Shels steer clear late on

A STIRRING final quarter saw Shelmaliers get their EBS All-County Football League Division 1 campaign off to a winning start as they eventually overpowered Horeswood in Hollymount on Friday.

The visitors held a 1-7 to 0-8 advantage with 44 minutes gone, but an A.J. Lehane goal kick-started the strong finish, with Conor Hearne adding two more majors.

Much of the focus before the game was on the possible impact of the new rules, but in truth they had little bearing on this contest, with attacking marks at a premium and no need for referee Fintan O’Reilly to utilise the sin-bin.

Horeswood began strongly, building up a 1-3 to 0-1 lead by the twelfth minute. The goal came after just four minutes when midfielder Shane O’Hanlon burst forward with purpose and fed Collie Nolan.

Declan Murphy was a menace for the Shels defence whenever he ran at them, and the attacker picked off two eye-catching scores in the opening half, while P.J. Banville contributed a trio of points.

However, the hosts began to find their feet as the first-half wore on and were very much in touch at the break (1-5 to 0-6) thanks to points from Craig McCabe (two), A.J. Lehane, Kyle Roche, Eoin O’Leary and Conor Hearne.

After Lehane had popped over two points shortly after the re-start, either side of a Gary Reilly score, Shels exploded into life midway through the half when Craig McCabe picked out the full-forward and he calmly slid the ball to the net.

Two minutes later they had their second goal, with Seán Keane-Carroll doing the donkey work before finding Conor Hearne.

The men in black and amber really had the wind in their sails and they put the icing on the cake in injury time when Hearne finished in style after good work from substitute Thomas O’Connor.