Knockbeg advance to South Leinster junior semi-final

South Leinster Junior Football Championship q/f 

Knockbeg College 3-16 

St Mary’s CBS Enniscorthy 1-7 

THE final scoreline of this South Leinster Junior Football Championship quarter-final doesn’t do justice to the losing side. For 40 minutes both teams went at it head to head in Killeshin on Thursday. No quarter was asked or given.

Tadgh O’Gorman at centre-forward was in fine form for Knockbeg and he opened the scoring with a point from play. Later on he also converted a two-point free. Both sides showed plenty of enterprise as Harry Asple pulled the strings for St Mary’s.

Knockbeg led 0-6 to 0-4 in the second quarter but that lead was wiped out when Michael Kehoe passed to Jamie Downey and he found the net. That turned the game on its head but Knockbeg didn’t panic. When Eoghan Harris was pulled down going through, it was a cast iron penalty. Cormac Murphy took on the responsibility and his low spot-kick to the left had goal all over it. At the interval Knockbeg led 1-8 to 1-5.

The Enniscorthy side needed to hit the ground running in the second half but it wasn’t to be. A sustained effort in the third quarter all but won the game for Knockbeg.

Eoghan Harris experienced a level of opportunism when a 45 was probably mis hit but the corner forward was alert. He gathered quickly and his shot found the roof of the net from outside the big square.

It was Knockbeg’s to lose now and they were in no mood to do so. Their forwards tore the opposition apart with Harris adding another goal. It was tough on the losing side. They were not that too far behind the eventual winners in that opening half but on the change of ends, the County Carlow school were unstoppable.

SCORERS:

Knockbeg: T O’Gorman 0-9 (1 2pf 5fs), E Harris 2-0, C Murphy 1-1 (1-0 pen), M Brennan 0-2, M Regan, D Heffernan, C Howard, G Kelly.

St Marys: J Downey 1-0, H Asple 0-2, D O’Hanlon (f), B Heffernan, PJ Breen, M Kehoe, C Steadman 0-1 each.

KNOCKBEG COLLEGE: Mark Dowling (Crettyard); Will Duffy (Ballylinan), Nathan Walsh (Palatine), Podge Brennan (Graiguecullen); Dale Heffernan (Killeshin), Harry O’Gorman (Castledermot), Cian Howard (Asca); Nisun Balogun (Killeshin); Darragh Brennan (Crettyard); Cormac Murphy (Éire Óg), Greg Kelly (Castledermot), Michael Brennan (Crettyard); Michael Regan (Castledermot), Tadgh O’Gorman (Castledermot), Eoghan Harris (Arles Killeen).

Subs: Tadhg Murnane (Castledermot) for Balogun (23m), Henry Hovenden (Ballylinan) for D Brennan (40m), Dylan Scully (Killeshin) for Dowling (40m), Jamie Julian (Ballylinan) for Heffernan (50m), Cathal Harris (Arles Killeen) for Walsh (55m), Cian McNamara (Tinryland) for P Brennan (55m).

ST MARY’S CBS ENNISCORTHY: Andrew Browne; Samuel Redmond, Ruairi Swan, Henry Downey; Mark Smith, Alfie Murphy, Fergal Doyle; Michael Kehoe, Donncha O’Hanlon; Harry Asple, Billy Heffernan, Conan Steadman; PJ Breen, Jamie Downey, Lee Jordan.

Sub: Billy Doyle for H Downey (ht).