Hulton and Gannon get the goals as champions overcome gutsy Clonmore
Colm Hulton was one of the goalscorers as Éire Óg beat Clonmore in the opening round of the Michael Lyng Motors Senior Football Championship Photo: ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
Éire Óg got the defence of their senior football title off to a good start with a workmanlike win over Clonmore in Netwatch Cullen Park on Friday evening.
The new kids on the block got off to a great start with their goalkeeper, Jordan Kane, converting a 45 and Aaron Kelly landed the first of his three points in the opening half.
It got better for Clonmore when a high ball wasn’t dealt with by the Éire Óg defence. A deft off-load found Oisin Doyle and he found the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
Éire Óg were stunned but they got on the board with an eighth minute free from Darragh O’Brien followed by a long-range booming kick from Mark Furey which cleared the crossbar. Clonmore captain, Shane McGrath, replied with a point.
The Gods were kind to the holders when Colm Hulton looked to have been crowded out but his shot on the edge of the small square took a deflection and ended up in the back of the net.
With Clonmore edging the exchanges, they deservedly took a 1-5 to 1-3 lead at the interval. Two minutes in the sides were level with O’Brien (f) and Murtough Ware raising white flags. The champions dominated in the possession stakes but they were rusty and failed to take some good chances which came their way. Their three points from O’Brien, Hulton and Ross Dunphy were hard earned but it meant Éire Óg were in the driving seat.
Oisin Doyle converted a Clonmore free but substitute, Niall Quinlan, fired over one of his landmark points. In injury time, the Reds made it safe when Sean Gannon found the Clonmore net to ensure the win.
C Hulton 1-1, D O’Brien 0-4 (3fs), S Gannon 1-0, M Furey, M Ware, R Dunphy, N Quinlan 0-1each
O Doyle 1-1A Kelly 0-3 (2fs), S Murphy, J Kane (45), D Doyle (f) 0-1 each.
Johnny Furey; Cathal Kelly, Shane Buggy, Benny Kavanagh; Alex Delaney, Mark Furey, Paul McElligott; Sean Gannon, Kyle O’Byrne; Lee Moore, Darragh O’Brien, Diarmuid Ruth; Ross Dunphy, Murtough Ware, Colm Hulton.Subs: Niall Quinlan for O’Brien (38), Kieran Nolan for Moore (46), Kyle Nolan for O’Byrne (46), Eoghan Byrne for Kavanagh (56).
Jordan Kane; Cormac Connolly, Anthony Kealy McDonald, Rory Maguire; David Mulvany, Billy Lawlor, Shane Murphy; Enda McGrath, Luke Connolly; Rob Bulmer, Eoin Connolly, Paddy Gahan; Jake Hickey, Oisin Doyle, Aaron Kelly.Subs: Anthony Byrne for Bulmer (38), Bulmer for Kelly (56), Dylan Doyle for C Connolly (56).
David Hickey (Fenagh)
