Manley magic enough for Avondale to prevail

AVONDALE COOLKENNO 2-9 0-11

TWO goals from full-forward Jack Manley and the loss of influential attacker Eamon Rossiter in the second half of this bruising Arklow Bay Hotel Division 1A clash in Rathdrum put paid to the challenge of Coolkenno on a wet and dreary Sunday morning last.

The win keeps Avondale in second place and level on points behind unbeaten Tinahely but Alan Costello’s men have two games in hand on Emmet O’Sullivan’s charges who took to the field without the likes of Conor Byrne, Padraig Geoghegan and David Baker.

Conditions were awful for football last Sunday morning as referee Stephen Fagan threw in the ball and they served to reduce the uncompromising style of both teams to something of an agricultural level at times.

There were several important phases in this game. The performance of Brian Burke in the Avondale goal in the opening half certainly thwarted Coolkenno as he kept out three early goal chances from Conor Walker.

A strong first half showing from Sean McGraynor would prove very significant for the home side especially as they suffered the loss of Simon Cullen late on in the first half. McGraynor scored seven of Avondale’s first half tally of nine points (five from frees) and complimented the good work of Barry Sheehan and Eoin Baker around the middle.

The loss of Aonghus O Briain seemed to be another big blow for Avondale not long after the start of the second half, especially considering Coolkenno had bagged two early points from the energetic Eamon Rossiter.

However, two things happened following O Briain’s departure. Eamon Rossiter picked up a black card for a foul on Shane Beevor when both men collided. Rossiter appealed to referee Stephen Fagan that Beevor had ran into him, but the match official deemed Rossiter to have tripped the Avondale man and with Rossiter already on a yellow his game was over.

The second thing that happened was that Eugene Dunne came in for O Briain. Dunne was deployed as a sweeper for the rest of the game and where Avondale were being bettered in the physical stakes around the half-back line up to this point, things changed when Dunne entered the fray.

With Rossiter gone, Coolkenno’s attack lost its real sharpness. Three minutes after the red card Jack Manley got on the end of a Ryan Cahill goal to palm home the game’s opening goal, 1-9 to 0-7.

The game had turned. Shane Byrne brought a big save from John Corcorcan, Conor Walker stopped the rot but then hesitancy in the Coolkenno defence allowed Manley the chance to slip home Avondale’s second goal and pretty much finish the game as a contest.

In fairness, Coolkenno never stop and they didn’t in this game either. Full-back James Gregan drove up the field and pointed, Pauric Coleman swung over and Conor Walker raised a white flag after 29 minutes, but the goal they sought just wouldn’t come and Avondale held out to record a fine 2-9 to 0-11 win.

Coolkenno have three wins from six games and currently sit in fourth place in the Division 1A table.

They had some positives from the day. Willie Doyle, James Gregan and Cathal Rossiter were very effective in the opening half in the full-back line. Eamon Rossiter lead the attack until his unfortunate dismissal.

Scorers – Avondale: Jack Manley 2-1; Sean McGraynor 0-7 (5f), Ross Ward 0-1.

Avondale: Eamon Rossiter 0-05 (2f), Conor Walker 0-3 (f), Paul Muprhy 0-1, James Gregan 0-1, Pauric Coleman 0-1.

Brian Burke; Simon Cullen, Shane O’Neill, Shane Beevor; Aonghus O Briain, Saoirse Kearon, Patrick Kinsella; Barry Sheehan, Eoin Baker; Sean McGraynor, Shane Byrne, Liam Kinsella; Ross Ward, Jack Manley, Ryan Cahill. Subs: Kevin Fitzpatrick for S Cullen (31min, inj); Eugene Dunne for A O Briain (40min, inj); Adam Benson Byrne for P Kinsella 52min).

John Corcoran; Willie Doyle, James Gregan, Cathal Rossiter; Eoghan Dolan, Robert Keogh, David Cole; Jim Cushe, Paddy Dalton; Conor Doyle, Eamon Rossiter, Paul Murphy; Pauric Coleman, Don Jackman, Conor Walker. Subs: Cormac Byrne for D Jackman, Niall Bailey for P Murphy, Colm Murphy for D Cole.

Stephen Fagan