Monageer need favour
Tuesday August 31 2010
THIS THREE-GOAL win still might not be enough for Monageer-Boolavogue to emerge from the five-team Intermediate hurling championship Group B, as they will be hoping that the team they conquered, Craanford, can now see off Geraldine O'Hanrahans in the last round next weekend and do them a huge favour.
Saturday's tie in St. Patrick's Park, Enniscorthy, was dominated by the triple threat posed up front by Niall O'Loughlin, Marty Kelly and John Breen who picked off an impressive 33 between them from play.
A Breen shot was deflected to the net in the fourth minute, but Craanford matched them throughout the early stages and were just two points in arrears at the end of the opening quarter. Good accuracy from frees by Niall O'Loughlin left Monageer-Boolavogue with an interval lead of 1-7 to 0-8, but that scarcely seemed enough given that last year's Junior champions had wind advantage to come.
Indeed, two Shane Kavanagh frees brought Craanford level after six minutes, and an upset looked a possibility.
Unfortunately for the north county side, they went a full 15 minutes without adding to their tally though, and Monageer-Boolavogue punished them with 1-2 in the same time, with the goal finished by Marty Kelly from a John Breen handpass.
Trailing by 2-9 to 0-10, Craanford did pull back a point from Aidan Doyle, but the beginning of the end for them came moments later when Stephen Murphy did all the donkey-work for Kelly to pick off another goal with eight minutes to go.
It was left to substitute Peter Mernagh to copper-fasten victory with 1-1 late on, although Craanford did manage a late consolation goal from Patrick Murray.
