Calry are on form in superb victory

Homeland SFC

Group Two – Round One Calry-St Joseph’s 0-11 Coolera-Strandhill 0-9

CALRY-ST JOSEPH’S continued their reputation for producing at least one jaw-dropping result per campaign. Was this the result that will be the high point or a starting point? Only time will tell. Still, a hard-fought two-point defeat of Coolera-Strandhill last Saturday evening, in wet conditions at Markievicz Park, has certainly given David Cummins’ side the early edge in the race for one of the two semi-final berths available in this group.

Determined defending – typified by the likes of Cormac

Coyne – and eight different scorers summed up Calry-St Joseph’s gutsy display against one of the silverware favourites. Coolera-Strandhill, for whom county star Niall Murphy scored four points, had Ross O’Carroll, a former Dublin dual ace in their ranks. Corner-back O’Carroll got involved in several first-half attacks for his new club, who certainly wouldn’t have expected last weekend’s outcome.

The losers’ best spell came in the second-half when they kicked three unanswered points to get within a point of their opponents. Calry-St Joseph’s were not to be caught, however, and tacked on vital scores late on from substitutes Daragh O’Brien and Eoin Doherty. Two of Calry-St Joseph’s best points came from Daire O’Boyle, a Sligo Minor last year. In the difficult playing conditions goal chances were a rarity, although Adrian Cummins had a pop at goal – from Cormac Coyne’s pass – in the first-half.

Calry-St Joseph’s: Aidan Devaney, Conor McGovern (0-1), Cormac Coyne, Brian O’Callaghan (0-1), Shaun Cawley, Aaron Flynn, Ciaran Stenson, Conal Stenson, Adrian Cummins (0-1), Darragh Cummins (0-3), Eoghan Donaghy, Daire O’Boyle (0-2), Conor Griffin (0-1), Niall Gray, Patrick Woulfe Subs used: Darragh O’Brien (0-1), Danny Keown, Eoin Doherty (0-1), Damien O’Boyle

Coolera-Strandhill: Keelan Harte, Ross O’Carroll (0-1), Tristan Gilligan, Fiachra Stuanton, Sean Taylor, Sean Murphy (0-1), Aaron O’Boyle, Kevin Banks, Peter Laffey (0-2), Oran McDonagh, Leo Doherty (0-1), Gary Cawley, Conor Burke, Barry O’Mahony, Niall Murphy (0-4)

Subs used: Gerard Murphy, Conor McDonagh, Anthony Kelly, James Hampson

Referee: Ronan Hynes