Éire Óg get past ’Dales’ challenge Woods’ goal lights up tough clash
ÉIRE ÓG AVONDALE 1-10 2-02
ÉIRE ÓG turned in an impressive performance to seal victory in their first league game of the new season when they strangled Avondale’s challenge under lights in Greystones last Friday night.
Work rate was key to the Éire Óg men’s victory who welcomed the Rathdrum side to their pitch after the Avondale venue was considered unplayable.
Apart from two goals from the influential Eugene Dunne – the first after the experienced Avondale man fired home the rebound from Sean McGraynor’s early penalty, the second an opportunistic strike from a free with goalkeeper Billy Norman busy retrieving a ball away from his goals in the second half Éire Óg’s appetite and energy was too much for Emmet O’Sullivan’s men on the night.
Avondale’s early 1-01 suggested that Éire Óg were in for a difficult night. Cian O’Flaherty for the Greystones men off the mark and they gradually got down to work at moving the ball well through the hands and probing for weaknesses in then Avondale defence.
The Greystones men were starting five players under 20 years of age while Avondale were a healthy mix of young and old with the likes of Oisin McGraynor and Ryan Cahill mingling with such seasoned veterans as Barry Sheehan and the aforementioned Eugene Dunne.
James Delahunt popped over Éire Óg’s second score of the night either side of two Avondale chances from the boot of Sean McGraynor, the first being gathered by Billy Norman in the Greystones goal and the second coming back off the post after referee John Keenan had played advantage for a foul. The Aughrim official pulled it back for a free but Ryan Cahill went wide from the placed ball.
Super play from Darragh Shiel kicked off a wonderful Éire Óg move shortly after. Sheil won a free and the ball was worked to James Delahunt. From here the ball was worked through Shiel again, Craig Smullen, Jamie McDonald before being passed to the marauding Danny Woods who sent and Avondale man sprawling as he thundered down on Brian Burke’s goal and the former county man hammered home to the back fo the Avondale net for an excellent team goal to make it 1-02 to 1-01.
That’s how it stayed until the break, with both sides guilty of wides and errors in the bitterly cold night air in Greystones.
Éire Óg started the second half very brightly. Fintan O’Shea screwed over a real treat of a point off his left boot with three minutes gone and this was followed by Daragh Shiel who received a ball from James Delahunt after a poor Brian Burke kick-out. The Greystones men had two wides on the board in that time as well to highlight their total dominance in the opening five minutes of the second period.
Avondale sent in Patrick Kinsella and Jack Manley in a bid to freshen things up and they redeployed Barry Sheehan to the edge of the Éire Óg square.
The Greystones men sent in Stephen Kelly at the same time and the county hurler certainly impressed as he sat at centre half-back and mopped up plenty of danger for the remainder of the game.
Points from Daniel Webb and Danny Woods (free) extended the Éire Óg lead to 1-06 to 1-01 before Eugene Dunne cheekily fired home from a close in free after spotting that Billy Norman was out of his goal retrieving a stray ball. The Greystones men were livid with referee John Keenan at allowing the free to be taken but the Aughrim official stood his ground and the goal stood.
But it was clear to see that Éire Óg were by far the dominant force in this game. Avondale were struggling under the pressure of their tackling and pressing and were having awful trouble scoring.
Another Woods free was followed by a stunning Cian O’Flaherty point before Darren Beevor dropped over Avondale’s first and last point of the second half from a free after 26 minutes.
The hugely impressive Danny Woods added another two frees late on to seal a deserved 1-10 to 2-02 victory for the Éire Óg men.
Scorers - Éire Óg: Danny Woods 1-04 (3f), Cian O’Flaherty 0-02, James Delahunt 0-01, Danny Webb 0-01 (f), Daragh Shiel 0-01, Fintan O’Shea 0-01.
Avondale: Eugene Dunne 2-00, Darren Beevor 0-01 (f),
Billy Norman; Liam McGuire, Dominic O’Brien, Sean Horan; Conall Deeney, Craig Smullen, Fintan O’Shea; Danny Woods, Pearse Kelly; James Cranley, Jamie McDonald, Daragh Shiel; Cian O’Flaherty, Danny Webb, James Delahunt. Subs: Stephen Kelly for Conall Deeney, 24 for J Cranley, Peter Keane for C O’Flaherty (inj), Anto Byrne for D Webb
Brian Burke; Shane Beevor, Shane O’Neill, Simon Cullen; Shane Byrne, David Baker, Kevin Fitzpatrick; Barry Sheehan, Eoin Baker; Eugene Dunne, Sean McGraynor, Oisin McGraynor; Ross ward, Ryan Cahill, Darren Beevor. Subs: Jack Manley for R Ward, E Baker for O McGraynor, Patrick Kinsella for S Beevor, James Busher for S O’Neill, A Benson Byrne for K Fitzpatrick.
John Keenan (Aughrim)
Éire Óg Greystones: Avondale: Referee:
Any side without the likes of Martin O’Brien, Clive and Alan Horan, Liam Moules, Mick O’Brien and Elliot Robinson is always going to struggle but John Hynes will have to have been impressed with the battle his charges put up over the course of the hour.
Tinahely had plenty of youth in their side as they hit the ground running and raced into a 0-05 to 0-01 lead. Annacurra picked up a gear and got back level before half-time thanks in no small part to a fine save made by David Whitty, one of two over the course of the game. .
Tinahely got a point on the stroke of half-time to go in leading 0-06 to 0-05.
In the second half Annacurra took the game to Tinahely and were four points up with six mins to go thanks to two goals, one from Alan Byrne and the other from Ian McDonald who picked up a knock off the goalpost while scoring his goal.
Tinahely dug deep and hit 1-2 to win this match on a score line of 2-10 to 2-09. Alan Costello will view this as a great victory for his side and they travel away to take on Éire Óg Greystones at 12.30pm in the league while Annacurra take on Coolkenno away on March 4.
Niall Byrne, David Blake, Michael Byrne, Larry Keating, Kevin Mulhall, john Blake, James Gilbert, James Hedderman, Rory stokes, Brian Walsh, Stephen Dillon, Alan Nolan, Willie Quaile, Jason Cush, Alan Dillon.
David Whitty; James Keenan, Paul McDonald, Shane McAllister; Niall Murphy, Alan Byrne, Dean Barnes; Bob Fitzgerald, Frank Clune; Michael Healy, Gearoid Murphy, Glen Austin; Shane O’Keeffe, Ian McDonald, Max Molloy. Subs: Ciaran Byrne for I McDonald (inj), I McDonald for M Molloy, Ciaran Doyle for D Barnes.
Tinahely: Annacurra: