Goals prove the difference as Bagenalstown Gaels see off Grange
Players from Bagenalstown Gaels and Grange "get to know each other" shortly before half-time of their Senior Football Championship game in Netwatch Cullen Park this evening
Bagenalstown Gaels ran out easy winners in the second half of this senior football championship third round game at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
Shane Cormican for Grange and Bagenalstown Gaels Paddy McDonnell shared early points before Grange eased themselves into an early 0-4 to 0-2 in the first quarter. John Murphy scored a two-pointer from play and also converted a free. A Cian Doyle free and an Oisin Dillon point levelled the game but once again Grange pulled three points clear with scores from Aidan Burrows, Darragh Burrows and Ned Pender.
Bagenalstown Gaels started punching holes in the Grange defence with Doyle, Jack McCullagh and McDonnell ending the half with two points each. Just on half-time, a Grange kick-out went wrong but while Jamie Clark needed two attempts the ball eventually crossed the line for an opportunist goal. At the interval, Bagenalstown Gaels led 1-7 to 0-7.
An early second half goal by McDonnell put distance between the sides and while Pat Murphy registered a Grange point they now had an uphill battle.
Near the end, Clarke and McDonnell combined to put in Robbie Kane whose rocket found the top corner of the net which was the icing on the cake for the eventual winners.
P McDonnell 1-3, J McCullagh 0-4 (1-2p), C Doyle (2fs) 0-3, J Clarke, R Kane 1-0 each, A Wall (f), O Dillon 0-1 each.
J Murphy (1-2p 3fs) 0-6, S Cormican 0-2, A Burrows, N Pender, D Burrows, P Murphy 0-1 each.
Rory Doyle; Thomas McDonnell, Sean Wall, Paddy Abbey; Patrick McDonnell, Danny Doyle, Niall Bolger; Oisin Dillon, Jack McCullagh; Jason Dillon, James Clarke, Jake Doyle; Cian Doyle, Robbie Kane, Alan Wall. Subs: Ross O’Neill for C Doyle (53), Brian O’Rourke for J Doyle (56).
Louis Kilcoyne; James Hickey, Matthew Bird, Tom Dillon; Vijay Egharevba, Henry Hegarty, Pat Murphy; Paddy Hickey, Cillian Murphy; Aidan Burrows, Ned Pender, Conor Nolan; Shane Cormican, John Murphy, Darragh Burrows. Subs: Paddy Hickey for Hickey (34), Harry Nolan for C Murphy (59), Noah Mulligan for A Burrows (59).
Brian Deering
