First half goals see O'Hanrahan's into Junior 'A' Final
O' Hanrahan's Joe Doran congratulates Cian Dowling after his first half goal during the Talbot Hotel JunioR 'A' Championship win over Naomh Eoin Photo: Pat Ahern
O’Hanrahan are through to the Junior Football A Championship Final. In this last four tie at Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday, they carved out a hard-earned win against tough opponents.
They got off to a great start when Blake Holmes latched onto a loose ball and found the Naomh Eoin net at the scoreboard end of the ground. The Myshall side hit back with points from John Michael Nolan and Ben Nolan before Lee Walker landed the first of his four first half points.
It was a feisty affair with little asked or given. The Blues scored a second goal just before the break when a passing movement from deep ended up with Cian Dowling sliding the ball home from a narrow angle on the right. That helped his side into a 2-5 to 0-4 lead at the change of ends.
The second half didn’t match the intensity of the first with both sides sharing eight points over the 35 or so minutes that was played. Adam Kenny for Naomh Eoin scored the first and the last points of the half but in there Walker, Joe Doran, Dowling and Brian Cawley all raised white flags for the eventual winners. Dean Slye replied with a two-point free for Naomh Eoin.
With thirteen minutes to go Naomh Eoin were reduced to fourteen when Michael Kavanagh picked up a second yellow card. It made no difference. O’Hanrahans had done enough and they now play Palatine in the final in two weeks’ time.
L Walker 0-5 (2fs) , C Dowling 1-1, B Holmes 1-0, J Doran 0-2, B Cawley 0-1.
A Kenny, D Slye 0-2 (1-2pf) each, S Tracey (f), B Nolan, J Smithers, J M Nolan 0-1 each.
Aaron Power; Thato Rammusi, Milo Feehan, Lazzy Meany; Daniel Hayden Donovan, Justin O’Brien, Owen O’Gorman; Ray Walker, Lee Walker; Darren O’Keeffe, Pa Kavanagh, Blake Holmes; Joe Doran, Brian Cawley, Cian Dowling. Subs: Ciaran Timmons for Hayden Donovan (41), Keelan Lacey for O’Gorman (41), Graham Delaney for Kavanagh (54), Daniel Core for Dowling (57), Mark. Davis for Doran (59).
Sean Tracey; Diarmaid Deacon, Michael Kavanagh, Ger Kavanagh; Michael Nolan, Eoin Hosey, Patrick Doyle; Diego Dunne, John Michael Nolan; Ben Nolan, Adam Kenny, Diego Dunne; Scott Tracey, James Smithers, Cian Quirke. Subs: Ciaran Abbey for M Nolan (temporary 5), Dean Slye for M Nolan (h/t), Peter Abbey for B Nolan (h/t), Anthony Hogan for Quirke (41), Ciaran Abbey for G Kavanagh (57), Declan Nolan for Smithers (57).
Patrick Murphy (Ballinkillen).
