Junior A Football Championship,
Raheny 0-7 v Round Tower 2-10
Round Tower Intermediate footballers sent out a signal of intent with an excellent team performance that saw old rivals Raheny outclassed in this Junior A Football Championship clash, writes Mick McGlynn.
In recent seasons Towers have enjoyed their fair share of heartbreak at the expense of the northsiders and last season’s disappointing loss in the league decider was undoubtedly on the minds of players and supporters ahead of this first championship outing. An excellent and emphatic first half performance signalled this Towers side wanted to lay down a marker and did not want to leave St Anne’s Park with the bitter disappointment of previous outings.
Within six minutes Towers were three points ahead, with all scores coming from the trusted left boot of Justin McGrane. Eight minutes into the game Towers were six ahead. Ger Hickey won a high ball in the half forwards from a Raheny kick out and his direct running saw him bypass defenders and had the home side retreating. His hand pass to the left was taken by Eric Finn who finished low to the corner of the net beyond the keeper. Hickey and Finn combined again four minutes later but the Raheny keeper managed to block Finn’s effort. Finn’s pace caused problems throughout for Raheny, who deployed a number of players to try stifle his threat but were unsuccessful in doing so.
Raheny registered their first score after 10 minutes but Towers attacking was relentless. An excellent team move saw play switched from the left corner forward Finn and worked across the pitch by Paul Clifford, Cónán Ó Broin and Niall Corless before resulting in McGrane again pointing. The home side were unable to cope with the dogged determination and tackling of the Towers lads, with Damien Murray, O’Broin and Corless excelling in the tackle.
On 17 minutes the outstanding football being played by Towers brought a superb second goal. It began with goalkeeper Keith Graham being commanding under a high ball and Towers’s moved the ball from the right with O’Broin, Paddy Stynes, Stephen Homan, Ger Hickey and Jason Murphy all involved in the move before Finn was again clinical in finishing low to the net. A McGrane free from 21 stretched Towers lead to ten points and the torment Finn was bringing to the Raheny defence was evident when their centre half back was shown a red card on 23 minutes for a late sliding tackle on the Towers forward. Dermot Milton curled the subsequent free over and Raheny responded at late in the half with a 45.
With ten points between the sides and Towers superior all over the pitch, it would have required an implosion by Towers for the home side to enjoy success in this encounter. It did not manifest. Raheny responded with three early points in the first ten minutes to leave Towers supporters somewhat anxious. But McGrane settled Towers with a point that was brought about when John Egan moved the ball from defence and found Ger Hickey who carried the ball from defence into attack before hand-passing to McGrane to point from 30 metres. Three minutes later, after fielding a pass from Ó Broin who won possession in the half backs, Hickey broke three tackles before kicking an excellent score from the centre. Substitute Padraic McKeever’s kick for a point was blocked but had enough on it to edge over the bar and three minutes later he was fouled after a being found with an excellent cross-field ball from fellow substitute Aidan Lawlor, with the latter pointing the free.
Towers defence, complemented by the commanding Graham, were excellent throughout, turning over possession with disciplined tackling. Murray won ball back for Towers throughout with determination and excellent tackling and his accurate passing set up attacks for a forward line that were first to the ball and had a colleague throughout to support.
Round Tower: Keith Graham, Seán O’Donnagain, John Egan, Simon Owens, Niall Corless, Cónán Ó Broin, Paul Clifford, Paddy Stynes, Damien Murray, Dermot Milton, Jason Murphy, Ger Hickey, Justin McGrane, Stephen Homan, Eric Finn. Used subs: Shane Byrne, Anthony Banks, Padraic McKeever, Aidan Lawlor, Dave Chapman
