Super Starlights cruise through to ‘B’ decider
STARLIGHTS crushed St. Anne’s in Bellefield on Saturday evening last to advance to a Greenstar Premier ‘B’ Football Championship final opposite Castletown.
The hosts dominated the opening half but led by just 1-2 to nil at the interval.
However, after wasting multiple chances before the break the Enniscorthy Town side eventually ensured their dominance was reflected on the scoreboard.
It was tough for St Anne’s to keep up, they were missing a few important components and that was always going to make this a difficult assignment. They battled hard and might have felt they had a chance midway though the second half but Starlights refused to allow any late fightback.
The Bellefield boys missed a host of chances in the opening quarter as the game remained scoreless.
Amongst other opportunities, Shelbourne striker Aaron Dobbs missed the clearest cut, striking a penalty off the post after Oran Carty was fouled.
Dobbs did open the scoring with a classy point in the 16th minute and soon scuffed a shot that Mikey McVeigh poked out a toe at and diverted past Jack Donovan. Will Doyle made it 1-2 to nil while Dylan O’Brien’s effort off the upright was as close as the
Rathangan boys came to a score at the other end.
O’Brien would get the Wexford district club on the board in the 33rd minute but they had already conceded a second McVeigh goal, plus a Dobbs point, by the time they registered that score.
St Anne’s went close to a critical goal when Conor J. Ryan fired narrowly wide in the 38th minute. When another chance came along they had fallen further behind thanks to a well take Carty major and McVeigh’s hat-trick goal.
Trailing 4-6 to 0-2 St Anne’s responded with an Andy Kennedy point and grabbed a consolation major when O’Brien fired home a quick free-kick. However, Starlights scored 3-4 unanswered in the time remaining, with goals from Nathan O’Connor, Mick Dempsey and Lee Jordan to set up an intriguing final with Castletown. STARLIGHTS: Anto Larkin; Jack Kirwan, Mick Delaney, Cian Larkin; Craig Peare, Nathan O’Connor (1-0), Craig Foley (0-1); Sean Breen, Aaron Dobbs (0-4); Oran Carty (1-0), Lee Jordan (1-2, 0-1 free),
Jack Doyle; Mick Dempsey (1-2), Mikey McVeigh (3-0), Will Doyle (0-1). Subs. - J.P. Farrell for Carty (41), Bradley Fortune for McVeigh (47).
ST ANNE’S: Jack Donovan; Jake Walsh, Finn Bennett, Barry Stone; Ryan Finegan, Justin Moran, Barry Roche; Philip Rawson, Kevin Breen; Karim Byrne, Andy Kennedy (0-2, 1 free), Gary Sinnott; Dylan O’Brien (1-1, 1-0 free), Killian Byrne, Conor J.
Ryan. Subs. - Evan McKey for Killian Byrne (46), Rory O’Shea for Karim Byrne (56).
REFEREE: James Flood (St Mary’s, Maudlintown).