Kildare SFC: Eadestown shock Johnstownbridge as Clane ease past Confey

Full match reports from both Eadestown vs Johnstownbridge and Clane vs Confey below

Joe Mallon Motors SFC Preliminary round, report from Seamus Dillon

Eadestown 2-12

Johnstownbridge 0-10

Eadestown caused a major shock in the Preliminary Round of the SFC when sending Johnstownbridge to the Losers group following a comprehensive, and well deserved win by eight points.

Eadestown, relegated to Divisin 2 this season, having picked up just a single point in 11 games in the league but on Friday evening they attacked Johnstownbridge right from the throw-in and when Padraig Tuohy raced through their defence he set up an unmarked Sean Hynes for an opening goal. It was a lead the Rathmore men would never relinquish.

Stunned from that opening score Daniel Flynn pointed a free after he was fouled and when Cathal McNally was fouled 60 seconds later he to pointed to close the gap to one.

Conor McCarthy with a pointed free and Josh O'Donoghue point from play kept the gap at one as we passed the 12 minute.

Eadestown were playing with a high tempo and a great work-rate and they turned over the ball on numerous occasions as Johnstownbridge struggled with their intensity.

Two Conor McCarthy frees and points from Eoin Conneff and Aidan Cassidy, after Jack Sargent played a delightful pass, moved Eadestown into a five point lead on 17 minutes.

Johnstownbridge needed to up their game and the Flynns, Luke and Daniel, combined for a Daniel mark that he duly pointed.

Keith Cribben burst forward from centre back but was fouled 30 metres from goal, brother Paul pointed and suddenly the gap was back to three.

Just when you thought Johnstownbridge would step up they were dealt the blow of a second Eadestown goal.

Rian Boran fielded brilliantly before setting up Padraig Tuohy whose run across the end-line saw his centre find an unmarked Sean Hynes who palmed past a stranded Eoin Sheehan.

Paul Cribben and a Conor McCarthy free left it 2-6 to 0-6 in favour of Eadestown at the break. The second half promised a Johnstownbridge revival but despite promotion in the league their form had deserted them over the past couple of weeks.

Two Paul Cribben frees a free from Josh O'Donoghue and one from play from Luke Flynn was all they could muster in the closing 30 minutes.

Eadestown continued to work tirelessly and Dessie Brennan's men continued in the same vein for the second half. They frustrated Johnstownbridge time and time again with their superior work-rate and they forced Daniel Flynn out 40 and 50 yards to gain possession.

The impressive Conor McCarthy kicked three second half points to bring his tally to seven and only for a brilliant Eoin Sheehan save on 45 he would have raised a green flag. Eoin Conneff, Padraig Touhy and county hurling star Rian Boran rounded off an impressive Eadestown victory.

Eadestown have guaranteed their senior status for 2023 but their venture into the winners group will be a much different task With the work-rate and attitude shown tonight they can look forward with hope.

Johnstownbridge were disappointing to say the least and upward trajectory in their fortunes will be needed to advance in the championship

EADESTOWN: Mikey Quinn, Ronan Slattery, Emmet Bolton, Ben Osborne; Eoin Cummins, Jack Sargent, Conan Boran; Sean O'Sullivan, Rian Boran 0-1; Ben Fitzsimons, Padraig Tuohy 0-1, Sean Hynes 2-0; Aidan Cassidy 0-1, Eoin Conneff 0-2, Conor McCarthy 0-7 (6 frees).

JOHNSTOWNBRIDGE: Eoin Sheehan; Sean McKeown, Tomas Van Englebrechten, Shane Flanagan; Aaron McNally, Keith Cribben, Cathal McNally 0-1 (1 free); Seamus McNally, Luke Flynn 0-1; Ronan Scanlon, Paul Cribben 0-4 (3 frees), Darragh Sloane; Daniel Flynn 0-2 (1 free, 1 mark), Shane Flynn, Josh O' Donoghue 0-2. Subs: Kevin Lynch for Aaron McNally (51 minutes); Glen Doran for Ronan Scanlon (56 minutes); Sean Hurley for Darragh Sloane (58 minutes).

