Maher and Bergin duo on fire once more for reigning champs in victory over hard-working Rosenallis

Reigning Laois Shopping Centre SHC champions, Clough-Ballacolla, clashed with Rosenallis in the opening round three affair on Saturday evening.

Rosenallis pushed Clough-Ballacolla hard in the first half. However, goals from the ever reliable duo of Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher and Stephen Bergin gave Clough-Ballacolla the platform to finish comfortable enough victors in the end.

Clough-Ballacolla 2-28

Rosenallis 0-22

Rosenallis landed the first punch when Brian Fitzpatrick fired over the bar. However, Clough-Ballacolla quickly came back in devastating fashion with the opening goal of the game.

Stephen Bergin cut in and picked out Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher sprinting through the middle. Maher made no mistake with the finish, as he calmly buried it past Rosenallis keeper Pearce Kelly.

Rosenallis came close to responding with a goal themselves. Jimmy Hyland found a little space inside but his effort was saved by Clough-Ballacolla goalkeeper, Cathal Dunne.

Fiachra C-Fennell fired over a third point for Rosenallis. Stephen Bergin could have easily hit back with a goal for Clough-Ballacolla but was forced to settle for a point on this occasion.

Points from youngsters Matthew Bennett and David Dooley saw Rosenallis go level with Clough-Ballacolla after twelve minutes of play had elapsed. The champions always had an answer to Rosenallis’ run though.

Stephen Bergin was on form in the first half and added another point to his name. Fiachra C-Fennell replied to Rosenallis but the champions knocked over the next two through Bergin again and Cormac Hogan scores.

Charlie Friel curled over another for Rosenallis but that was met by wing-back Cormac Hogan’s second score in as many minutes. Rosenallis hit the next two to level matters again, as Jimmy Hyland and Paddy Keating both added their names to the scoresheet.

Bergin’s eye was in now and he followed that goal with a brilliant point from play. The Clough-Ballacolla corner-forward beat two Rosenallis defenders before Bergin raised the white flag.

Stephen Maher landed two more points before the interval for Clough-Ballacolla, with one coming from a free and the other from play. While David Dooley placed a free for Rosenallis in between them scores, they trailed 0-13 to 2-11 at half-time in Portlaoise.

While that margin may have only been five points, Rosenallis had played with a decent breeze behind them in that first-half. Clough-Ballacolla cruised home in the second-half, as a couple more of their forwards outside of Bergin and Maher came to life.

Two points from ‘Picky’ Maher either side of one from midfielder Jordan Walshe got Clough-Ballacolla off to an excellent start for the second-half. Rosenallis got on the scoreboard for the second-half through Paddy Keating but the contest had gone beyond them at this stage.

Maher and Cillian Dunne cracked over further points for Clough-Ballacolla. David Dooley replied for Rosenallis with a free but that was met with three unanswered scores from Clough-Ballacolla.

Robbie Phelan, Cillian Dunne and Maher added further points to stretch the champions lead out once more. Rosenallis did respond with the next two through Paddy Keating and Donnacha Hartnett but they required goals at this stage.

They didn’t come for Dan Gilmartin’s men. Clough-Ballacolla finished comfortable enough victors, with Willie Dunphy, Cillian Dunne, Maher and Mark Hennessy all landing all on the scoresheet towards the end.