A few minor tremors but no earthquakes to report after round one of the SFC. Ballinacourty and Stradbally both avoided early mishaps as they summoned second half recoveries on Sunday. De La Salle sprung the first surprise in taking out St Saviours by ten at Walsh Park. An Rinn offered up the performance of the weekend by coldly dissecting Clashmore on Sunday night. Even without Donie Breathnach, nine different players scored for the well prepared 2013 semi finalists.
The measly numbers that turned out reflected a growing indifference towards these group games. Scarcely sixty fans took their seats for the curtain raiser in Fraher Field on Sunday. It was easy to nab a parking space close to gate.
The fare could be best described as moderate overall. Eight goals and 119 points arrived over the six games. The quality of the shooting fell short too often. The closeness of the contests involving last year’s county finalists kept interest levels up. On the other hand, three of the six games were decided by double digit margins. The 29 point drubbing doled out by The Nire to Ballinameela shone a light on the widening gap between the contenders and those scrapping for survival. Twelve teams may be too many.
Holders Courty required three injury time points to halt Rathgormack. Patrick Hurney punched two and Mark Gorman added another in a patchy 1-9 to 0-9 win. With the breeze at the backs, Rathgormack departed 0-5 to 0-3 in front at halfway. Gavin Nugent annoyed Shane Briggs for the full sixty. The champions battered them in the third quarter however. A Mark Ferncombe close range finish on 41 minutes secured a four point advantage (1-6 to 0-5). Nugent slotted eight points in all for the green and red and four in a row brought them level entering stoppage time. Courty heaped on four subs at this point, including Gary Hurney. An untidy turnover in defence handed Patrick Hurney the chance to regain the lead.
13/2 long shots Gaultier clutched a 1-5 to 0-3 half time lead against Stradbally at Walsh Park. Ian Power claimed the goal on 19 minutes with JJ Hutchinson posting two points from play. Four placed kicks from Robert Ahearne in the second half spared Stradbally. The Reds equalised with three minutes left and they closed out the contest from there (0-13 to 1-7).
In the curtain raiser, De La Salle made a significant splash into senior football with a conclusive ten point dismissal of St Saviours (0-14 to 0-4). They marched 0-8 to 0-3 clear by the break. Seven different players pinned down points for Seamus Quirke’s side. Top scorer Ian Cantwell ended on six points as Colm Morris and Mitchell Casey snatched two apiece.
The Nire inflicted a 29 point torture of Ballinameela in the opener at Fraher Field (3-22 to 0-2). The six time winners backed up their billing of 1/33 favourites by blasting 2-12 in the first half. Shane Ryan is starting to assume a leadership role up front and kicked 1-5. Liam Lawlor (1-4) and Brian Wall (1-3) accounted for the other green flags. A sign of further lop-sided contests to come in the group stages.
On Friday night, Joey Veale supplied seven singles (three from play) as Kilrossanty emerged four point winners against Ardmore (0-11 to 1-4). The green and gold led by one following a low key opening half (0-4 to 0-3). Kilrossanty cruised eight clear during the second period. Ardmore endured a scoreless spell of 42 minutes but they did manage a consolation goal in injury time through Seamus Keating.
An Rinn crushed an injury hit Clashmore on Sunday night by 2-17 to 0-7. After seven minutes, Bilí Breathnach’s 45 metre free sailed into the net past Declan Hickey who was deceived by the sun. Liam Ó Lonáin shook the top corner on 49 minutes. Oozing with confidence, he scored 1-4. Lorcan Ó Corraoin, pushing for inter county inclusion, collected three points.
No comments:
Post a Comment