Pat’s prevail
Two late goals seal victory
TWO GOALS in the last eight minutes essentially sealed an otherwise close local derby in St. Patrick’s favour as they notched their first win of this season’s Joyce’s Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship Group B campaign with a 2-12 to 0-8 victory over Kilanerin’s second-string in Saturday’s round two game at Páirc Uí Shíocháin, Gorey.
Isolated player from Buffers Alley, John Farrell, got off to a flying start in the St. Patrick’s jersey when he pointed them in front immediately from the throw-in, but it was the class of his team-mate, John Doyle, that was the main talking point of the game.
The talented youngster accounted for his side’s next four points before the half-time break, including two fine individual efforts from play, but also dragged a goal chance wide of the post after initially cutting the defence open.
His input on the scoreboard ensured that they held a tight 0-5 to 0-4 lead at that juncture, although there could have been an entirely different complexion had Jack Quinn not got a hand onto Lee Owley’s 14th-minute penalty which instead ricocheted over for a point.
Three Peter Hughes frees kept Kilanerin in touch throughout the second period, and when centre-back Tomás Owley got forward to point, the difference stood at 0-9 to 0-8 with nine minutes left.
But St. Patrick’s upped the gears thereafter, with substitute Shane Finn palming to the empty net after some good work along the endline by Richie Flood, and full-forward Niall O’Brien landing a couple of impressive looking insurance points to open up 1-12 to 0-8 daylight.
And the game was wrapped up in injury-time when Flood bundled home from close-range after Doyle’s free dropped short.
St. Patrick’s: Jack Quinn; James Cousins, Hughie Doyle, Joe Cousins; Daryl Murphy, Michael O’Brien, Glen Carton; Richie Flood (1-0), John Farrell (0-1); Tommy Morris, John Doyle (0-6, 3 frees), Tommy Dunne; Ashley Tully, Niall O’Brien (0-4), Tomás Morris (0-1). Subs. - Shane Finn (1-0) for Tully (40), Michael Carroll for Tommy Morris (47), Conor Morris for N. O’Brien (58).
Kilanerin: Eoin Lucey; Damien Tobin, Brian Hughes, Lorcan Clare; Colm Noctor, Tomás Owley (0-1), Cathal O’Reilly; Patrick Fortune (0-1), Jim Hughes; Stephen Neville, Tommy Boland, Colin Breen; Liam Carroll, Peter Hughes (0-4 frees), Lee Owley (0-2, 1 pen.). Subs. - Pat O’Connor for Breen (HT), Seán Bardon for Fortune (43), Aidan Hegarty for Noctor (49), Dylan Smith for Boland (55), Danny Howard for P. Hughes (56).
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).