Mary’s progress thanks to six point victory over Curry

ST Mary’s progressed from Group 1 of the Belfry Senior Football Championship following a six point win over Curry at Corran Park in Ballymote on Sunday evening.

Mark Breheny, Kyle Cawley and Stephen Coen fired over a hat-trick of points each while a Rory Guinan double and scores from captain Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch, Luke Nicholson and substitute Nathan Rooney sees the Sligo town side through to the quarter-final.

Curry finish the group with three defeats from three and now face into a relegation play-off. Seven points from the boot of the sharp shooting Adrian Marren, six of which were frees, were not enough to keep the South Sligo men in this one.

Corner forward Kenneth Morley added a score of his own late in the second half.

Mary’s were favourites to bounce back from their recent defeat to group winners Tubbercurry and were the quickest out of the traps. Nicholson getting the game underway with his only score of the contest. While Guinan doubled Mary’s lead in the fourth minute from a free after O’Kelly-Lynch was fouled.

Curry’s Marren halved the lead with the first of his half-dozen frees. The experienced midfielder doing well to raise the white flag against what was a stiff breeze.

Coen slotted between the posts to restore Mary’s two point advantage, but Marren was on hand to pull his team back into it with two more frees against the strengthening breeze.

A duo of quick-fire scores from the busy Breheny on 16 and 17 minutes respectively re-established Mary’s two point advantage. While another Marren set-piece from the centre cut it to one once more.

Glenn Young’s troops pulled away at the end of the first period with two white flags from Cawley. While Chris Kelly and O’Kelly-Lynch combined in injury time for the latter’s only score of the day. Mary’s leading by four at the interval.

Last year’s defeated finalists remained in charge for the majority of the second half, cutting through Curry’s middle time after time. Coen registering an impressive point from the left before Marren sent over another free at the opposite end.

Mary’s scored two further points without reply courtesy of Coen on the counter attack and substitute Rooney who dodged his man before clipping the ball between the posts. The red and black leading by six with eight remaining.

Cawley found his third of the day on 56 as he volleyed the ball over the crossbar while Marren replied again with another free as the wind settled.

Marren and Morley cut the deficit to four points with Curry’s final two scores and only points from play a minute from time.

Breheny pointed a free in injury time, while Coen and Paul Kilcoyne combined in the final minute of added time before the former sent over his third of the game.

St Mary’s: Fintan Ruddy; Kevin Coen (Conor Darcey 38 blood sub), Caolan O’Grady, Johnny Martyn (Cian Breheny 58); Chris Kelly, Ben McGarry, Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch (0-1); Niall McManus, Paul Kilcoyne; Dylan Kilgallon (Nathan Rooney 30, 0-1), Mark Breheny (0-3) (1f), Kyle Cawley (03) (Conor Darcey 60+2); Stephen Coen (0-3), Rory Guinan (0-2) (1f) (Mark McGoldrick 30), Luke Nicholson (0-1).

Curry: James McDonagh (Richie Wynne 30+3); James Walsh, Sean Colleary, Aaron Kearns; Michael Gordon, Sean Davey (Darragh McDonagh 52), Enda Walsh; Oisin Higgins, Dennis Coffey; Keith Davey (Danny O’Hara 39), Adrian Marren (0-7) (6f), Ferghal Brennan (Brendan Brogan 39); Kenneth Morley (0-1), Stephen Marren (Jonathan Durkin 47), Tommy Henry.

Referee: John Doyle.