AFL 5, Sunday 25th March 2018. Round Tower 0 – 11 v O’Dwyers 1 -7
Our Junior A Footballers overcame O’Dwyers in a tough, dogged encounter to maintain their winning start to the league campaign. Tempers became frayed in the second half but it was our lads who kept their heads to edge the encounter by the minimum against a resilient visiting side. View Mick McGlynn & Shay Clifford pictures here.
Both sides were on an even keel throughout the opening quarter. Jason Mockler registered inside a minute but a long strike that Dean Alford required every inch to palm over the bar brought the teams level. Paul Clifford found Niall Lanigan sprinting into space and he offloaded to Dermot Milton. Crowded out, he slipped to Adam Clarke who kicked over. O’Dwyers edged two clear but Fergus Callaly released the pacy Conor Byrne from the half backs and he provided the assist to Lanigan to register his first. But a significant setback arrived on the 18 minute mark when the northsiders won a kick-out and a pacy attack up the right led to a low strike to the corner of Alford’s net. But Towers responded superbly. Clarke kicked a point from the next play. Lanigan won in the inside forwards and Milton curled over with the right. Both combined again in the inside forwards and Milton finished with aplomb, striking across the ball to curl it over from a tight angle. An excellent team move started in the full back line with Dan Gregg dispossessing. He was supported by David Chapman and it was worked upfield where Clarke, Milton and Davy McCarthy combined to enable Michael Cleary, attacking from midfield, kicked from just inside the 40 to equalise. It was an excellent turnaround and was completed before the break when Lanigan was tripped on the 40 and Milton kicked the placed ball to edge us 0-8 v 1-4 ahead.
O’Dwyers regained momentum and were a point ahead before substitute Nicky Killan dinked a point. A midfield win by Cleary released the supporting Tom Curran to carry into the forwards. The move ended with a foul on Milton and he picked himself off the ground to edge us a point clear. O’Dwyers equalised from a tight angle before McCarthy’s long-range effort was tipped over by the keeper. Matters became frayed in the dying minutes and the visitors were reduced to 14 men. But our lads kept their composure and were controlled in possession to see it out for two points.
Round Tower: Dean Alford, Dave Chapman, Mark Gahan, Paul Clifford, Dan Gregg, Niall Corless, Conor Byrne, Fergus Callaly, Michael Cleary, Adam Behan, Dermot Milton, Davy McCarthy, Adam Clarke, Niall Lanigan, Jason Mockler. Subs: Nicky Killan, Tom Curran, Dan Brocklebank, Azees Fetigan, Dave Clarke, Ben Pepper, Eoghan Halpin, David Costigan, Shane Boland.
