Cushinstown pull away
WHILE THE score suggests a Rathgarogue-Cushinstown demolition job, this Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group B game on Sunday had far more charm than the result suggests.
Starlights actually led by four points early on, and they were still level after 26 minutes.
And they would have been all square again early in the second-half had it not been for an outrageous save by a covering Robert Murphy when Willie Hudson looked certain to score.
The New Ross District side eventually pulled away in the second-half, as their quality suggested they would. Yet all in all, this was very decent fare for the small crowd that headed to Taghmon after the Senior hurling in Innovate Wexford Park.
A solid save by Gary Murphy from Bernard Furlong’s low shot stopped Rathgarogue-Cushinstown getting an early advantage. Things took a surprising turn when Hudson released Brendan Kearney and he sent a controlled left-footed finish to the top corner.
With seven minutes on the clock Hudson broke through himself and rattled high to the net as Starlights opened a scarcely believable 2-0 to 0-2 lead. However, they would add just two more points in the remainder of the game.
With Tadhg and Matthew Cody willing runners from deep, Daniel Martin Carroll winning a lot of good primary ball, and Eoin Porter commiting defenders with his assertive runs, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown scored eight of the last nine points of the half to lead by 0-10 to 2-1 at the break.
After Hudson was spectacularly denied, Starlights struggled. Daire Bolger fired past Murphy after the ‘keeper had initially stopped Porter. When Bernard Furlong fisted home from Tadhg Cody’s ball, the result looked inevitable (2-11 to 2-1).
Good work by substitute Eoin Burke in the build-up helped Bolger net for a second time after Porter was denied again in the 55th minute.
The evening finished in bizarre fashion with a classy point just before the end from Eric Cummins, despite at that stage playing with the elastic broken in his shorts.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Jonathan Kelly; Ricky McGrath, Bryan Cody, Patrick Murphy; Robert Murphy, Matthew Cody (0-1), Ollie Bolger; Daniel Martin Carroll, Tadhg Cody (01); Daire Bolger (2-1), Eoin Porter (0-6, 3 frees), Eric Cummins (0-3); Aaron Ryan (0-3), Bernard Furlong capt., (1-2), Nicky Sinnott (0-1). Subs. - Eoin Burke for Ryan (51), Garrett Browne for R. Murphy (51).
Starlights: Gary Murphy (capt.); Daniel O’Brien, Tom Wall, Chris Doyle; Willie Dunne, Tom Ryan, Wayne Breen; John Ryan, Kevin Ryan; Neil McCrea, Killian Lett, Willie Hudson (1-2, 0-1 free); Will Doyle, Brendan Kearney (1-0), Tomás Mahon. Subs. - Anthony Russell for W. Doyle (31), Ryan Hadley for Dunne (37), Diarmuid Byrne for McCrea, inj. (41), Gary Miller for J. Ryan (51), Declan Courtney for O’Brien (51).
Referee: Lar Doyle (Taghmon-Camross).