Lee and Corbett to the fore as Clonaslee St Manman's power past Stradbally to secure Round 3 place
Cathal Lee scored 1-4 on the night while Niall Corbett got four points
Clonaslee St Manman's are safely through to Round 3 of the Laois Shopping Centre Senior Football Championship after they over-powered Stradbally in Laois Hire O'Moore Park this evening.
Two points separated the sides at half-time when it looked like Stradbally would get back into the game but that didn't happen as they only managed one score in the second-half and that was a goal from Jody Dillon in additional time.
Clonaslee St Manman's 1-11
Stradbally 1-5
The game was played in wet and windy conditions and that was showing on the field as both sides struggled to keep the ball to hand which led to the opening passages of the game being sloppy. Clonaslee St Manman's opened the scoring after four minutes as Niall Corbett split the posts from a tight angle. Corbett had a huge part to play in the next score as he got the ball off Will Young after he had batted down a kick-out. Corbett played it to Niall Hogan with the ball eventually falling to Cathal Lee and he smashed it into the Stradbally net.
Stradbally's first two points came in the seventh and ninth minute as Ronan Creery and Jack Deegan slotted the ball over the black spot. Clonaslee St Manman's then hit three scores on the trot as Cathal Lee pointed a mark after a kick-pass from Cian Callaghan. Callaghan got his name on the scoresheet but that was after nine minutes without a score for either side. Corbett scored a second point as he ran straight through the Stradbally defence from midfield.
Karl O'Dwyer's side ended the half with three points of their own courtesy of Jack Deegan (mark), Tom Shiel and a David Donohue free. Clonaslee St Manman's held a two-point advantage at the break, 1-4 to 0-5.
They stretched their lead to four points within two minutes of the restart as two slip-ups in the Stradbally defence allowed James McRedmond and Cathal Lee score easy points. McRedmond's came after Colm Begley coughed up possession on his own 21 and from the next kick-out, Darren Maher kicked the ball short straight to Clonaslee St Manman's. Stradbally were presented with a massive goal opportunity in the 38th minute as David Donohue beat his man before teeing up Garry Comerford. His goal-bound effort was saved by the feet of Darragh Mulhall.
Clonaslee St Manman's never let up and kept the scoreboard ticking to increase their advantage. Niall Corbett pointed from play and a 45' while Cathal Lee played a superb ball to allow Bob Downey to point from close-range to have his side leading by seven with 10 minutes to play. Cathal Lee added to his impressive tally with a free. Remarkably, Stradbally didn't register a score in the second-half until the 60th minute when Jody Dillon popped up with a goal off the bench. Just before that, Lee took his tally to 1-4 with a second mark.
The defeat means that Stradbally are now resigned to the Senior 'B' Championship while Clonaslee St Manman's will play a side that loses in the Winners Round.