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Sarsfields 0-9, Ballyhogue 1-8:
Fourteen-man Ballyhogue edged out Sarsfields in
this low-key WFC Senior football championship Group D
opening round game at Páirc Uí Siocháin, Gorey, on
Saturday last. Ballyhogue were reduced to 14 players ten
minutes before the break when corner-back Tomás Moriarty
was straight red-carded by David Jenkins following a heavy
shoulder charge on a Sarsfields attacker. It was a rather
harsh decision, as he was unlucky to be on the receiving end
of a whistle-happy referee.
Sarsfields they will look on this as two points left behind,
having contributed so little in the way of attacking
football when wind assisted through the opening 30 minutes.
Ballyhogue got off to a tremendous start in their first real
attack into the wind taking the lead in the second minute
when Jim Bob Levingstone managed to toe-poke a low Gavin
Doyle cross to the net.
Sarsfields had to wait until the seventh minute for their
opening score - a Seán Ó Corcora point. After this they
went on to kick three unanswered points through David Mooney
(free), Jason Murphy (free) and David Gannon to lead by 0-4
to 1-0 after 26 minutes. Approaching the break, a Seán O'Neill
pointed free sent the sides in level, but in truth the
finishing of both was appalling.
Sarsfields showed improvement on the resumption, stretching
into a two-point lead by the 40th minute through Jason
Murphy and David Mooney, but with Seán O'Neill powering
into the game at midfield it was Ballyhogue, despite their
numerical disadvantage, that looked the more likely side to
take the points. Points from Edward Galavan and Gavin Doyle
had the sides level (1-3 to 0-6), at the end of the third
quarter, while one minute later O'Neill lofted over a superb
point to put his side back in front. O'Neill continued to
control proceedings with a further fine point, while five
minutes from the end a Ciarán O'Leary point left the
minimum separating the sides.
Typical of Ballyhogue's fighting qualities, they battled
their way back down field and forced a free which O'Neill
pointed. With the game in additional time, Sarsfields
launced one final attack, but a David Mooney punched effort
from a Jason Murphy free went over the bar and with it their
final chance of forcing a victory.
Ballyhogue: Tom English; Hughie O¹Neill, Peter Leacy, Tomás
Moriarty; James Whelan, Denis Asple, Jack Fortune; Seán O'Neill
(0-4, 2 frees), Tom Byrne; Chris Levingstone, Philip
Purcell, Edward Galavan (0-1); Gavin Doyle (0-1), Jim Bob
Levingstone (1-0), Richard Dunne. Subs. - Liam Kelly for
J.B. Levingstone, Seán Ring for Fortune.
Sarsfields: James Roice; Paul Gannon, Michael Hanrahan,
Blayne Dalton; Shane Barnes, Brendan Mulligan, David Gannon
(0-1); Ciarán O'Leary (0-1), David Mooney (0-3, 1 free);
Donnacha Doyle, Kevin Gore, Seán Ó Corcora (0-1); Paul
Murphy, Noel Walsh, Jason Murphy (0-2, 1 free). Subs. - Lee
Walker for Ó Corcora; Andy Moore for Doyle.
Referee: David Jenkins (Gusserane).
Sarsfields 1-11, Buffers Alley 3-6:
Shane Grannell coolly converted a free off the
ground from 40 metres with the last kick of the game to
settle this Roban Financial and Mortgages Junior 'C'
football championship Group A clash dominated by golden
oldies in Ballymurn on Sunday last.
The sides were level six times in all, and nobody would have
argued with a similar final outcome. However, the greater
goalscoring ability of an Alley side marshalled by eager
veteran Paul Gahan at full-forward saw them sneak through. Their first major came in the 19th minute when Tomás O¹Leary¹s
shot was parried by Kevin Carty but ended up in the net
after being touched on the ground by a defender. However, Sarsfields recovered well to get back on level
terms by the break (1-3 each), with their Australian import,
Adrian Campbell, kicking two fine points and also providing
the knockdown for Damien Dempsey's goal.
Barry Whelan rattled the net from a clever snapshot for the
Alley near the end of the third quarter, before Sarsfields
introduced Billy Dodd up front. And while their average age shot through the roof as a
result, their threat up front also improved and they had
edged ahead with eight minutes left (1-9 to 2-5). A Denis Moran goal restored the Alley lead, but Paul
Harrington (free) and Stephen Gannon brought the Sars level
before the club's second one-point defeat of the weekend
was confirmed by the accuracy of Shane Grannell.
Buffers Alley: Paul Doyle; Paul Doran, Shem O¹Hagan
(capt.), Shane Furlong; Michael Sinnott, Alan Doyle, Kevin
Roche (0-1); Shane Grannell (0-1 free), Tom Kavanagh; Denis
Moran (1-0), Willie Doran, Tomás O'Leary (1-0); Darragh
Butler (0-1), Paul Gahan (0-3), Barry Whelan (1-0). Sub. -
Colm Óg Doran for P. Doyle, inj.
Sarsfields: Kevin Carty; Dean Murphy, Ger Kelly, Cillian
Lawlor; Stephen Gannon (0-1), Enda Whelan, Liam Howlin
(0-1); Peter Grannell (capt.), Paul Harrington (0-3 frees);
Philip Gannon, John Harrington (0-1), Ian O¹Leary; John
Clancy (0-1), Adrian Campbell (0-2), Damien Dempsey (1-1).
Subs. - James Whelan for P. Gannon, Billy Dodd (0-1) for
Clancy.
Referee: Fintan Whyte (St. James').
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