Junior A Championship R1

 Junior A Championship Round 1

 Arklow Geraldines-Ballymoney 1-8

 St Pats 1-12

 Eoin Horkan

Avondale

 The Wicklow Town side has four points to spare over fourteen-man AGB in Avondale Sunday tea time.

 

From the opening minutes of this local derby, it was clear that there wouldn't be much between the sides at the final whistle. With one of the first attacks of the game St Pat's corner forward George O'Brien managed to find the net giving his side the lead before Darrah Culleton replied with a cultured left footed effort minutes later. Scores were coming thick and fast up to the midway point with Stephen Duffy firing over efforts from play and frees. AGB’s response was white flags from Daire McBride and a great effort from captain Corey Mills who drove forward from his wing back position. It was Culleton frees that were keeping his side in the game whilst at the other end the Wicklow town side were finding scores easier to come by as Jack Fox Jack Dunne and Niall Earls all raised white flags leaving six points between the sides at the interval.

It was Pats who took control after the break with Dunne adding to his tally along with a fine effort from Shane Murley who finished off a flowing team move. This early flurry kicked the opposition into gear led by a fine long-range effort of the boot of Kyle Kelly this tie was swinging back in the Geraldines favor. Then came the decisive moment of the tie as AGB won a penalty which Darragh Culleton stepped up to take but his first effort and rebound was expertly kept out by Ian Murphy in the goal. The control of the tie was still with AGB even after Shane McBride was shown the line for a second yellow card. Within minutes Mark Fitzgerald had pointed before finding the back of the net to leave only a score between the slides inside the last ten minutes. The gap had narrowed to two with a Culleton free. It was Pats that held out for the victory with a final effort from veteran Duffy before midfielder Murley hit the final insurance score for his side.

 

AGB: Tiernan Murray; Daire Furlong, Tadhg O’ Callahan, Sean McCarthy; Corey Mills (0-1), Conor Gahan, Padraic Bermingham; Kyle Kelly (0-1), Mark Hurley; Ross McBride, Daire McBride (0-1), Shane McBride; Mark Fitzgerald (1-1), Conn Kinsella, Darragh Culleton. (0-4 3fs)

Subs Used; Donal O’ Keefe for Ross McBride (ht), Patrick O’ Halloran for Conn Kinsella (50).

 

St Pats: Ian Murphy, Tom Phelan, Jem Kavanagh, Mark Evans; Niall Earls, Ciaran Doyle, Cal Kelly; Shane Murley (0-2), Paul Earls (0-1); Chris Kavanagh, Jack Dunne (0-3), Ryan McConnell; George O’ Brien (1-1), Stephen Duffy (0-4 3fs)), Jack Fox (0-1)

Subs Used: Andy O; Brien for Chris Kavanagh, (50), Ruairí Barron for Ryan McConnell (60).

 

Referee Kieron Kenny.