Round Tower’s inter footballers made it two wins from two in the Community Centre last weekend to continue their strong start to the AFL4 campaign, holding off Ballymun Kickhams late surge, this week’s Clondalkin Gazette newspaper reports. Niall Connaughton’s match pictures can be viewed here.
Amid blustery conditions, they stretched out a six-point half-time lead courtesy of goals from Justin McGrane and Aidan Lawlor. And they looked home and hosed when they extended the margin out to nine with Mark Taylor’s artful scores and an Eric Finn goal putting the hoops in a strong position.
But Ballymun fought back gamefully, though, and landed a couple of majors in quick succession to threaten an unlikely comeback.
McGrane, however, clipped a crucial point to put four between the sides and the insurance needed to see out the tie.
Kickhams had started the stronger, kicking the first two points despite facing into the wind. Round Tower took a little while to settle but when they did it was devastating as Finn and Denis Macken tore down the left before finding McGrane to net.
Finn caused problems throughout up top and hit the post after he had reeled in a high ball soon after but a neat point from Paul Clifford from a narrow angle and fine team score via John Egan, Taylor and Macken, with McGrane finishing, moved Tower’s three clear.
Lawlor then arrowed into the bottom left corner to see the Clondalkin side go into the break 2-5 to 0-5 ahead.
Despite facing into the breeze, Taylor clipped over an immaculate left-footed 45 before Finn netted the hosts’ third goal that cancelled out Ballymun’s first goal. With Taylor clipping over another couple of scores, it helped build a 3-11 to 1-8 advantage going down the final stretch.
It should have been a comfortable gap but Ballymun’s pair of goals created a bit of tension, putting just three between the sides before McGrane confirmed the result. The win leaves the Clondalkin side as one of four clubs in AFL4 with a 100pc record at this early stage in the campaign.
