Walterstown: 3-8 Dunderry: 1-12
Goals win games as the old saying goes and they proved crucial for the Glenbrier Construction sponsored TeamWalterstown against Dunderry in the second round of the U19 Division 2 Football Championship.
Two in the opening half courtesy of Cormac Maguire and Éanna Holland, and one after the turnaround from Conor McEntee helped the Blacks to this away victory, their second of the campaign.
Walterstown were again without the services of the injured Sean McGuinness, while Luc Doyle and Sean O’Connell were unavailable. Liam Carroll came into the full back line in place Sean O’Connell and put in a great shift and Senan Colgan also moved from attack in to defence. Fionnan O’Connor plied his trade in the middle of the field with both Jack Murray and Ross Gillooly operating in the half-forward line.
The young Blacks got off to a cracking start when Coláiste na Mí student Cormac Maguire hit the net with just 40 second on the clock but back Dunderry came. Indeed that was to be the story of this game; a game were Walterstown were on top but just couldn’t shake off the challenge of their opponents, who played the whole second half with just 14 men.
By the 11th point of the half the home side had parity restored when they hit three points without response, however that parity was shortlived when Éanna Holland split the posts, followed by a superbly converted 45 metre kick from the boot of Robbie Davis.
And there was better to come from Holland too! On the 20 minute mark he pounced for goal to give Joey Farrelly’s charges a five point advantage but back Dunderry came. They responded with three unanswered points to head to the dressing room just two points in arrears at half time.
After the turnaround Fionnan O’Connor made it a three point game when he struck over a peach of a point and hit hit another beaut soon after but Dunderry were still very much so in the hunt and just two behind.
Maguire put three between the sides as the third quarter came to a close and soon after a third goal firmly put Walterstown back in the driving seat. An absolutely top drawer pass from Holland picked out Conor McEntee in front of the goals and he made absolutely no mistake and gave his side a 3-5 to 0-9 lead with 15 left to play.
But yet again plucky Dunderry fought their way back in to this encounter. A goal in the 58th minute put the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons but Neil McGinley and Ryan Brady both raised white flags and those scores proved crucial as the Blacks hung on for victory.
Up next for Walterstown is an away meeting with Oldcastle in Millbrook in round three on Saturday, November 9 at 6pm.
SCORERS: Cormac Maguire 1-1, Éanna Holland 1-1, Fionnan O’Connor 0-3, Conor McEntee 1-0, Robbie Davis 0-1 (1 ’45’), Ryan Brady 0-1, Neil McGinley 0-1.
WALTERSTOWN: Tyler Farrell; Senan Colgan, Eoin Heffernan, Liam Carroll; Cormac Maguire, Conor McEntee, Olly Maloney; Ryan Brady, Fionnan O’Connor; Conor Brady, Ross Gillooly, Jack Murray; Eanna Holland, Neil McGinley, Robbie Davis. SUBS: James Lusk replaced C Brady, Adam Brady replaced J Murray.
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