Emo advance and condemn Stradbally to ‘B’ championship
Nigel Murphy found the net for Emo in the defeat of Stradbally Photo: David Maher
Emo 3-16
Stradbally 1-18
EMO have knocked Stradbally out of the Laois Shopping Centre SFC and progressed to the third following an entertaining victory in Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Friday evening. It was Emo's efficiency in front of goal that proved the difference as they raised three green flags to win the game by four points.
Stradbally kicked the first five points to build up an early lead as Cillian Maher landed a two-point free and a point from play with Tom Shiel and Eoin Buggie also on target. Paddy Hosey and Padraig Kirwan got Emo underway before Ross Meredith made it three in a row for his side midway through the first half.
Shiel and Cathal Buggie knocked over a couple of quick scores to give Stradbally a four-point advantage, but Emo went up a gear after that and turned a four-point deficit into a three-point lead by the break. Darren Strong began the fightback with a two-pointer followed by a score at either end from Maher and Meredith to put two points between the teams.
The first green flag of the evening went up after 20 minutes when Emo pounced on a wayward Stradbally kick-out as Hosey found the net from a tight angle. Jody Dillon kicked a brace for Stradbally but Emo finished with three in a row as Kirwan kicked two and Nigel Murphy the other to give their side a lead of 1-10 to 0-10 at half time.
Stradbally missed a number of goal chances in the first half but they finally had the ball in the net when substitute Conor Buggie combined with Shiel to play in Maher who rifled his shot past Eoin Butler.
Emo were unphased by that, however, and retook the lead with scores from Meredith, Niall Gorman and Hosey to lead by three points heading into the fourth quarter. Cillian Maher and Benny Lawlor hit back for Stradbally to make it a one-point game, but Emo were in for their second goal thereafter when Hosey forced the ball to Murphy who rattled the Stradbally net.
Meredith and Hosey extended the lead but a two-point free from Maher and another score from Shiel brought Stradbally back into it.
Emo, however, clinched the game with a second goal from Murphy to condemn Padraig Clancey’s Stradbally to another year in the SFC ‘B’.
SCORERS:
Emo: Paddy Hosey 1-4, Ross Meredith 0-5 (0-1f), Nigel Murphy 1-1, Padraig Kirwan 0-3, Jack Murphy 1-0, Darren Strong 0-2, Niall Gorman 0-1.
Stradbally: Cillian Maher 1-8 (0-5fs, 2 two-point fs), Tom Shiel 0-3 (0-1f), Jack Deegan and Jody Dillon 0-2 each, Benny Lawlor, Eoin Buggie and Cathal Buggie 0-1 each.
EMO: Eoin Butler; Shane Murphy, Tom Fennelly, Cian Langford; Sean Greene, Padraig Kirwan, Jamie O'Connor; Niall Gorman, Liam Crowley; Darren Strong, Nigel Murphy, Brian Gorman; Ross Meredith, Paul Lawlor, Paddy Hosey.
Subs: Charlie Hand for Gorman (48m), Colm Poole for Lawlor (55m).
STRADBALLY: Darren Maher; Liam Woulfe, Eamonn Delaney, Conor McDonald; Conor Goode, Damien Murphy; Eoin Buggie, Jack Deegan; Fionn McEvoy, Tom Shiel, Cathal Buggie; David Donohue, Cillian Maher, Jody Dillon.
Subs: Conor Buggie for McEvoy (ht), Benny Lawlor for Cathal Buggie (41m), Ben Dillon for Murphy (41m), Garry Comerford for Dillon (56m), Charlie Hand for O'Connor (60m, inj), Jack Murphy for Gorman (60m).
Referee: Michael Tarpey (Kilcavan)
