Leixlip scrape past Ballyteague as Allenwood beat Suncroft in Kildare IFC openers
Full match reports from Leixlip vs Ballyteague and Allenwood vs Suncroft
The Auld Shebeen Athy Intermediate Football Championship preliminary round
Leixlip 1-11
Ballyteague 1-10
It was Division 2 champions, Leixlip, who took the honouors at Hawkfield on Saturday, defeating a gallant, and somewhat unlucky, Ballyteague side in the Preliminary round of The Auld Shebeen Pub Athy IFC.
Played in sweltering conditions both teams showed tremendous fitness levels as they went at it from the start.
It took six minutes for Jimmy Hyland to register the first score when he reacted quickest to a breaking ball. Four minutes later the excellent Fionn Murphy was fouled as he raced in on goal and this time Jimmy tapped over the free with the left.
It took until the 11 minute for Leixlip's Tommy Moolick to get them up and running. Moolick getting on the end of Jack Barrett's pass to shoot over from fourty metres.
Leixlip were enjoying the majority of possession in the opening quarter but four wides and three into the keeper's hands didn't help their cause.
Ballyteague then struck for the opening goal of the game. Good work from Fionn Murphy saw his long cross-field ball find Cathal Hanifin and he cooly slotted past Niall McConnel.
Leixlip, through a Jack Barrett free after Ciaran Silke was fouled, and a lovely point from wing back Rory Flynn closed the gap to two after 20 minutes.
Jack Barrett did hit two more frees before the half time break but two each from Fionn Murphy and Jimmy Hyland had the Larks 1-6 to 0-5 ahead at the break. Hyland's last point from a mark was a brilliant score after he fielded Brian McGrath's long pass in front of promising county U20 panelist Jack Quinn.
The second half saw Leixlip burst out of the blocks and within 60 seconds Mark O'Toole was fouled as he bore down on goals and Jack Barrett added his fourth free of the game. Leixlip then hit three wides in a row before Mark O'Toole's weak goalbound effort was easily saved by Derrick Mooney.
Direct from Mooney's resultant kick-out Seamus Hanafin fielded before passing to brother Cathal and his low centre was gathered by Jimmy Hyland who pushed the gap out to four again.
The next eight minutes saw Leixlip ahead for the first time — firstly Barrett with his fifth free after Moolick was fouled and sixty seconds later it was Moolick who rounded three Ballyteague defenders to shoot low to the net.
There was a doubt about the legality of the goal as Moolick seemed to bounce it twice but referee Owen Murphy stuck to his guns despite some Lark protests.
It could have been worse for Ballyteague two minutes later when Conor Lawlor and Mark O'Toole combined but O Toole's effort came back off the post with the goal at his mercy. He eventually got on the end of a goalmouth scramble to pop over for the lead for Leixlip.
Jack Barrett and Jimmy Hyland swapped points before Hyland looked liked he had sealed victory with a brilliant point off the left two minutes into injury time but somehow Leixlip shot two within sixty seconds through Conor Lawlor and centre back Ronan Fitzsimons to break Ballyteague hearts.
An exciting last quarter but despite victory Leixlip will need to improve greatly if they are to have any aspirations of silverware later in the year.
Ballyteague are in the losers group but very unfortunate at that They were the better team for long periods but luck deserted them in the end.
LEIXLIP: Niall McConnell; Brian Gibbons, Jack Quinn, Kevin Conneely; Liam Mahon, Ronan Fitzsimons 0-1, Rory Flynn 0-1; Daniel Gallery, Tommy Moolick 1-1; Ben Travers, Jack Barrett 0-6 (4 frees,1'45), Paddy Meagher; Conor Lawlor 0-1, Ciaran Silke, Mark O'Toole 0-1.
Subs: Daire Cullen for Liam Mahon (46 minutes); Daragh Melville for Ben Travers (58 minutes).
BALLYTEAGUE: Derrick Mooney; Gary Nugent, Pairic Hanley, Ryan Webb; Glen Thorpe, Gerry Melia, Cian Loughlin; Seamus Hanafin, Brian McGrath; Tommy Callan, Fionn Murphy 0-2, Jimmy Hyland 0-8 (4 frees, 1mark); Conor Hanley, Cathal Hanafin 1-0, Stephen Ennis.
