SFC: Seniors secure second win

By Club

April-20-2015

Navan O’Mahonys continued the defence of their SFC title with a well-deserved Group B round two win over Donaghmore-Ashbourne at Walterstown on Sunday afternoon

Navan O’Mahonys …………. 1-12
Donaghmore-Ashbourne …… 1-8

More economical than last year’s SFC runners-up, Davy Nelson’s men outscored Donaghmore-Ashbourne by 0-9 to 0-5 in the second-half of a game dominated by a strong cross wind. Paul Clarke’s charges chalked up 14 wides, twice as many as O’Mahonys.

Three points – Ruairi O Coileain, David Bray and Jake Regan (free) – within as many minutes of resumption earned the champions a lead they maintained to the end.

Donaghmore-Ashbourne – who were heavily dependent on Andy Tormey for scores – got to within two points of O’Mahonys by the three-quarter mark. However, they made no further headway against a well-marshalled defence.

By the 53rd minute the champions were five points clear, 1-11 to 1-6. Donaghmore-Ashbourne lost Tormey to a second yellow card in the 56th minute. Niall McKeigue was also received a yellow card at this juncture. It was the only such sanction received by O’Mahonys in a disciplined defensive display.

An Aidan Hughes point cut the gap to a goal but a magnificent Alan Forde point in the last action of the hour secured a second win of the campaign for O’Mahonys, who face St Patrick’s in round three.

Playing from the clubhouse end, O’Mahonys opened well. O Coileain went close to goaling when placed by Stephen Bray. In the fifth minute a move started by wing-back James O’Reilly was carried on by the 2007 All-Star whose cross was fisted to the net by Jake Regan.

Three Tormey points tied the scores for the first time, midway through the half. A brilliant Stephen Bray point was countered by a goal from the Donaghmore-Ashbourne number 13 that left it 1-3 to 1-1 after 17 minutes.

O’Mahonys responded with five points on the spin, either side of half-time. It was 1-3-all at the break. Within two minutes of the resumption, David Bray fielded a James O’Reilly delivery and placed O Coileain to give the champions a lead they retained to the end.

O’Mahonys – Marcas Brennan; Darragh Smyth, Kevin Reilly, Darragh Maguire; James O’Reilly, Shane Crosby, Brian Dillon; Cormac McGuinness, Kevin Reilly (0-2); Ruairi O Coileain (0-4, 2fs), Stephen Bray (0-1), Rory Maguire; Jake Regan (1-2, 0-2 fs), David Bray (0-2), Alan Forde (0-1). Subs – Henry Finnegan for Maguire (52).

Donaghamore-Ashbourne – Andy Colgan; JP Casserly, Conor Carton, Thomas McGovern; Ciaran Ellis, Sean Curran, Paul Gilligan (0-1f); Conor Carey, Bryan Menton; Eric Callaghan, Aidan Hughes (0-1), Sean Byrne; Andrew Tormey (1-5, 0-2fs), Ciaran Beirne, Michael Deegan (0-1). Subs – Shane Melia for Callaghan (52), Matthew Devine for Byrne.

Referee – Padraic Coyle (Seneschalstown).