Junior B side round off good day for Rathnew

JBFC AND JCFC QUARTER-FINALS

RATHNEW BALTINGLASS 4-09 1-04

RATHNEW’S Junior B team rounded off a successful day for the club’s adult teams with a comprehensive win over old foes Baltinglass.

The Village sprung out of the traps extremely quickly with a point from Dale Franey within two minutes and almost had a goal moments later when Bryan Murphy seen his effort tale wide of the post.

They would, however, have a green flag moments later when centre forward Josh Graham picked out Franey with a fantastic pass and Franey supplied Keith Doyle the tools to fire home to the net.

Padraig McGrath opened the scoring for his side with a free and added a score from play shortly after.

McGrath almost found the net himself also after a run from John Donegan but his effort was wide of the target.

After the agonising miss at one end, Rathnew went down the other end and James Hunter fed in Keith Doyle who had his effort stopped twice on the line miraculously by Eamonn Horan but the on the third attempt, Doyle stabbed the ball into the net.

Baltinglass responded with a goal for themselves through Donegan after stellar work from Kevin Prendergast but, unfortunately for them, it would be in vain as moments after, Hunter fed Keith Doyle who volleyed home a first half hat-trick.

McGrath added another free for Baltinglass with 25 on the clock but Rathnew scored three unanswered points in the remainder of the half with two excellent scores coming from Josh Graham.

Paddy Walsh opened the scoring in the opening minute of the second half after a run from Wesley Balfe. Their cause received a boost when Bryan Murphy departed the game with a red card but the men from the Village had too much for Balto.

Nigel Darragh fired over and Graham added another from the resulting kick out to further their lead.

Prendergast clipped over a good score off the upright and Eoin O’Neill brought the arrears back to eight but the Rathnew defence stood out to thwart the men from the west for the remainder of the game with Lee Kavanagh and John Healy proving to be two of the main menaces and Alan Clarke in the full-back position looking assured as usual.

Darragh and Graham added points for Rathnew mid-way through the half as Rathnew brought on some substitutes who could stake a claim for a first 15 jersey the next day.

One of the substitutes, Charlie O’Brien, fired over an excellent score for his side much to the pleasure of the Rathnew faithful.

Corner-back Eric Doyle also got his name on the score sheet with a goal after he chased an almost lost cause with a high ball looking to be going wide, but Doyle kept going and retrieved the ball before firing home.

The star of the show was Josh Graham who was firing passes to their targets with much success and firing over scores with great aplomb.

Graham looked like an NFL quarter back who knows when to run and when to pass and his inch perfect ball into James Hunter took the Baltinglass defender out of the equation and allowed Hunter space to close in on goal and fire home his sides fifth goal.

Rathnew now progress to the semi-finals and will be hoping their Senior team can join them and their Intermediates in the last four of their respective competitions.

Scorers - Rathnew: Keith Doyle (3-1), Josh Graham (0-5) James Hunter and Eric Doyle (1-0) Nigel Darragh (0-3), Dale Franey and Charlie O’Brien (0-1)

Baltinglass: John Donegan (10), Padraig McGrath (0-3), Paddy Walsh, Kevin Prendergast and Eoin O’Neill (0-1)

John Sayer, Chris Murphy, Alan Clarke, Eric Doyle, John Healy, Lee Kavanagh, James Kavanagh, Mick Nolan, Robert Byrne, Bryan Murphy, Josh Graham, Nigel Darragh, Keith Doyle, James Hunter, Dale Franey. Subs: Michael Doyle for Franey, Luke Corcan for Healy, Charlie O’Brien for Darragh, Dean Breen for Keith Doyle, Jason Stafford for Nolan, Ivan Kelly for Lee Kavanagh.

Padraig Humphries, Eamonn Horan, Martin Donnegan, Peter Gethings, Eoin O’Neill, Thomas Furlong, Fabian Dunne, Jamie McTiernan, Wesley Balfe, John Donegan, Paddy Walsh, Nathan Geraghty, Kevin Prendergast, Padraig McGrath, Derek Nolan. Subs: Gavin Owens for Geraghty, Sean Barrett for Furlong, John Timmins for McGrath, Thomas Timmins for Prendergast

Darragh Byrne (Bally-

manus)