Big wins for Castlemitchell, Athgarvan and Cappagh in Kildare Junior Football Championship Group 2
Tom Cross Junior Football Championship Group 2, Round 4, Report by Eoin Beatty
Castlemitchell 2-11
Kildangan 0-6
A blistering first half from Castlemitchell, in which they scored 2-8, helped them to victory over Kildangan in this Tom Cross Transport Junior Football Championship Group 2 game on Thursday evening.
The sides traded early points before the game's opening goal arrived in the 9 minute through Conor Curtis and that set the tempo for the remainder of the game.
Following Dermot Hickey's two points in the fifth and eighth minute respectively, Joseph Walsh's free in the 10th minute was to be Kildangan's final score of the half and while they were playing some good football, they just didn't have an end product to go with it.
Joe Maher, Ray Kavanagh, John O'Connor, John Fennelly and Luke Maher all opened their accounts for the evening with some well taken points, before Mark Fennelly raised a second green flag for Castlemitchell with an excellent goal, after great work from both John O'Connor and Joe Maher on the 27th minute mark.
With the scoreboard reading 2-8 to 0-3 at the break, all the scoring was pretty much done in that opening half and we only saw a further 0-6 points, evenly split, in the second period.
Kildangan started the brighter and got the first two through Dermot Hickey and Stephen Quigley as they looked to eat into the Castlemitchell lead and mount a comeback.
When Castlemitchell eventually found their feet once again, it was a matter of implementing game management tactics from their point of view and with experienced players like the aforementioned O'Connor and Maher kicking a couple more points, they were well on their way.
The scoring for the evening finished with a consolation point from the boot of John Burns for Kildangan, as the Mitchells held on for the win.
CASTLEMITCHELL: Jack Nolan; Brian Kavanagh, Ray Fitzgerald, Jordan Horgan; Luke Maher 0-1, JP Horgan, Oisin Boylan; John Fennelly 0-1, Emmet Hyland; Mark Fennelly 1-0, Paddy Ryan 0-1 1x45, Ray Kavanagh 0-3 3f; Conor Curtis 1-0, John O'Connor 0-2, Joe Maher 0-3. Subs: David Ryan for JP Horgan (inj) 41, Shane Kavanagh for Fitzgerald 45, Killian Ward for Maher 48, Jason O'Toole for O'Connor 54, Shane Kelly for Curtis 54.
KILDANGAN: Sean Fitzgerald; Joe Broughal, Adam Carroll, Stephen Murtagh; Eoghan O'Fearghail, Paul Connaughton, Alex McCann; Damien Broughal, Daniel Gilbert; Joseph Walsh 0-1 1f, Dermot Hickey 0-3, Alan Donoher; Josh Burns 0-1, John McLoughlin, Stephen Quigley. Subs: Cian Murtagh for Carroll 28, Conor Corrigan for McLoughlin 42, Jack Drumm for Quigley 51, MJ Prendergast for Hickey 58.
REFEREE: Darren Malone.
Tom Cross Junior Football Championship Group 2, Round 4, Report by Seamus Dillon
Athgarvan 4-15
Rheban 2-6
Athgarvan cemented their second place on the table in this Group B clash of the Tom Cross Junior Football Championship.
Played in the St Laurances ground it was Athgarvan who emerged victorious but Rheban pushed them all the way.
Denis McEvoy and Finn O'Brien exchanged points inside three minutes before Cillian Smith pushed the Curragh men ahead after five.
Jordan Nolan Mullally and Tadhg Foley kept the gap at one as we passed the end of the opening quarter.
FOOT BLOCK
Cameron Hughes of Athgarvan was adjudged to have used a foot block on Foley's goal bound effort and from the penalty Denis McEvoy had Rheban ahead.
Athgarvan then hit four in a row through Cian Doyle, two from Cillian Smith and Derek Craddock as the sides were level at 0-7 to 1-4 at the break.
On the changeover Jordan Nolan Mullally and Dylan O'Keeffe moved Athgarvan two ahead, Cillian Smith made it three on 37 but Rheban fired back and when Tadhg Foley goaled on 39 Rheban moved one ahead.
There lead was shortlived and two excellent team goals from Jordan Nolan Mullally and Eoin Myers had Athgarvan 5 ahead and well on the road to victory.
Substitute Alan Sourke added a third goal after excellent work from fellow sub Cian Butler.
