Combination of youth and experience sees Rathvilly into Junior 'A' semi-finals
Rathvilly's Brynn Nolan takes a shot with Palatine's John Byrne closing in.
The combination of experience and youthful vim steered Rathvilly into the semi-finals of the junior football A championship at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday.
Two early Brian Murphy points had Rathvilly on their way and by half-time Brynn Nolan featured on the scoreboard with two points. Murphy then was on hand to find the net from close range when Nolan drew the point-blank save from Palatine keeper, Sean Buggy. Fionn O’Toole was the Palatine key forward landing two two-pointers while Marc Mulhall also raised a white flag to leave the eventual winners in front 1-7 to 0-7 at the break.
On 42 minutes Rathvilly led by five points but an O’Toole penalty narrowed the gap to one. The Wicklow border side was having none of it and points from Murphy and a vital two-pointer from Conor O’Neill all but put paid to the attempted fight-back.
B Murphy 1-5 (1f), B Nolan 0-4, Conor O’Neill (2ptf, f) 0-3, Eoghan O’Connor Byrne (f), L Kavanagh 0-1 each.
F O’Toole (pen 1-2p, 1-2pf, f) 1-6, Cathal O’Neill, M Mulhall, O O’Boyle, E O’Connor Byrne (f) 0-1 each.
Connor Elliot; Robert Coleman, Eoin Corcoran, Senan Molloy; Kyle Byrne, Luca Kavanagh, Tony Bolger; Kenneth Bello, Eoghan O’Connor Byrne; Ger Kavanagh, Brynn Nolan, Conor O’Neill; Jack Carroll, Brian Murphy, Darragh Corcoran. Subs: Cillian Molloy for Kavanagh (45), Liam Kelly for O’Neill (59).
Sean Buggy; Glen Forde, Conor Lawlor, John Byrne; Jack Doyle, Brian Broderick, Aidan Ryan; Matthew Farrell, Marc Mulhall; Fionn O’Toole, Dylan Doyle, Lee Gordon; Cathal O’Neill, Conor Reynolds, Eoin Ryan. Subs: Oran O’Boyle for Doyle (11), Jack Keating for O’Neill (40), Sean Woods for Gordon (40), Cian Campion for Forde (51), Sean Dermody for Farrell (58).
Marion Hayden (Éire Óg).
