Championship underway
ST MARY’S EASTERN HARPS 2-10 0-13
ON Sunday evening Markievicz Park played host to the meeting of last year’s finalists St Mary’s and Eastern Harps.
In what was a fairly dominant display by Glenn Young’s St Mary’s, credit must go to Harps for their never-say-die attitude.
Even though Harps were behind by six points with 20 minutes to go, after Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch got his second goal for St Mary’s, Shane King’s men kept chipping over the points and were only a point behind with a minute to go.
Centre forward Shane O’Grady was impressive for Harps, scoring ten of their 13 points during the course of the evening.
It was St Mary’s who got the better start, Mark McGoldrick getting them off the mark with only 35 seconds played, while Rory Guinan was accurate in the third minute, converting a free, with Nathan Rooney adding their third in the fourth minute.
This was when Harps kicked up a gear and scored four unanswered points to bring the sides level. First it was O’Grady with a free after Michael Lennon was fouled in the 8th minute. Michael Clarke added another moments later before O’Grady was on target again on 17 minutes, to bring the sides level after good build up play from Harps.
St Mary’s were hitting a number of wides and Harps penalised them for missing chances when they went in front for the first time on 19 minutes.
It was Conor Higgins who sent a decent score from play over the bar, Declan Hannon involved in passing to the corner forward.
The slight advantage was cancelled out two minutes later when Mark Breheny pointed for St Mary’s but the advantage tilted to Harps again in the 23 minute.
Referee Michael Duffy brought forward a free on Michael Doherty and it was easy for O’Grady to tap over as they led five points to four.
Doherty was again fouled near the St Mary’s goalmouth and O’Grady slotted over as Harps went two in front with 26 minutes played. Nathan Rooney saw his goal chance slam off the cross-bar and the rebounding ball fell into St Mary’s possession but the Harps defence stood strong.
A Breheny free and two points on the bounce from Johnny Martyn and midfielder Niall McManus had the advantage swaying in St Mary’s favour as the break approached, St Mary’s ahead by seven points to six. Three minutes after the resumption and St Mary’s goaled. A quick move involving Paul Kilcoyne, Breheny and O’Kelly-Lynch saw the latter hit the net, putting them four in front. O’Grady pointed for Harps before St Mary’s goalkeeper Fintan Ruddy slotted over a 45. It looked ominous for Harps when O’Kelly-Lynch goaled again in the 40th minute, but Harps didn’t give up. They replied with five points on the trot, three frees and a point from play from O’Grady and Kevin Gallagher pointing from play, to leave them behind by one on 59 minutes. St Mary’s kept driving forward though and late points from substitute Luke Nicholson and Rory Guinan gave them the three-point win at the finish.
ST MARY’S: F Ruddy, K Coen, B McGarry, C Darcy, P Kilcoyne, J Martyn, G O’Kelly-Lynch (C), N McManus, R Guinan, C Kelly, M Breheny, D Kilgallon, S Coen, N Rooney, M McGoldrick. Subs used: B McGarry for O’Grady (20), C Breheny for Kilgallon (40), B Smith for C Breheny (50), L Nicholson.
EASTERN HARPS: S Herrity, G Horan, B Cryan, D Madden, M Clarke, K Cryan, K Gallagher, C McGill, R Donovan, D Hannon, S O’Grady, C Higgins, M Lennon, T Cryan, M Doherty (C). Subs used: E Lavin for Higgins (34), F Gorman for Lennon (42), J O’Hara for Hannon (48),