Heavy defeat doesn’t bode well for Duleek
NOT even the plush new surroundings of the impressive St Mary’s GFC facilities could inspire Duleek/Bellewstown to any level of creditable performance in the SFC at Donore last Friday evening.
The east Meath side’s fate - the relegation play-off - was already decided before the throw-in, but a 30-point hammering was the last thing they needed ahead of the fight to preserve their senior status.
Donaghmore-Ashbourne were seeking a massive victory to have a chance of pipping Wolfe Tones on score difference to the last remaining qualification spot in Group A. They achieved their side of the bargain, but Tones’ victory over Summerhill at Simonstown ended last year’s finalists’ interest in the race for the Keegan Cup.
Star of this lob-sided match was the winners’ full forward Kevin Lanigan who ended with a personal tally of 5-1. Lanigan struck for two goals in the opening half and added three more in a five-minute spell in the third quarter.
The Donaghmore/Ashbourne officials along the sideline were getting updates about what was happening at the Navan venue, but for the players they were fully
D’more/Ash 7-16 Duleek/B’st’n 0-7
focused in keeping their part of the bargain and that they did in clinical fashion.
The Dublin border side didn’t hang around and made their intentions known from very early on, with Lanigan pouncing for his opening goal after just four minutes. The full forward grabbed a second on 10 minutes and that left the scoreline reading 2-3 to 0-0.
John Flood interrupted the Donaghmore/Ashbourne scoring spree with his side’s opening score from a free on 14 minutes. Flood also accounted for his team’s only other score of the half, also from a free, on 26 minutes.
With Paul Gilligan converting two ‘45s and the dominant Bryan Menton scoring 1-2, the eventual winners piled on the scores throughout the half and at the break led 3-8 to 0-2.
There was no let-up throughout the second half, with Lanigan continuing his goal-scoring spree. Leo Reilly hit five points to take his tally to seven, while Lanigan also added a point for good measure. The winners’ seventh goal came from Thomas McGovern three minutes from the finish.
Duleek-Bellewstown were short a number of regulars, and while their level of performance improved in the second half they were completely overrun. On the evidence of this display it will be a massive achievement for them if they avoid the drop to the Intermediate ranks.
Donaghmore/Ashbourne learned their fate following the final whistle and were left to rue their round two draw with the Tones after they had led by six points with seven minutes remaining. DONAGHMORE/ASHBOURNE: Jack Hannigan; JP Casserly, Cormac McGill, Jack Giles; Conor Carton 0-1, Shane Melia, Paul Gilligan 0-3 (2 ‘45s, 1f); Conor Carey, Bryan Menton 1-2; Daragh McGovern 0-1, Thomas McGovern 1-0, Colm O Mealoid; Dylan Brady 0-1, Kevin Lanigan 5-1, Leo Reilly 0-7. Subs: Niall Farrell for Carton (55min), David Carey for Gilligan (59), John Broderick for Lanigan (59).
DULEEK-BELLEWSTOWN: Anthony Dowling; James Murphy, Kevin McCann, Des Teeling; Shane Crosby, David Moore, Shane Townley 0-1; Robin Clarke, Micheál Dowling; John Flood 0-3f, Eanna Byrne, John McDonnell 0-1; Jamie Crosby 0-1, Gary Reilly 0-1, Stephen Nolan. Sub: George Martin for Townley (40min).
REF: Cormac Reilly (St Mary’s)