Fourteen-man Emmets overcome Mals
Glen Emmets2-17 Nh Malachi 2-9
GLEN Emmets shrugged off the first-half dismissal of goalkeeper Fergus Barnett to emerge eight-point winners from their JFC quarter-final clash in Haggardstown on Saturday evening.
Division 3 strugglers Naomh Malachi weren’t expected to put up much of a fight against one of the Chris Bellew Cup favourites, but they trailed by just a single point when their talisman Ronan Greene netted in the 23rd minute and Barnett was sent off immediately after.
Mals also claimed the first two scores of the game through Mark Meegan (free) and Pierce Caherty, but these were cancelled out by frees from Ronan Grufferty and James Butler be- fore Caherty kicked another fine score at the other end.
Emmets then took a firm grip of proceedings when Damien Grimes and Derrick Johnson combined to set up Ian Cusack for a tap-in goal, and Grufferty and Damien Grimes added points to leave it 1-4 to 0-3 after 10 minutes.
Butler and Green exchanged frees, and after Mals’ Noel Donaldson saw a ground shot deflected narrowly wide his team did have the ball in the net on 21 minutes. Referee Hand awarded a penalty for a foul by Barnett on Mark Meegan, and although the keeper saved Greene’s kick the Mals man fired home the rebound and Barnett was shown a straight red card in the melee that followed.
Damien Grimes dropped back from the forward line to take over in goals, but he was a mere spectator for the remainder of the first half as Emmets hit four points in a row through Grufferty (free), Sean Byrne and Butler (2) to lead 1-9 to 1-4 at the break. Butler also sent a goal chance wide during that period.
Emmets started the second half with four consecutive wides before Butler and Cusack extended their advantage to seven.
Shane Rogers responded with a free for Mals, but that would be their only score of the third quarter and Cusack and the impressive Butler pointed to leave Emmets almost home and hosed - 1-13 to 1-5 after 49 minutes.
The sides exchanged points through Grufferty (free) and Padraig Moley before Mals were given a lifeline as Collie Rooney’s point attempt was tipped onto the bar and Shane Rogers fisted home the rebound to cut the deficit to five.
However, 14-man Emmets regrouped and crucially got the next two scores through Grufferty (free) and Butler. Caherty pointed from distance, but Butler replied with a great score and Louth minor Keelan O’Neill made certain of Emmets’ victory with a 59th-minute goal, crafted by David Bracken.
Caherty took his personal tally to five with two excellent late scores, but it was too little too late.
GLEN EMMETS: Fergus Barnett; Keith Boylan, Tom Grimes, Niall Hackett; Evan English, Aidan Monahan, Joseph Farrelly; Mark Garvey, Ronan Grufferty 0-5 (4f); David Bracken, Derrick Johnson, James Butler 0-7 (2f); Damien Grimes 0-1, Seán Byrne 0-1, Ian Cusack 1-3. Subs: Keelan O’Neill 1-0 for Johnson (48min), Shane Noone for English (50), Daniel Whyte for Boylan (52), Robert Byrne for Garvey (60 +1min).
NAOMH MALACHI: Ronan Lynch; David Begley, David Rogers, Conor Gonnelly; Seán Gogarty, Ronan Greene (1-1, 0-1f), Stephen Burns; Pádraig Moley 0-1, Pierce Caherty 0-5; Donal Begley, Ronan McElroy, Noel Donaldson; Jamie Kelly, Shane Rogers 1-1 (0-1f), Mark Meegan 0-1 (f). Subs: Colin Hoey for Meegan (40min), Collie Rooney for Gonnelly (45min).
REFEREE:
Noel Hand