Five of the best have Abbeyleix back in the hunt

St Lazarian’s Abbeyleix 5-19 

Rathdowney/Errill 0-10 

THE scoreboard says it all. The venue was Abbeyleix on Sunday at midday. Both these sides lost their opening game so there was no room for errors in this contest.

Ballyfin-Mountrath were superior to Rathdowney/Errill On the other hand Abbeyleix had travelled to Castletown and in a high scoring game the home team scored a comfortable victory. However that day Abbeyleix claimed they were minus a number of first choice players for one reason or another.

Rathdowney/Errill too lined out several first choice players short in both their games. From the throw in the home team started very well, centre forward Cormack Byrne opening the scoring with a point. Four minutes in a passing movement saw Cormack Byrne place full forward Jack O’Dea for the game’s opening goal.

Eoin Bracken opened the visitors account from a free before Cathal Noone and Jaques Dowling swapped good points. The Rathdowney/Errill keeper Jack Delaney then brought off a spectacular save nine minutes into the game.

Abbeyleix were dominating and added five good points in succession, then followed their second goal. Again Cormack Byrne laid it on for Jack O’Dea. Five minutes later O’Dea struck for his hat trick.

Points were traded before O’Dea turned provider, placing Byrne for the game’s fourth goal.

Eoin Bracken replied with a point from a long range free.

Abbeyleix closed the first half scoring with another passing movement. This time Byrne placed Dan Jones and he beat the keeper from close range. At half time the home team led 5-10 to 0-6.

While the game as a contest was done and dusted, Rathdowney/Errill continued to battle on the restart. Owing to injuries they could bring on no replacements but with the wind in their favour they hurled very well.

Abbeyleix converted an early free by Cormack Byrne and the same player added a brace of points from play adding further points from Joe Cole and Shane O’Donnell while their keeper, Eli Ginnagh brought off two excellent saves.

Long before the final whistle the result was a forgone conclusion. After losing to Castletown in round one this is a major boost for Abbeyleix ahead of their final group game against Ballyfin-Mountrath. For Rathdowney/Errill, they battled hard against the odds and were a jaded side at full time.

SCORERS:

Abbeyleix: Jack O’Dea 2-2, Cormack Byrne 1-5 (0-2fs), Dan Jones 1-1, Shane O’Donnell 1-1, Cathal Noone and Eli Quinn 0-3, Joe Cole 0-2, Sam Farrell and Tadgh Fahy 0-1 each.

ST LAZARIAN’S ABBEYLEIX: Eli Ginnagh; Tom O’Keefe, Dan Bergin, Rian Mahoney; Liam O’Keefe, Jack Finlay, Adam Jones; Eli Quinn, Kyle Meagher; Shane O’Donnell, Cormack Byrne, Joe Cole; Cathal Noone, Jack O’Dea, Dan Jones.

Subs: Sam Farrell for L O’Keefe (45m), Tadgh Fahy for O’Dea (45m), Paddy Callaghan for Mahoney (50m), Darragh Ryan for Cole (54m).

RATHDOWNEY/ERRILL: Jack Delaney; Conor Coleman, Peter Meagher, Thomas Moore; Cillian Stenson, Oisin Moore, Ashton Jordan; Oisin Smeaton Eoin Bracken; Harry Campion, Ger Campion, Dean Dowling; Jaques Dowling, Joe Sherman, Dillon Hanrahan.

Referee: John Lalor (Shanahoe)