Dominant Stradbally cruise past Graiguecullen to make it three wins on the trot

Stradbally 3-20 

Graiguecullen 0-5 

STRADBALLY made it three wins from three in Division 1 after running riot against Graiguecullen in Graiguecullen on Friday night by winning by 24 points in the process.

The visitors were totally dominant in all sectors of the field, as Graiguecullen could not cope with Stradbally's intensity, pace and their unbelievable work rate from start to finish.

In atrocious conditions Stradbally elected to play with the huge wind in first half where they made good use of it, as Graiguecullen struggled all through the first half only scoring a point.

The full forward line for Stradbally caused havoc all throughout the game kicking 2-15 between them with Benny Lawlor showing brilliant quality in his place kicking.

Fionn McEvoy got the scoreboard ticking which was followed up by Conor Goode to open up a two-point gap early on.

Dylan Murphy replied for Graiguecullen in the ninth minute and they would go scoreless until the 42nd minute.

Stradbally were winning everything and soon turned their possession into scores. Jack, Deegan, David Dineen and Lawlor added points.

David Dineen then found the back of the net for Stradbally, a Benny Lawlor shot hit the crossbar, but Stradbally kept it alive and it ended up with Dineen who hit the back of the net.

Stradbally then kicked on for the rest of the half and finished the game as a contest. Benny Lawlor would get three points one a brilliant two pointer free from a tricky angle.

Goal number two soon followed with Lawlor finding Fionn McEvoy with a super ball and McEvoy dispatched it to the net.

Lawlor and Colm Begley hit the last two points of the half to leave it 2-10 to 0-1 to Stradbally at halftime.

Despite playing against the wind Stradbally didn't let up for the second half. Lawlor was deadly from frees adding two more while Fionn McEvoy got a free of his own.

Graiguecullen finally ended their scoring drought in the 42nd minute and got two in a row from Murphy and James Horohan.

This didn't affect Stradbally though as they hit four more points through Dineen, McEvoy, Eoin Buggie and a second two pointer free from Lawlor.

Graigue stayed battling and hit two in a row from Josh O'Brien as the game was petering out with a few minutes to go.

Ben Dillon got on the scoreboard before Stradbally struck for their third goal, a shot from Podge Fitzpatrick hit the upright and Joe Larkin was the first to react and found the back of the net.

The final whistle was sounded soon after as Stradbally picked up another two points.

SCORERS:

Stradbally: Benny Lawlor 0-9 (2 tpfs, 0-5fs), Fionn McEvoy 1-4 (0-1f), David Dineen 1-2, Joe Larkin 1-0, Conor Goode, Jack Deegan, Colm Begley, Ben Dillon and Eoin Buggie 0-1 each.

Graiguecullen: Josh O'Brien 0-2, Dylan Murphy 0-2 (0-1f), James Horohan 0-1.

STRADBALLY: Gary Comerford; Sean Maher, Liam Knowles, Eamonn Delaney; Eoin Buggie, James Devoy, Ben Dillon; Jack Deegan, Conor Goode; Colm Begley, Joe Larkin, Conor Buggie; Benny Lawlor, David Dineen, Fionn McEvoy.

Subs: Cillian Maher for Lawlor, Podge Fitzpatrick for McEvoy, Damien Murphy for C Buggie, Conor McDonald for Maher, David Donohoe for Dineen.

GRAIGUECULLEN: Cody W Tucker; Adam Kerfah, Sean McGrath, Eoin Alsybury; Aaron Cullen, Warith Smith Oyeniyi, Danny McGrath; Josh O'Brien, Lee Nolan; James Horohan, Dylan Murphy, James Doogue; Aaron Forbes, Jamie O'Brien, Danny O'Brien.

Subs Eoghan Kavanagh for Smith Oyeniyi, Chris Hurley for Forbes, Luke Dooley for Tucker, Brandon Murnane for Kerfah, Conor Holohan for D O'Brien Referee: Clifford Ward (Portarlington)