Superb Anne’s seal Down trip
Awesome first-half display
A BRILLIANT opening half from a strong St. Anne’s outfit helped them seal the Féile Peil na nÓg Loch Garman Division 2 title, seeing off Duffry Rovers in the Ferns Centre of Excellence.
This was a comfortable victory for the Rathnagan-based side, but Duffry Rovers should feel no shame in the defeat as St. Anne’s look to be an excellent outfit. They have the potential to do well in the national stages of the competition, possessing extremely talented players all over the field.
A Liam Berry point and a Justin McMahon goal inside two minutes got the victors off to a flyer, and when Andrew Moran and the excellent Berry added two more goals five minutes later, it was evident that this game was only going to go one way.
The powerful midfield partnership of Liam Berry and Finn Ryan added points before Cathal Murphy and Andrew Moran gave them a 14-point lead at the break.
It was likely a tough game for Duffry Rovers having been beaten in the hurling final the previous week, but in typical fashion they never stopped trying and did everything they could to rally a challenge, hitting the first two points of the new half thanks to James Lawless and Pádraig Waters.
But they were given no mercy and their advances were soon cut out by a stubborn defence marshalled by centre-back, Páidí Doyle.
And when St. Anne’s captain, Cathal Murphy, kicked 1-2 midway through the half it signalled a handsome victory for his side which saw them march on to represent Wexford in Down on the first weekend of July.
St. Anne’s: Jack Kelly; Cian Walsh, Dylan Moran, Páidí Power; Eoin McMahon, Páidí Doyle, Shane Ryan; Liam Berry (1-2), Finn Ryan (0-1); Bobby Reville (0-1), Cathal Murphy (capt., 1-3, 0-1 free), Andrew Moran (1-1); Ben White, Robert Moore, Justin McMahon (1-1, 0-1 free). Subs. - Brad Walsh for Walsh, Dara Browne (0-1) for Reville, Jack Martin for Moore, Conor Kennedy for White, Kevin Byrne for E. McMahon, Rúairí Flannery for Power, Dara Sinnott for J. McMahon, Mogue Barry-Cleary for A. Moran.
Duffry Rovers: Ciarán Doyle; Ciarán Murphy, Cathal O’Gorman, Jacques Neville; Liam Redmond, Danny Fitzhenry, Robbie Chapman; Joshua Doyle, Dylan Purcell; David Nolan, Mervyn Rogan, James Lawless (0-1 free); Shane Reddy, Pádraig Waters (0-1), Ryan Gowler. Subs. - James McHugh for Murphy, Killian Hanrahan for Neville, Tomás Murphy for Gowler, Aaron Walsh for Nolan, also Noel Cowman, Jason Sheridan, Joey Earle.
Referee: Shane Quinn (Réalt na Mara).