Subs: Luke Jacob for Seamus Hsnafin (45 minutes); Niall Moran for Cian Loughlin (45 minutes); Stephen Connolly for Stephen Ennis (53m).
REFEREE: Owen Murphy.
Allenwood 0-21
Suncroft 0-13
Division 3 league champions Allenwood faced up to relegated Suncroft in the preliminary round of the Auld Sheebeen Athy Intermediate football championship in a baking Hawkfield on Saturday last.
Despite both teams lining out without some regulars it was Allenwood who were convincing eight point winners despite Suncroft closing the gap to four midway through the second half.
Two Johnny Doyle scores, one from a free and then a 45 after Tommy Cleary had prevented a goal chance, in the opening three minutes set the tone for the day and despite Suncroft getting level after 18 minutes Allenwood never trailed in the game.
Darren Judge hit the first of his six opening half points before a Fionn Dowling mark registered Suncroft's first of the day on 6.
Judge kicked two frees either side of a Ryan King score for Suncroft to keep the gap at three points.
The next eight minutes belonged to Suncroft and points from Eoghan Lawless a Fionn Dowling free and Jack Doyle, after Corey Sullivan had played a lovely pass into his path, saw the Croft level on 18.
From there to the break Allenwood out-scored their opponents by 7 points to one and by the interval Noel Mooney's charges were six ahead.
Three Darren Judge points and two each from experienced duo Johnny Byrne and Daragh Malone brough their half-time tally to 0-12.
Fionn Dowling's 25 minute free after Tom Martin was fouled was Suncrofts' only score in that closing 12 minutes and they faced an uphill battle after the break.
On the resumption Allenwood moved eight ahead through the ever accurate Darren Judge who hit his seventh point after a foul on Johnny Byrne as he bore down on goal.
Byrne was appearing for the fourth week in a row after two weeks with Coill Dubh hurlers but he shows no signs of tiring.
Between the 38 and 44 minutes Suncroft played some of their best football and the introduction of future stars Sam Murphy, Conor Martin and Senan Brannock certainly re-energised their team mates.
Four points in a row from Fionn Dowling, Tom Martin Senan Brannock and Jack Doyle closed the gap to four as we approached the last quarter. A good three-man move involving Eoghan Lawless and Jack Doyle saw Sam Murphy through on goal but a combination of keeper Luke Anderson and corner back Ciaran Bagnall saved the day and ended any slim chances of Suncroft causing an upset.
The closing quarter was all Allenwood and they out-scored Suncroft by seven points to three in that period. Johnny Byrne and Aaron Dunne pushed Allenwood six ahead with 13 left on the clock before corner back Michael Troy got forward for a excellent score for the Croft.
Allenwood were now picking off scores at their ease and county senior Daragh Malone showed his class and fitness levels to hit three points in a row. Billy Maher and Eric Judge swapped points with two Fionn Dowling frees to bring proceedings to a close.
A comfortable victory for Allenwood and on their current form they will have a say in the destination of the Hugh Campion cup.
Suncroft's focus now will be to retain their intermediate status and with an influx of young talent coming through despite the setback the future looks ok.
ALLENWOOD: Luke Anderson; Ciaran Bagnall, Mark Byrne, Ronan Guilfoyle; Brendan Hanafey, Sean Moran, Fionn Moran; Johnny Doyle 0-2 (1 free, 45), Johnny Byrne 0-3; Rory Moran, Eric Judge 0-1, Aaron Dunne 0-2; Darren Judge 0-7 (6 frees), Billy Maher 0-1, Daragh Malone 0-5.
Subs: Alex Lenehan for Brendan Hanafey (47 minutes).
SUNCROFT: John Brown; Mikey Troy 0-1, Thomas Robotham, Corey O'Sullivan; Sean Browne, Ciaran Troy, Jack Doyle 0-2; Fionn Dowling 0-6 (5 frees, mark),Conn Kehoe; Mark Browne, Chris Phillips, Tom Martin 0-1; Tom Cleary, Eoin Lawless 0-1, Ryan King 0-1.
Subs: Sam Murphy for Thomas Robot ham (half-time); Seanan Brannock 0-1 for Chris Phillips (39 minutes); Conor Martin for Mark Browne (39 minutes); Ryan Behan O'Shea for Ryan King (50 minutes).
REFEREE: Alan Archbold.