Timahoe limp out of Leinster after heavy defeat at the hands of Offaly Champions
Timahoe's Eoin Shortall looks to shake off the attention of Evan Rigney (St Brigid's) Photo: Denis Byrne
TIMAHOE endured a difficult evening in the AIB Leinster Junior Club Football Championship as Offaly champions St Brigid’s Croghan proved far too strong, running out convincing 13-point winners on Friday evening in Laois Hire O’Moore park.
Representing Laois at provincial level following St Joseph’s second team’s county final success, Timahoe struggled to make an impression against a St Brigid’s side who controlled proceedings from the outset and never looked in danger of surrendering their advantage.
St Brigid’s made the brighter start, registering five unanswered points through Dan Molloy, Ethan Hannon, James Lynch, Sean Briody, and another Molloy effort from a free.
Timahoe eventually found the net in the 17th minute, with Colum Dunne’s two-point free effort dropping short. Briody attempted to clear the danger but inadvertently turned the ball into his own net to get Timahoe off the mark.
However, St Brigid’s quickly resumed their dominance. A superb run from Molloy created the opportunity for Ben Kennedy to point, before Aaron McDermott and Molloy, from a free, added further scores.
Dunne registered Timahoe’s second score of the afternoon with a 45th-minute point after David Lalor’s effort was blocked and went out over the end line.
That left Timahoe trailing by four points at the interval, but the second half offered little respite for the Laois representatives.
Dunne opened the scoring after the restart, but St Brigid’s responded with a two-point effort from Liam Cocoman. McDermott almost found the net shortly afterwards, only for Colm Dundon to clear his goalbound effort off the line.
Timahoe’s task became increasingly difficult when Conor Whelehan received a black card in the 38th minute for a pull-down on Kennedy, leaving them with 14 players for the following 10 minutes.
Molloy converted another free before St Brigid’s struck for their goal. Thomas Kennedy supplied the ball to Lynch, who finished to the net to extend the Offaly champions’ advantage.
Things went from bad to worse for Timahoe when Eoin Shorthall was shown a black card in the 43rd minute for words directed towards the referee. That left Timahoe with just 13 players for five minutes until Whelehan’s return.
Cocoman and Kennedy added further points as St Brigid’s took complete control, with Kennedy registering three successive scores to stretch the lead.
Seamus Ramsbottom and Dundon managed replies for Timahoe, but Croghan continued to find scores with ease. Molloy landed a two-point effort before Timahoe found their second goal, Dunne setting up Conor Fitzpatrick for a consolation finish.
McDermott and Thomas Mooney added to St Brigid’s tally before Molloy rounded off the scoring with a fisted point to seal an emphatic victory seeing then advance in the Leinster competition.
St Brigid’s Croghan: Dan Molloy 0-7 (1tp, 0-3fs), James Lynch 1-1, Ben Kennedy 0-4, Liam Cocoman 0-3 (1tp), Aaron McDermott 0-2, Thomas Mooney, Sean Briody, Ethan Hannon 0-1 each.
Timahoe: Sean Briody (own goal) and Conor Fitzpatrick 1-0 each, Colum Dunne 0-2 (0-1 45’), Colm Dundon and Seamus Ramsbottom 0-1 each.
Liam Fox; Ronan Swords, Cameron Egan, Odhran Brody; Ben Kennedy, Ronan Doyle, Ethan Hannon; Sean Briody, Dan Molloy; Evan Rigney, Alan Scully, Liam Cocoman; Aaron McDermott, Cian Donohue, James Lynch.
Subs: Thomas Mooney for Donohue (ht), Bobby Troy for Rigney (50m), David Boland for O Briody (53m), Rob Hoey for Hannon (53m), Conor Davidson for Egan (55m).
Eoin Culleton; Rhys Kelly, Padraig Kelly, Colm Dundon; David Lalor, Dáire McDonald, Eoin Shortall; Colm Lalor, Damien O’Connor; Conor Whelehan, Conor Fitzpatrick, Enda Shortall; Colum Dunne, Pauric Ramsbottom, Joe O’Connor.
Subs: PJ Daly for Kelly (ht), Liam McEvoy for Ramsbottom (44m), Seamus Ramsbottom for D Lalor (47m), Terence Delaney for Enda Shortall (56m).
Referee: Ryan Moran (Kildare).