PENALTY
Athgarvan had time for a fourth from the penalty spot. Owen Foley was booked for a foot block and Cameron Hughes made no mistake to leave it 4-15 to 2-6 at the final whistle.
A good all round performance from Athgarvan and the strength of their bench was evident in the second half.
Rheban were well in the contest with eight minutes to play but their legs gave out to a younger Athgarvan outfit.
ATHGARVAN: Frank Delaney; Steve Moore, David O'Sullivan, Evan Ryan; Conor Cummins, Cameron Hughes 1-0 (1 penalty), Dylan O Keeffe 0-1; Jordan Nolan Mullally 1-2, Eoin Myers 1-0; David Butler, Derek Nolan, Finn O Brien 0-2; Cian Doyle 0-3 (2 frees), Cillian Smith 0-4 (2 frees), Derek Craddock 0-1. Subs: Alan Sourke 1-2 for Cillian Smith (43 minutes); Cian Butler for Derek Craddock (49 minutees); Cormac O Neill for David O Sullivan (54 minutes); Tom Tinsley for David Butler (57 minutes); Glen Doyle for Derek Nolan (59 minutes).
RHEBAN: Owen Foley; Darren Foley, Evin Owens, John Morrissey; Kevin O'Shaughnessy, Keegan McConville, Darren Byrne; Christopher Casey, Jason Shaw; Luke Kelly, Nathan Owens 0-2 (2 frees), Denis McEvoy 1-2 (1penalty); Dean Carthy, Tadhg Foley 1-2 (1 free), Tomas Foley. Subs: Brandon Shaw for Luke Kelly (34 minutes); Chris Wilson for Farren Foley (40 minutes); Oisin Browne for Dean Carthy (45 minutes).
REFEREE: Barry Moore.
Cappagh 4-13
Ardclough 0-7
Cappagh consolidated there position at the top of Group 2 of the Tom Cross Junior Football Championship with their fourth win over an understrenght Ardclough.
Cillian Burke opened the scoring for Ardclough after 2 minutes but wing back Brian Kelly leveled it for Cappagh after three. Fionn Carr restored the Ardclough lead after 5, with a pointed free, after Mark Byrne was fouled.
The following 5 minutes failed to yield a score but Cappagh were starting to get on top.
On ten minutes Dean Brennan and Brian McNally combined for McNally to get the opening goal. Kevin Doran and McNally added two quick points and when Ollie Lewis got his name on the score board after 25 he pushed Cappagh into a four point lead.
The impressive Brian McNally added his second to leave it 1-5 to Ardclough's 0-3 at the break.
On the resumption Fionn Carr kicked two points inside a minute to reduce the gap to three. The Ardclough effort was short lived however and when Thomas Jackman and Dean Brennan, with two, pointed three in a row to move Cappagh six ahead it was the signal for a strong Cappagh finish.They outscored Ardclough by 3-5 to 0-2 in those closing 16 minutes.
Jack Mulligan, Cameron Dowd and Dean Brennan with the goals.
Cappagh are now assured of a semi final berth and despite some missed scores early on they will fancy their chances in the knockout stages.
Ardclough despite losing will revert to the semi finals of Junior A and they have shown enough in the championship to give a good account.
CAPPAGH: Dylan Whelan; Oisin O Cuill, Alvin Galligan, Alan Duff; Iarla Nolan, Kevin Doran 0-1, Brian Kelly 0-1; David Lovely, William McDonnell; Cameron Dowd 1-0, Dean Brennan 1-2, Jack Mulligan 1-1; Brian McNally 1-3, James Grogan, Ollie Lewis 0-1. Subs: Seamus Milner for Kevin Doran (half-time); Thomas Jackman 0-3 for James Grogan (33 minutes); Mike Fahey 0-1 for Ollie Lewis (40 minutes); Conor Rattigan for Alvin Galligan (52 minutes).
ARDCLOUGH: Jonathan Reeves; Conor Deering, Ronan Maguire, Ciaran Brady; Cillian Burke 0-1, Liam Hanley, Dara De Burca; Tadhg McCarthy, Kevin Sexton; Mark Byrne 0-1, Fionn Carr 0-3 (1 free), Dylan Burke 0-2 (2 frees); Diarmuid Carr, Joe Ahern, Colin O Donnell. Subs: Mark Ivers for Fionn Carr (blood sub 22 to 24 minute); Mark Ivers for Tadhg McCarthy (half-time).
REFEREE: Ryan Moran.