Kildare GAA: Browne stars as Celbridge get past Athy in U23

2022 Whitewater Shopping Centre U23 A Football Group B

Celbridge 0-12

Athy 1-5

Celbridge assured themselves of a semi final place in the Whitewater Shopping Centre U23 A Football Championship after a solid four point victory over Athy coutresy of an brilliant eight point haul from full forward Aaron Browne.

Athy started with the breeze on their backs but it was Peter McAteer who opened the scoring for the home side inside sixty seconds. Brian Kelly replied for Athy almost immediately with a free but despite early pressure the visitors failed to build on the scoreboard. Aaron Browne pointed a free of his own on nine to move Celbridge in front again.

The closing quarter saw Athy tag on three points from Ben Purcell and two Brian Kelly efforts, one from a free, to lead 0-4 to 0-3 at the break. Liam O Flynn hitting a late third point for Celbridge to reduce the gap to the minimum.

The heavy half time rain had cleared as the teams reappeared and Celbridge were quick to take advantage of the elements. Aaron Browne had them level inside two minutes.Browne would go on to hit six more in a row as he showed great composure and deadly accuracy.Celbridge had moved 0-10 to 0-4 ahead by the 47th minute.Substitute Ciaran Kirwan pointed after getting on the end of Sean Gleeson's long run to extend the lead to seven.

Celbridge did suffer the loss of Cillian Devlin and Niall O Regan to black cards late on but it didn't hamper their winning lead. Conor Treacy moved them eight ahead as we entered the closing eight minutes.

Athy kicking four wides in that second it wasn't until they got the late numerical advantage that they added a Paudie Behan free and a brilliant Sean Bride goal tp reduce the gap to four.

CELBRIDGE: Sean Cuffe,Nathan Moire O Leary, Lee Maycock, Emmet Mc Loughlin, Peter McAteer 0-1, Cillian Devlin, Darragh Finnegan, Sean Gleeson, Johnny Owens,Conor Treacy 0-1, Niall O Regan, Liam O'Flynn 0-1,James Dolan, Aaron Browne 0-8 (5 frees),Ethan Sweeney. Subs: John Clarke for Emmet McLoughlin 39. Ciaran Kirwan 0-1 for Ethan Sweeney 46.

ATHY: Matthew Anderson, Luke Bracken, Gerry Considine, Niall McEvoy, James McGrath, David Considine, Shane Jackman, Oisin O Rourke, Sean Bride 1-0, Conor Doyle, Paudie Behan 0-1 (1 free), Sean Moore, Cathal Kennedy, Ben Purcell 0-1, Brian Kelly 0-3 (2 frees). Subs: Cillian Horan for Luke Bracken 40.