Belfry S.F.C. ,Group 1 Round 3 in
Bunninadden Community
Park. 26-8-2017.
St.Mary’s Secure
Qr.-Final Place. Report by
Padraic Duffy.
ST. Mary’s 1-14
Eastern Harps 1-12.
Old rivals
Eastern Harps and St. Mary’s produced another interesting and well contested
spectacle in Bunninadden on Sunday evening.The game resembled more of
championship encounters of the past with some well worked scores coming from
both sides. Harps were forced to field without long term injury victim, Ross Donavan but were further
depleted by the late withdrawal through injury of midfielder, Tony Taylor. St.
Mary’s fielded without their former County Player Johnny Martyn.
Harps opened
the scoring in whirlwind fashion with a point and a goal in the opening seven
minutes. Shane O’Grady opened their account with a point from a 13m free. This
was followed by a goal, finished to the St.Mary’s net by Conor Higgins
after a good turnover by Martin Doherty.
St.Mary’s
responded promptly when team captain, Rory Guinan pointed a 13m free. Sean Bruen
was on target for Harps after Shane O’Grady picked him out with a quickly taken
45. St Mary’s were growing into the game and two flowing movements saw Gerard
O’Kelly-Lynch hit a point and Niall Mc Manus finish to the Harps net to leave
the sides deadlocked at 1-2 each. Shane O’Grady, from a
30m free and Niall Mc Manus exchanged points. Another converted 30m free from
Shane O’Grady and an ambitious effort from 40m by Gavin Horan gave Harps a two
points advantage. The winners finished the half with a flourish. Rory Guinan
pointed a 13m free and Kyle Cawley hit
two in a row to give his side a 1-6 to 1-5 lead at the interval.
Now with the
aid of a stiff breeze, St.Mary’s commenced the second half intent on building on
their slender interval advantage, Goalkeeper, Fintan Ruddy pointed a 45.Shawn
O’Hara reduced the St.Mary’s lead after he took a pass from Martin Doherty. Mark Breheny began to show all
his guile and experience with a point from play, followed by a converted 13
m free by Rory Guinan. James O’Hara was unlucky to see his fisted effort just
off target as Harps tried to wrestle control. Kyle Cawley pointed from an acute
angle to increase the winners lead to four points.
Shane
O’Grady pointed two 13m frees to reduce the deficit. Harps ‘keeper,Alan Davey brought off a great save as Mary’s went for
the jugular.His opposite number, Fintan Ruddy pointed his second 45 of the game.The
industrious Kevin Gallagher pointed from play as the game entered the closing
stages.
St. Mary’s
defence were now under siege from a rejuvenated Harps attack.They conceded
three frees which Shane O’Gady converted .The winners retained their slim
advantage with a Mark Breheny point from a 13m free, an opportunist point from
Dylan Kilgallon and their final point
from play from Nathan Rooney. Harps swarmed forward again but time ran out and St.Mary’s held on in a pulsating finish.
They move on
to the Qr.-finals while Harps must enter the unfamiliar relegation zone.Both
sides will be pleased with improved performance which they will hope to take
into their next outings.
Scorers: St.Mary’s :N.Mc Manus 1-1,R.Guinan
0-3(f),K.Cawley 0-3,F.Ruddy 0-2(45’s),M.Breheny 0-2
(0-1f.),G.O’Kelly-Lynch,N.Rooney,&D.Kilgallon 0-1 each.
E.Harps: S.O’Grady 0-8(f.),C.Higgins
1-0,S.Bruen,G.Horan,S.O’Hara & K.Gallagher 0-1each.
Line-out: St.Mary’s : F.Ruddy;
C.O’Grady,L.Nicholson,C.Darcy;G.O’Kelly-Lynch,P.Kilcoyne,L.Henry; C.Breheny,N.Mc
Manus; M.Mc Goldrick,R.Guinan,J.Lynch;K.Cawley,J.Davey M.Breheny. Subs used :D.O’Connor,D.Kilgallon,N.Rooney.
E.Harps:
A.Davey;B.Cryan,R.Reid,D.Madden;G.Horan,K.Gallagher,E.Dwyer;T.Cryan,E.Lavin;C.Higgins,M.Doherty,S.O’Hara;
S.Bruen,S.O’Grady,J.O’Hara. Subs used:B.Molloy,T.Taheny,K.Cryan,C.Gallagher.
Referee: Gus Chapman (Shamrock Gaels).