Sarsfields advance with Eadestown win and set up date with Celbridge in quarters

SFC pre-Quarter Final

Sarafields 2-15

Eadestown 0-11

Sarsfields are safely through to the quarter-final of the Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship following their com-

prehensive win over Eadestown at Manguard Park on Sunday afternoon.

It was a game marred by an accidental clash between Ben McCormack and his fellow team mate Ray Cahill, that saw the game held up for some six minutes before the county man was helped off, replaced by Alan Smith. The county man was brought to hospital where he was retained overnight for observation.

It was Eadestown who got off to a flying start with a point after 45 seconds from Rian Boran; Jack Sargent adding a second a minute later as the boys in blue were attacking into the Milltown end of Manguard Park.

Sarsfields who only made it to the pre-quarter due to Naas and Athy drawing their last game in the group the previous weekend, but slowly the Newbridge side got into their stride and they opened their account with that man Barry Coffey, carrying on from where he left off against Maynooth the previous week, with a pointed free; and he added a second soon after to level up matters after eight minutes.

Eadestown regained the lead after Conan Boran was fouled and Eadestown captain, Conor McCarthy, who had a red card over turned on appeal from the game against St Laurence's, and the full forward split the posts to make it 0-3 to 0-2.

Kieran Dywer, who is keeping up his fine scoring rate for Sarsfields, hit a fine point from the right corner position, and minutes later we had that long delay after Ben McCormack was forced off.

After a delay of some six minutes it was Sarsfields who upped their game hitting points from Conor Hartley, Callum Bolton and a fine punched effort from Karl Hartley to make it 0-6 to 0-3 after 24 minutes.

Sarsfields continued to dominate, both on the pitch and the scoreboard and added points from substitute Alan Smith; Barry Coffey a free, quickly followed by a point from play. Colm Harnett put Kieran Dwyer through with a deft kick pass but Shane Sargent was equal to the task and saved with his legs.

Alan Smith found Barry Coffey who took and converted a mark before Cian Bolton converted a late free for Eadestown to leave the half-time score reading Sarsfields 0-10 Eadestown 0-4.

Eadestown looked in real trouble at that stage but just as they did in the first half opened brightly with points from Conor McCarthy and Cian Bolton to reduce the deficit to four points.

Vital Goal

Then probably the score that killed off the game as a contest arrived when a long free in from Barry Coffey seemed to be under control by Eadestown keeper Shane Sargent, but he failed to control the ball and despite help near from a defender the ball ended up in the back of the net to make it 1-10 to 0-6 with just 34 minutes on the clock.

Cian Boran and a Conor McCarthy mark reduced the deficit but there was no denying Sarsfields.

Conor Hartley and McCarthy exchanged points before the final nail in the Eadestown coffin arrived mid-way through with Alan Smith finishing off a move that began in soccer style and ended in true Gaelic fashion with Alan Smith finding the net to make it 2-11 to 0-9 after 45 minutes.

Four points on the trot saw the lead pushed out to eleven points while Cian Bolton blasted a 20m free off the cross bar which was cleared.

Conor McCarthy hit the final point of the game but it was not enough for Eadestown as Sarsfields advanced to the quarter-final, and a date with Celbridge this coming weekend, on a final score line of Sarsfields 2-15 to 0-11.

Scorers: Sarsfields, Barry Coffey 1-6 (2 frees, mark); Alan Smith 1-1, Conor Hartley 0-2, Dan Nea 0-2 (2 frees), Callum Bolton 0-1, Kieran Dwyer 0-1, Karl Hartley 0-1, Con Kavanagh 0-1.

Eadestown, Conor McCarthy 0-5 (2 frees, mark), Cian Bolton 0-3 (2 frees), Jack Sargent 0-1, Rian Boran 0-1, Cian Boran 0-1.

SARSFIELDS : Mark Courtney-Byrne; Cian Hughes, Shea Ryan, Kieran Dwyer; Colm Hartnett, Sean Campbell, Cian Byrne; Tadhg Hoey, David Shalvey; Barry Coffey, Ben McCormack, Karl Hartley Ray Cahill, Callum Bolton, Conor Hartley. Subs: Alan Smith for Ben McCormack (19 minutes); Con Kavanagh for Karl Hartley (44 minutes); Dan Nea for Ray Cahill (49 minutes); Gary White for Tadhg Hoey (52 minutes); Tom Aspell for Cian Byrne (52 minute).

EADESTOWN: Shane Sargent; Rian Monahan, John Lawlor, Sean Hynes; Harry Carroll, Conan Boran, Tom Mernagh; Niall Cummins, Rian Boran; Jack Sargent, Cian Boran, Adam Fitzsimons; Cian Bolton, Conor McCarthy, Eoin Conneff. Subs: Ben Fitzsimons for Adam Fitzsimons (42 minutes); Daire Dillon for Rian Monahan (52 minutes).

REFEREE: Colm Kearney.