REFEREE: Henry Barrett.

Joe Mallon Motors SFC Preliminary round

Clane 1-15

Confey 0-9

Clane defeated Confey to get their Senior Football Championship campaign off to a winning start on Saturday at Hazelhatch Road, Celbridge.

These top division sides finished just two points apart in the league and this fixture was looked at on the weekend’s schedule as one of the hardest to call.

Clane were by far the better team in the opening half putting over 10 points in the process. It was a different story for Confey who struggled to create any meaningful chances, with them failing to score from play in the first half. The three white flags that were raised in their name came when Clane lacked discipline and all looked like avoidable fouls.

Leading by seven at the break and the manner of performance that was put in by their opposition it looked a certainty to be more of the same as the teams swapped ends.

But Confey’s introduction of James Gately into their forward line at half-time appeared to give the trailing side something different. The substitute scored 0-3 in the second half and perhaps created a doubt in the minds of those Clane defenders who had been largely uncontested in that opening half.

The second half water break came and Clane still had a healthy six-point advantage but focus seemed to drop slightly for the leaders and Confey began to claw their way back into this game.

You could feel the tension rise in the Clane players, as well as on the sideline. Given how comfortable the first 50 or so minutes were, it looked like they were doing their best to throw this one away.

Poor decision making and needlessly complicating things looked like it might get them into trouble. They had kicked five wides and converted just three scores 20 minutes into the second half.

It was a long ball into the Confey backline that would finally put an end to their comeback hopes as a long searching ball was sent in for Shane O’Sullivan to slap towards goal. The effort came back off the crossbar and it was slapped goalwards again but this time saved by Confey keeper Colin Heeney.

Finally it was Brian McLoughlin who would put an end to the goal-mouth scramble as he collected the ball and smashed it into the roof of the net.

The first green flag of the evening was the end of the Confey comeback and with 15 minutes remaining both sides reduced their intensity and played out the clock. Both teams were respectively resigned to and satisfied with the result.

In the end Confey lacked the attacking threat that Clane had with the likes of Brian McLoughlin and Shane O’Sullivan who amassed 1-11 of Clane’s 1-15 scoreline between them.

However Clane fans and management will be disappointed in the drop off period they experienced in the second half. Being good in patches will only get you so far and it will be interesting to see how Clane will match up against stronger opposition down the line.

Scorers

Clane, Brian McLoughlin 1-5, Shane O’Sullivan 0-6, Tadhg Montgomery 0-2, Eoin Walsh 0-1, Jake Devey 0-1.

Confey, James Gately 0-3, Joe Kilbane 0-3, Brian Grimes 0-2, Ciaran Lyons 0-1.

Teams

CLANE: Cian Burke; Harry O'Neill, Robbie Phillips, John Lynch; Shane McCormack, Chris Byrne, Tadhg Montgomery; Cathal O'Brien, Cian Shanaghan; Danny Egan, Sam Reilly, Jake Devey; Adam Fanning, Brian McLoughlin, Shane O'Sullivan. Subs: Hugh Prendergast for Sam Reilly (Half time), Eoin Walsh for Danny Egan (38 minutes), Sam McCormack on for Cathal O'Brien (40 minutes), Cormac Vizzard for Adam Fanning (55 minutes), Sean Christianseen for Cian Shanghan (68 minutes).

CONFEY: Colin Heeney; Andrew Breslin, Ciaran Kilbane, Aidan Crean, Shane Dineen, Colm Chan, David Slattery; Ben O’Boyle, Ciaran Lyons; Niall Cawley, Joe Kilbane, Brian Grimes; Conor Jennings, Neil Ryan, Eoin Dennehy. Subs: James Gately for Neil Ryan (Half time).

REFEREE: Killian Jones