AGB vs St Pats Junior C

 

AGB 0-8

St Pats 2-6

Eoin Horkan

Pearse Park.

 

The saying goals win games was clearly evident in the Division 5 league game played on Thursday night in Arklow.

 

The opening stages of this encounter were very cagy as defences were coming out on top in the opening few attacks. The away side landed the first score of the game through wing forward Mikey Griffin whose effort flew between the posts.

The home side then started to kick into gear hitting three unanswered points. The first of these coming from Niall Higgins before corner forward Garrett Kenny slotted over from a narrow angle. Mark Fitzgerald fired over a dead ball to extend the home sides lead and to leave the home side two scores up at the water break.

The water break didn’t stop the momentum that the home side had. Full forward and ex Ballyboden senior footballer Tom Connors opened his scoring in the Wicklow club scene with a close range free.

Both sides then went onto miss great goal chances with the home sides keeper and defenders managing  to keep the ball out of the net. In comparison AGB goal chance was fired just passed the post.

With the game edging towards the half time whistle AGB wing forward Alan Merrigan managed to notch a score from long range to extend the gap to 4 points at the break.

 

The opening attacks of the 2^nd half were very similar to that of the first with most spectators getting to witness some fine defending from both sides.

The next score of the game came from Merrigan again who slotted a ball over with a cultured effort that would have graced any field in the country. Mark Hurley added another dead ball.

The away side kicked into gear then as it looked like the game was slipping away from them. As Pats started to break through the defence Gers sub-Jimmy Farrell received a black card for a pull down. George O’ Brien added the resulting free to narrow the gap.

That man O’ Brien added 3 more frees as the home side were down to 14 men.  The full forward then opened his scoring from play slotting over from close range.

St Pats then took the lead with the first major of the game through Patrick Murphy who managed to get his boot to the ball in around the box to give Pats an unexpected lead.

After the water break both sides started to empty their benches with defences still getting the upper hand on their counterparts. Gers corner forward Gary Fennell narrowed the gap with another great long-range score.

With the fresh legs and minds on the pitch St Pats hit the 2^nd major and final score of the game through Conor Daly who was jogging at the back post after another goal mouth scramble to slide the ball into the net to end the game as a contest

 

 

 

AGB: Stephen Doyle: Luke Cummins, Tom Hurley, Brian Fennell; Cian McBride, Brandon O’ Hanlon, Dylan Cloke: Mark Hurley (0-1f) Richie Neary: Niall Higgins (0-1), Mark Fitzgerald (0-1), Alan Merrigan (0-2): Garrett Kenny (0-1), Tom Connors(0-1f), Gary Fennell(0-1).

Subs Used: Shane Donohoe for Brandon O’ Hanlon, Jimmy Farrell for Cian McBride, Sean O’ Donavan for Cian McBride

 

St Pats: Pat Sammon: Andy O’ Brien, James O’ Brien, Thomas Keogh; John O ‘Brien, Mark Evans, Fionn O’ Brien; Bill O’ Brien, George O’ Brien; Christy Moorehouse, Patrick Murphy (1-0), Mikey Griffin (0-1); John O’ Brien, George Bee O’ Brien(0-5,4fs), Tom O’ Brien

Subs used: Aaron Lynch for Andy O’ Brien, John Dee O’ Brien for Tom O’ Brien, Conor Daly (1-0) for Tom O’ Brien