Carnew come through battle
Injuries derail Village revival
CARNEW sealed their place in the quarter-finals of the Darcy Sands Intermediate Football Championship with an anything but easy win over Rathnew in Annacurra last Friday night. It’s Coolkenno up next for James Hickey’s charges on Saturday.
Anybody who wouldn’t have known the lie of the land in Group 1 would have struggled to pick the team with championship aspirations and the one facing up to a relegation battle as Rathnew bossed the early exchanges.
They were playing some fine football led by Ronan Doyle, Dean Franey and Luke Corcoran and dominating around the middle with Garry Byrne working hard and Ciaran Coffey making some fine catches.
They had a lead of 0-5 to 0-2 after 25 minutes and fully deserved to be in that position.
Gary Hughes and Jack Healy were driving forward relentlessly and Carnew were relying on strong defending from Niall Osborne, John Walshe and Mick Rock in a sweeper role to keep the score down.
The game was to change dramatically in the remaining minutes of the half.
A poor Rathnew kick out was seized upon by Sean Kinsella who quickly found Enda Donohoe and he sent John Kavanagh through for a Carnew goal in the 26th minute.
In the remaining time, Carnew kicked five points with the last of them from a Cormac Doyle 45 after Willie Collins had a shot at goal bravely blocked away by Rathnew keeper Paddy Reynolds. Sean Kinsella, Conall McCrea and a Kavanagh free amongst the other scores as they turned the game in their favour.
At the break, Carnew had a 1-7 to 0-5 lead.
The third quarter passed without a score before Dean Franey kicked a fine long-range point after a patient Rathnew passing move the length of the field in the 46th minute.
Nick Skelton replied soon after, then, the game was put to bed rapidly as Kavanagh found the net again and the dangerous Conall McCrea got his third point of the night.
Rathnew kept battling and Franey added a 45 and Edward Doyle kicked another brace to leave two goals between them. Around this time Rathnew suffered a couple of blows with injuries to Lee Kavanagh and James Hollingsworth which broke their momentum and unsettled their comeback bid.
The scoring was finished by Justin House who found the net deep in injury time for the third Carnew goal.
This was a fine score with Jack Doyle, Conall McCrea, Padraig Doran and Kavanagh all involved in a swift move upfield before House finished giving Reynolds no chance.
The Rathnew club would like to thank Carnew physio Maire Doran for her help with the injured players on the night. Much appreciated.
Scorers - Carnew: John Kavanagh 2-3 (3f), Justin House 1-0, Conal McCrea 0-3, Cormac Doyle 0-1, 45, Nick Skelton 0-1.
Rathnew: Edward Doyle 0-4 (2f), Dean Franey 0-3, 145, Garry Byrne 0-1, Ronan Doyle 0-1.
Carnew: Cormac Doyle; Paul Nolan, John Walshe, Michael Rock; Willie Collins, Mark Collins, Niall Osborne; Thomas Kennedy, John Doyle; Nick Skelton, Sean Kinsella, Padraig Doran; Conal McCrea, John Kavanagh, Enda Donohoe. Subs: Andrew Hughes for M Collins, Jack Doyle for Kennedy, Paudie McGing for Kinsella, Justin House for Skelton, Joe Hughes for Kavanagh, Michael Collins for Donohoe.
Rathnew: Patrick Reynolds; Gary Hughes, James Manley, Ronan Manley; Jack Healy, Mick Nolan, Lee Kavanagh; Garry Byrne, Ciaran Coffey; Edward Doyle, Ronan Doyle, Paul Ellis, Ross Quinn, Luke Corcoran, Dean Franey. Subs: James Hollingsworth for Ellis, Shane Manley for Nolan, Glen Doyle for Quinn, Paul Ellis for Kavanagh, Ross Quinn for Hollingsworth.
Referee: John Keenan (Aughrim)