Behan on fire for Shillelagh
Enniskerry battle bravely
SHILLELAGH ENNISKERRY 1-12 0-10
A stunning opening half of attacking football from Shillelagh’s Brendan Behan was the difference between these two teams in this Division 3 clash between the home side and visiting Enniskerry in a damp Fairgreen on Sunday morning last.
A change at full-back within the opening quarter hour and then a substitution to install a sweeper in the form of Gary Kavanagh after 20 minutes will tell you all you need to know about the devastation that the former county Minor was causing in the Enniskerry defence.
At that stage Behan had scored five points and had seen his shot for goal after a superb run blocked into the path of Owen Byrne who hoofed it high into the roof of the Enniskerry net.
Kavanagh’s introduction hampered Behan’s scoring potential, but for the remainder of the first half he turned provider and creator and had a hand in every Shillelagh score as they took to the half-time huddle leading 1-10 to 0-03 with Gavin Barton providing all Enniskerrry’s three points from superbly struck frees.
Enniskerry, to their eternal credit, took that first half mauling on the chin and recovered excellently in the second half, but they just couldn’t reel the Shillelagh men in after the damage that was inflicted in the opening half.
Behan was on fire from the opening minutes of this game and he released half-back Keith Collins for the game’s opening score after two minutes.
This was answered by a class point from a free by Gavin Barton after he had been fouled, but the Shillelagh men were looking up for their opening encounter of the season as they look to build on a decent year in 2017.
Brendan Behan had a shot for goal blocked by the brave Enniskery defence and then went wide with an effort for a point a moment later.
Behan was showing superbly out in front and his balance and poise provided him with that extra second or two to either head for goal himself or set up a colleague coming through.
With 10 on the clock he gathered a long ball from deep and turned towards the Enniskerry goal. A couple of solos and he set off like a missile past his man and bore down on Tomas Egan’s goal, selling a dummy on the way before unleashing a vicious shot that was somehow kept out, but there on hand was Owen Byrne to fire home from close range and give shillelagh the perfect start.
Gavin Barton won and pointed another free at the other end before Behan fired over five unanswered points (one free) to make it 1-06 to 0-02 after 20 minutes. Action had to be taken from an Enniskerry point of view and in came Gary Kavanagh in place of half-forward Rhys Cope and the experienced Kavanagh sat back right in front of Behan and his second marker of the day, Mark Mullen.
Things improved slightly for Enniskerry, but they now had to deal with Daire Foley sweeping at the other end and Foley would go on to have a fine game.
A wide from Ian Kiran was followed by another Gavin Barton pointed free before Behan adapted to the new situation and turned provider, setting up Patrick Hennessy for a point off his left that should ensure the midfielder never has to put his hand in his pocket in any local hostelry ever again.
Two sexy points from Cathal Murphy (one free) and a delicious effort from Noel Murphy thanks to a ball from you know who and Shillelagh lead by 1-10 to 0-03 at the break.
The break benefited the Enniskerry men better as they hit the ground running in the early stages of the second period with three Gavin Barton points (two frees) bringing them right back into the game.
Shillelagh looked dangerous on the break and had a goal chance early on, but Raymond Murphy’s shot blazed wide.
Noel Murphy pointed after nine minutes, before Alan Acres dropped over a beauty of a free with Gavin Barton going wide after 14.
Shillelagh should have put the game to bed shortly after as Behan cut loose and raced in on goal before passing across to Declan Nolan whose palmed effort was saved magnificently by Tomas Egan in the Enniskerry goal.
Tom Taylor’s men got a boost then with Raymond Murphy picked up a second yellow from referee Stephen Fagan.
This seemed to drive Enniskerry on as they added points from Josh Williams and Luke Dalton.
But a pointed free from Behan stopped the rot and although Enniskerry would have the last score from the boot of Aidan Kavanagh who collected the rebound from a block on Gavin Barton’s goalbound rocket, time was against them and Shillelagh ran out deserving winners on the day by 1-12 to 0-10.
Scorers – Shillelagh: Brendan Behan 0-06 (2f), Owen Byrne 1-00, Cathal Murphy 0-02 (2f), Noel Murphy 0-02, Keith Collins 0-01, Patrick Hennessy 0-01.
Enniskerry: Gavin Barton 0-07 (6f), Josh Williams 0-01, Luke Dalton 0-01, Aidan Kavanagh 0-01.
Laurie Cullen; Enda Foley, Sean Carroll, Karl Dagge; Keith Collins, Daire Foley, Noel Murphy; Patrick Hennessy, Raymond Murphy; Robert Elliot, Gary Murphy, Declan Nolan; Owen Byrne, Brendan Behan, Cathal Murphy. Subs: Francis Simpson for R Elliot (45min), Darren Kavanagh for K Collins (58min).
Tomas Egan; Stuart Meaney, Stephen Cahill, James Moloney; Luke Dalton, Mark Mullen, Jack Conroy; Josh Williams, Owen Corrigan; Alan Acres, Brendan Barton, Rhys Cope; Aidan Kavanagh, Gavin Barton, Ian Kirwan. Subs: Gary Kavanagh for R Cope (20min), R Cope for G Kavanagh (60min).
Stephen Fagan