Clinical Shillelagh dispatch Aughrim
SHILLELAGH 1-11 AUGHRIM 0-11 DIVISION 3
IF Aughrim could improve their scoring rates they would win matches. Instead, they’re left kicking themselves for leaving two league points behind them.
Last week they had eight wides against Baltinglass and this week they increased that tally to ten, including four of them before their first point.
Shillelagh were much more clinical in front of goal, they only registered one wide and opened the Aughrim defence for a couple of more goal chances that Brian Lynch did well to save.
Aughrim started the better team and the game was played in the Shillelagh half for most of the opening twenty minutes. Conor Phelan was sought and found regularly with a pass into the forward line and he put fear into the Shillelagh defence every time.
Robert Lambert and Mick Brennan were winning the midfield battle while their full back line, especially Paul Lacey, were disrupting the Shillelagh forward line. Aughrim were doing everything well except score.
They had two chances inside two minutes that went wide while at the other end Cathal Murphy converted a free to get the first score of the match for Shillelagh. They withstood some more Aughrim pressure and moments later David Whelan doubled the lead with a nice shot off his left foot.
Eventually, after another two wides and a shot that dropped short, Aughrim got on the scoreboard and scored three points in as many minutes to take the lead. Andy Holt won a dangerous ball in defence and launched an attack which resulted in Richard Keegan splitting the posts following good play by Ian Clancy and Pierce Lawlor.
Mick Brennan belligerently won the ball back for Patrick Kavanagh to equalise and then Robert Lambert landed his first free of the evening when Conor Phelan was fouled.
Indeed, the scores continued to accumulate and seven points were scored in the next seven minutes. Having weathered the early Aughrim pressure it was Shillelagh’s turn to hit a purple patch and they kicked five of those seven points to lead by two, 7-5, at half time.
Gary Murphy helped himself to three points, the middle one a gift when Willie Kavanagh passed the ball straight to him. Brendan Behan also got into the game and he scored the fourth point before being fouled for the fifth.
The home team continued where they left off before half time and had a dream start to the second half. Behan had the ball over the bar within seconds of the restart when he muscled his way past his new marker, Ian Clancy, and then intercepted the kick out to all of a sudden make it a four point lead.
Robert Lambert and David Whelan traded points before Aughrim reeled off three in a row, all from Lambert, to reduce the deficit to a point by the 40th minute.
Then came the goal for Shillelagh to put some daylight between the teams. Raymond Murphy found Gary Murphy with more room than a church on Good Friday now the pubs are open and though Brian Lynch saved his shot Behan was on hand to flick the rebound home.
Paddy Hennessey added a point to extend the lead to five points in the 47th minute, Shillelagh’s last score of the game. Aughrim went in search of late salvation and while they scored two points, unfortunately they finished the game like they started, with four wides and by kicking the game away.
Scorers – Shillelagh: Brendan Behan 1-03; Gary Murphy 0-03; Cathal Murphy (2f), David Whelan 0-02 each; Paddy Hennessey 0-01.
Aughrim: Robert Lambert (4f) 0-05; Patrick Kavanagh 0-02; Andy Holt, John Annesley, Richard Keegan, Paddy Phelan 0-01 each.
Shillelagh: Laurie Cullen; Noel Murphy, Sean Carroll, Enda Foley; Keith Collins, Daire Foley, Daniel Behan; Paddy Hennessey, Raymond Murphy; Cathal Murphy, Gary Murphy, Francis Simpson; David Whelan, Brendan Behan, JP Lyons. Subs: Declan Nolan for JP Lyons (HT); Owen Byrne for Francis Simpson (54 mins).
Aughrim: Brian Lynch; Paul Lacey, Andy Holt, Willie Kavanagh; Ian Clancy, Eoin Forsyth, John Annesley; Robert Lambert, Mick Brennan; Pierce Lawlor, Richard Keegan, Darren Keegan; Patrick Kavanagh, Paddy Phelan, Conor Phelan. Subs: Adam Rochford for Darren Keegan (43 mins); Shaun Doyle for Mick Brennan (48 mins).
Referee: Kieron Kenny