Old Leighlin complete group stages with third win
James Dowling celebrates scoring a goal for Old Leighlin against Bagenalstown Gaels on Sunday Photo: Pat Ahern
Old Leighlin took top place in the Senior Football Championship group 1 table with this easy win over Bagenalstown Gaels at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday.
They dominated the opening half with the experienced Seamus Kinsella leading the way with a 4th minute point. Cathal Coughlan, Tadgh Roche and Mikey Bambrick also raised white flags. The first goal was coming and when Daragh Fitzgerald passed to James Dowling the left full forward found the net in the first quarter.
Bagenalstown Gaels engineered a rare scoring chance for themselves but Steven Scallan denied Paddy McDonnell when the Barrowsiders needed something. They didn’t feature on the scoreboard until the 24th minute when the full-forward converted a free. With the last kick of the half, Cian Doyle, also pointed from a placed ball.
Just before Bagenalstown’s first point, Cathal Coughlan punished the Gaels defence when they failed to deal with a ball in front of their own goal. He was quick and had the easy task of finishing from inside the small square.
Leading 2-6 to 0-2 at the interval, Old Leighlin had top place in the group secured.
It was just a case of avoiding any accidents and seeing the game out in the second half. This Old Leighlin did and did so with a degree of panache. Twice Darragh Fitzgerald popped over points as Old Leighlin caught their opponents on the break. McDonnell and Doyle scored three and two points respectively in the second half for the Gaels but the blue and whites got enough of the ball to engineer their own haul of points. Mikey Bambrick scored two himself and laid several more on as Old Leighlin engineered their place in the last four.
C Coughlan, J Dowling 1-2 each, D Fitzgerald, T Roche, M Bambrick 0-3 each, S Kinsella (2fs), 0-2 each , D Bambrick 0-1
P McDonnell 0-4 (2fs 45), C Doyle 0-3 (2fs), J McCullagh, J Farrell, 0-1 each
Steven Scallan; Tadhg O’Neill, Jordan Kelly, Roy Sheehy; Tadhg Roche, Sean Bambrick, Sean Taylor; Ian Atkinson, Cathal Coughlan; Seamus Kinsella, Mikey Bambrick, David Bambrick; James Dowling, Aaron Amond, Darragh Fitzgerald. Subs: Jamie Doyle for Kinsella (53), Kevin Carpenter for Coughlan (57).
Ciaran Cunningham; Sean Wall, Alan Corcoran, Andrew Casey; Darren Crooks, Darragh Nolan, Liam McDonnell; Jack McCullagh, Jamie Clarke; Jason Wall, Cian Doyle, Oisin Dillon; Shane Clarke, Paddy McDonnell, James Farrell. Subs: Thomas McDonnell for Wall (44), Thomas Maher for Casey (46), Mark McDonald for Corcoran (53), Ross O’Neill for Nolan (53).
John Hickey (Fenagh).
