Rathnew cruising
Village far too strong for battling Éire Óg Greystones
RATHNEW continued on their winning ways when they had six points to spare over Éire Óg in this Senior football championship contest played at Joule Park, Aughrim on Saturday evening last. Earlier rain left the pitch surface slippery, but it did not affect play to any extent. In the first half Éire Óg played like a team for whom this game was a dead rubber.
They had already been booked to play in the Keating Trophy competition, the outcome of which will decide the club to be relegated to Intermediate status in the coming year.
They did not score until Daniel Keane pointed in the 17th minute and their only other score of the first half came just before the half-time whistle when corner-forward Cian O’Flaherty goaled from close in.
In contrast, Rathnew kept the scoreboard ticking away right from the time centre back Ross O’Brien opened the scoring with a point after 40 seconds.
The champions lined out without Enan and Leighton Glynn and full-forward Mark Doyle, all reported to be injured.
Nicky Mernagh had two points and midfielder James Stafford scored another off his left from forty meters to leave the Rathnew men ahead by 0-4 to no score at the quarter hour stage.
The intensity of play in the first half never rose to any great heights but Rathnew kept coming forward. Éire Óg forward Anto Byrne played out in midfield where he had Damien Power, his full-back marker for company.
This ensured that the midfield area was populated with plenty of big men when the goalkeepers went long with their kicks out. Following Keane’s opening score for Éire Óg, Rathnew continued to pick off the points in the second quarter. Eddie Doyle got two and Jody Merrigan converted a 45.
The champs finished the half with two further points from James Stafford and Nicky Mernagh. The Éire Óg goal from Flaherty just on the call of half time reduced the Rathnew advantage to six points, 0-9 to 1-2 at the break.
Rathnew began the second period as they had started the first with a Nicky Mernagh point in the second minute.
Danny Woods replied with a long-range left-footed point from a free. Rathnew came back with two points from Eddie Doyle and Jody Merrigan before Woods converted another free to leave the six-point gap unchanged.
Eddie Doyle pushed that gap out to eight points when he had two points within a minute of each. Eire Og began to enjoy a period of supremacy mid-way through the second half. Darren Hayden was driving through the middle and Stephan Kelly, who played at full-back, also began to move forward into attack.
Hayden from a free, Craig Smullen and Hayden again from play had three points by the 20-minute stage to bring the Rathnew advantage back to five points.
The Greystones men appeared to be building momentum but Rathnew quickly stirred themselves. Eddie Doyle and Nicky Mernagh had a point apiece. The only scoring response from Éire Óg came from Daniel Keane who completed their scoring with a point just before the end. Rathnew had maintained that six points lead and ran out comfortably ahead with a final score go 0-16 to 1-7.
Scorers - Rathnew Eddie Doyle 0-6, Nicky Mernagh 0-5, Jody Merrigan 0-2, Ross O’Brien 0-1. Eire Og : Cian O’Flaherty 1-0, Daniel Keane 0-2, Darren Hayden 0-2, Daniel Wood 0-2, Craig Smullen 0-1.
Rathnew: Peter Dignam; Jamie Smith, Damien Power, Paul Merrigan; JT. Moorehouse, Ross O’Brien, John Manley; James Stafford, Theo Smith; Danny Staunton, Jody Merrigan, Graham Merrigan; Philip Murphy, Nicky Mernagh, Eddie Doyle, Subs Philip O’Neill, Chris Healy.
Éire Óg Greystones: Conor Browne; Dominic O’Brien, Stephan Kelly, Liam Maguire; Craig Smullen, Darren Hayden, Fintan O’Shea; Billy Cuddihy, Danny Wood; Matt Maguire, Daniel Kane, James Crowley; Sean Lawless, Anto Byrne, Cian O’Flaherty. Subs: Dara Shiels; Jamie McDonald.
Referee: Kieron Kenny (Tinahely)