| Roche register first league points at home |
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| Sunday, 27 March 2011 20:34 |
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On a fine spring Sunday in excellent conditions a close tight match was served up. Roche took the spoils with a strong last 15 minutes to get the vital win by four points. They will be counting the cost with a serious late ankle injury to sharp shooter Barry O’Hare who had just scored eight points. The Irelands will wonder how they lost the grip on this game when they were well worth their four point advantage and had spells in the second half to extend their advantage. This was a creditable home win for Roche and it could have been by more but for second a half penalty that struck the butt of the post and away to safety. Roche Emmets 2-13(HT 0-5) Dundalk Young Irelands 2-9 (HT 1-6) Roche opened the scoring with points from Barry O’Hare and Enda Murphy. However they made a number of mistakes and allowed the Irelands in for three points, one from play and two frees from Derek Mone and Derek Maguire by the 7th minute. Dan O’Connell levelled with a free from 45 metres and Owen O’Hare restored Roche’s one point lead on 14 minutes. The Irelands scored a point from a fine point from the middle of the field before Derek Maguire rounded the Roche defence and slotted the ball in at the post after 18 minutes. They were in the driving seat and Roche were struggling to contain their attack or win position around the middle. Dermot Mone made it 0-4 to 1-5 with a free after Maguire was fouled again on route to goal. The visitors went a further point ahead in the 29th minute but Roche reached the half time whistle four down after Barry O’Hare drove over the bar a 35 metre free kick. Half time score 1-6 to 0-6 in favour of Irelands. Roche opened the second half scoring with a pointed free from Barry O’Hare when Martin Carroll was fouled on his way through the Irelands defence right from the through-in. Robert Farrell responded with a point but Barry O’Hare clocked up a pointed free and a beauty from play. Roche then put a good move together that see Martin Carroll power through to blast to the net to show Roche ahead by one point 12 minutes in. A minute later Dan O’Connell was on the same path as Carroll before he was up-ended. However O’Hare’s shot came off the bottom of the post and away to safe hands. Barry did tap over a 13 meter free 4 minutes later after Enda Murphy was stopped when he slipped past the defence. The Irelands had by now lost control of the game and control of their composure. In the 21st minute Dermot Carthy collected a pass on the right and moved onto his left and lobbed a 20 metre shot towards the far upright that slipped under the bar and over Aaron Conway’s grasp. The Irelands reduced the lead by a point before Dan O’Connell restored Roche’s 5 point lead. Within a minute the lead was down to just two points when Maguire was fed the ball in behind the Roche defence and a man of his quality did not let the chance go. But they failed to add to their score while Barry O’Hare clocked up two pointed frees either side of a fantastic point from play. The game was six minutes over time due to a number of injuries before O’Hare shipped his injury, a bad ankle injury that needed him to be stretchered off. When play resumed for a further minute later David Quigley had given Roche a four point winning margin and two valuable points on the Division 2 league table while the Irelands continue to wait their first points. Result: Roche 2-13 Irelands 2-9 Roche: Aidan McCoy, James Tiffney, Dermot Craven, Joseph Bishop, David Quigley 1pt, Harry O’Connell, Duane Callan, Aaron Callan, Darren McConnon, Enda Murphy 1pt, Martin Carroll 1gl, Barry O’Hare 8pts, Dermot Carthy 1gl, Dan O’Connell 2pts, Owen O’Hare 1pt. Subs used: Conor Traynor, Bernard McConnon, Andrew Carroll and Barry McConnon. Best were Harry O’Connell, Duane Callan, David Quigley, Barry O’Hare, Martin Carroll and Dan O’Connell. Irelands: Aaron Conway, Micheal Mone, Simon Flynn, Cian O’Neraigh, Robert Farrell, Aaron Rogers, Peter Flynn, Andrew Nixon, Kevin Keelan, Joseph Flynn, Johnny, Lynch, Nicholas O’Connor, Dermot Mone, Derek Maguire, Mark Savage. [Report: Eamonn Reilly] |