Simonstown eased to a 13-point win over Walterstown in the hoganstand.com SFC Group B opening round fixture at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday evening.

Simonstown 1-18
Walterstown 0-8

Simonstown always looked the more likely winners and emphasised their superiority by outscoring Walterstown by 1-8 to 0-2 over the final 20 minutes of the fixture.

All bar three points of Simonstown's total came from play while nine of the players contributed to their tally of 19 scores. Midfielder Alban Crosbie accounted for half of Walterstown's tally from frees.

Paul Donnellan sent over a first half 45 for the Blacks leaving just three scores from play for Walterstown. Simonstown led by 0-7 to 0-5 at the break with the prospect of wind advantage to come.

Wing-back Niall Kane increased Simonstown's lead within a minute of the resumption and Stephen Moran added to it before the team in sky blue jersey endured a seven-minute scoring drought.

Two Crosbie frees left just a goal in it, 0-7 to 0-10, after 42 minutes before Simonstown asserted themselves, moving six points clear heading into the final quarter. A Shane Barry free from over 45-metres was one of the winners betters scores.

Fine combination between Shane O'Rourke and Barry put Sean Tobin in for 46th minute point that left it 0-14 to 0-7. Crosbie completed Walterstown's tally seconds later.

Had Ruairi O'Dowd converted a goal chance at the hospital end Walterstown would have been just three points in arrears heading into the final 10 minutes. Instead Declan Gaffney - who had moved to full-forward - added further lustre to the scoreline from Simonstown's perspective in the 52nd minute when flicking a Tobin free to the net for the game's only goal.

Nine points separated the sides, 1-14 to 0-8, before four different players completed Simonstown's total - Mark McCabe, Stephen Moran, Shane Barry (a goal attempt that skied over the bar) and Shane O'Rourke (with the last kick of the game).

The lights were on from the off but there was little to illuminate early on until Conor Sheridan sent over a fine point five minutes in displaying commendable composure in the process. Wind-assisted Walterstown were soon on terms through Ruairi O'Dowd but it was to be the only time the sides were level in the course of the game.

Simonstown posted the next three scores with Seamus Kenny's one from a tight angle in the 15th minute being the pick of them. Nathan O'Brien marked his SFC debut with the first point in that sequence. Shane O'Rourke also got off the mark during that time.

With a third of the hour gone, Walterstown had trimmed the deficit to the minimum with points from Richie Barry and Alban Crosbie (free). Conor Sheridan and Paul Donnellan (45) exhanged scores to leave just a point in it again.

That was the final time the minimum margin separated the sides from neighbouring parishes as Simonstown gradually pulled clear as darkness and the light rain descended.

Simonstown - Ronan Duffy; Niall McMahon, Eanna Donoghue, Stephen O'Reilly; Niall Kane (0-1), Seamus Kenny (0-1), Joe Lyons; Declan Gaffney (1-0), Shane O'Rourke (0-2); Sean Tobin (0-1), Shane Barry (0-4, 3fs), Mark McCabe (0-1); Nathan O'Brien (0-2), Conor Sheridan (0-3), Stephen Moran (0-4). Subs - Nicky O'Brien for Gaffney (bs 13-17), Ian O'Rourke for McMahon (17), Colin Wickham for I O'Rourke (37), Wayne McCarthy for Gaffney (53).

Walterstown - John Davis; John Geoghegan, David Reynolds, Eoin O'Mahony; Raymond Reynolds, David Maguire, Peter Reynolds; Alban Crosbie (0-4fs), Conor O'Sullivan; Paul Donnellan (0-2, 1 45), Christopher Reynolds, Richie Barry (0-1); Ruairi O'Dowd (0-1), Robbie McDonnell, David Donnellan. Subs - Mark Reynolds for R Reynolds (11), Mark McCormack for O'Mahony (41), Cormac Madden for P Donnellan (52), Aaron McLoughlin for D Donnellan (58), Colm Reilly for Maguire (59).

Referee - Colm McManus (Gaeil Colmcille) Tweet

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