Éire Óg march on to decider

Annacurra put to the sword

ÉIRE ÓG ANNACURRA 1-14 1-4

ÉIRE ÓG GREYSTONES cemented their Senior status for 2019 and sealed their place in the Keating Trophy final with a thumping victory over a disappointing Annacurra side in Bray last Friday evening under lights.

Stunning performances from Darren Hayden and Stephen Kelly laid the foundations for this superb victory, with Hayden bagging 1-4, the goal from a penalty he dispatched superbly past Bob Fitzgerald in the Annacurra goal late on, and Kelly totally dominating from his position of full-back.

Annacurra never turned up for this game in terms of effort or application with only Martin O’Brien really carrying the game to the Greystones men over the course of the hour.

Éire Óg led by 0-6 to 0-2 at the break and deservedly so, Danny Woods proving very effective with four points to his credit, three frees, while Cian O’Flaherty and Sean Lawless chipped in with the other two points.

Annacurra just couldn’t gain any momentum. What balls went in were coming out nearly as fast as Stephen Kelly had Frank Clune wrapped up and Darren Hayden was keeping Gearoid Murphy noticeably quiet.

They opened their account in the 16th minute when stalwart Alan Byrne rampaged up the field and got on the end of a move to whip over a fine score off his right. If ever anyone was going to lift his team out of the doldrums, then Alan Byrne was going to be that man.

Annacurra would lose Ian McDonald to injury shortly after Byrne’s opener with Ciaran Byrne entering the fray.

Two more points from the impressive Woods and another from Cian O’Flaherty after a stunning Woods pass left Annacurra breathless at 0-5 to 0-1.

A foul on Ciaran Byrne gave Frank Clune a chance to notch his side’s second score of the day and he took it well but a foul on Darragh Shiels by Mick O’Brien earned the Annacurra midfielder a yellow card and cost his side a point as Woods proved lethal from the ground.

Annacurra needed a big reversal of fortunes in the second half if they were to have any hope, but, to be fair, it never really looked on the cards.

Sean Lawless, Darren Hayden (free), Daniel Keane, another Hayden free, Lawless again and a fine score from Anto Byrne left this game dead and buried at 0-12 to 0-2.

The second half was 19 minutes old when Annacurra would register their first score of the second period, that a Frank Clune free. Darren Hayden replied after a magnificent weaving run through the Annacurra defence before Frank Clune got on the end of a short Gearoid Murphy free to palm home to the back of the Éire Óg net with seven minutes remaining.

This blip on the Éire Óg report card was quickly forgotten as Darren Hayden pointed from a free before walloping home a penalty after Bob Fitzgerald had fouled Sean Lawless after fumbling a high ball in front of the corner-forward.

Frank Clune would finish the scoring with a pointed free to leave Éire Óg through to the Keating Trophy final where they will face Newtown.

Annacurra have one more chance to secure Senior survival when they come up against Emmet O’Sullivan’s Avondale in what is guaranteed to be a battle to the finish.

- Éire Óg Greystones: Darren Hayden 1-4 (1p, 3f), Danny Woods 0-4 (2f), Sean Lawless 0-3, Cian O’Flaherty 0-1, Daniel Keane 0-1, Anto Byrne 0-1.

Annacurra: Frank Clune 1-3 (3f), Alan Byrne 0-1.

Scorers

Darren Quigley; Dominic O’Brien, Stephen Kelly, Liam McGuire; Craig Smullen, Darren Hayden, Fintan O’Shea; Billy Cuddihy, Danny Woods; Darragh Shiels, Daniel Keane, James Cranley; Sean Lawless, Anto Byrne, Cian O’Flaherty. Subs: Jamie McDonald for J Cranley.

Bob Fitzgerald; Liam Moules, Martin O’Brien, Shane McAllister; James Keenan, Alan Byrne, Michael Healy; Paul McDonald, Mick O’Brien; Dean Barnes, Gearoid Murphy, Ian McDonald; Shane O’Keeffe, Frank Clune, Alan Horan. Subs: Ciaran Byrne for I McDonald (inj), Elliot Robinson for 15 (47), Eoin Donegan for D Barnes (47), Dean Barnes for S McAllister (BC).

Garreth Whelan (Kiltegan)

Éire Óg Greystones: Annacurra: Referee: