O'Hanrahans raise four green flags to rattle Rathvilly
Rathvilly captain Jamie Byrne, referee Peter Doran and O'Hanrahans captain Ray Walker just before the coin toss.
O'Hanrahans picked up their second straight win in the Talbot Hotel Carlow Junior Football Championship on Saturday evening, raising four green flags to see of a Rathvilly side still searching for their first points of the competition.
The sides were level at half time, but home side O'Hanrahans rattled off 4-5 in the third quarter to run out comfortable winners.
It was two points apiece in the early goings, with Jer Kavanagh and Conor O'Neill on target for Rathvilly, while O'Hanrahans were on terms after a Lee Walker double.
The home side were in front after ten minutes when Joe Doran knocked over a close-range free before Walker raised an orange flag with a monster effort from distance.
Rathvilly responded well and were back to within a point midway through the half thanks to well-taken scores from O'Neill and Cillian Molloy, but they spurned the chance to take the lead with their next three shots all dropping short.
Instead, Doran widened the gap for O'Hanrahans followed by he and Molloy swapping scores five minutes before half time.
The visitors were level soon afterwards, however, thanks to a sublime two-point free from O'Neill. They upped the tempo after that but could not get their nose in front before the break as referee Peter Doran sounded the whistle at 0-7 apiece.
The home side regained the lead within 30 seconds of the restart when Cian Dowling rose highest to palm the ball into the Rathvilly net.
Another high ball in moments later resulted second goal for O'Hanrahans, this time thanks to a tidy finish from Joe Doran.
Lee Walker added a point either side that goal before raising a green flag of his own with the score of the game, gathering the pass inside from Pa Kavanagh before blasting his shot into the top corner for an unanswered 3-2 in the first five minutes of the half.
Luca Kavanagh with a two-pointer and Jamie Byrne with a single moved the scoreboard for Rathvilly, but the Blues responded with 1-3 on the bounce over the next five minutes, including a second goal from Doran as well as a point each from Daniel Core, Cian Dowling and Walker.
Molloy and O'Neill pointed frees for the visitors, but O'Hanrahans came back with a score from substitute Graham Delaney to bring the game to a close as they finished 13-points winners.
Round 3 will see O'Hanrahans back on their home patch when they host Palatine this coming Saturday, while Rathvilly will also be at home when Asca visit Fr Ryan Park on Sunday.
L Walker 1-7 (0-2f, 1tp), J Doran 2-3 (0-1f), C Dowling 1-1, D Core and G Delaney 0-1 each.
C O'Neill 0-5 (1tpf, 1f), C Molloy 0-3 (1f), L Kavanagh 0-2 (tp), J Kavanagh and J Byrne 0-1 each.
Aaron Power; Chris Bermingham, Milo Feehan, Keenan Geoghan; Daniel Hayden, Justin O'Brien, Mikee Horohan; Ray Walker, Lee Walker; Darren O’Keeffe, Pa Kavanagh, Ciaran Timmons; Joe Doran, Daniel Core, Cian Dowling.
Lazzy Meaney for Hayden (42), Owen O’Gorman for Dowling (48), Graham Delaney and Mark Davis for Timmons and Core (both 52).
Conor Elliott; Rob Coleman, Luke Coleman, Joseph Gibbons; Pauric Whyte, Kyle Byrne, Tony Bolger; Eoin Lawrence, Luca Kavanagh; Jamie Byrne, Jack Carroll, Jer Kavanagh; Cillian Molloy, Conor O'Neill, Cormac Byrne.
Joey Leonard for C Byrne (HT), Keith Gorman for L Coleman (39), Sean Kelly for Bolger (47).
Peter Doran.
