Frank Roche, Ross Cody; Killian Pierce, Joe Gardiner (capt., 0-1), Frankie Kavanagh; Rory Heffernan, Liam Coleman; Liam Condren, Yusuf Frih (1-1), Darragh Brooks (1-6, 0-3 frees); Ross Bealin (0-2), Robbie Brooks (0-2), Shane Halpin (1-1). Subs. - Chris Callanan for Heffernan (43), Andrew Byrne for Coleman (59).

Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Jack Murphy; Liam Roche, Ricky McGrath, John O’Keeffe; Liam O’Shea, Bryan Cody, Jason Dunne (capt.); Ian Kennedy, Eoin Porter (1-1); Paddy Barron (0-1), Daire Bolger (0-3, 2 frees), Eric Cummins; Shane Delaney, Aaron Ryan (1-2, 0-1 free), Shane O’Connor. Subs. - Ben Sutton for O’Connor (33), Eoin Burke for Delaney (47), Jack McGrath for Cummins (57).

Referee: Paddy Brady (Réalt na Mara).