Intermediate Football Championship Group 2 – Round 1
Wednesday 31st July
Report by Niall Kelly
Padraig Sarsfields 1-13 Davitts 0-03
Sarsfields opened up their account in Group 2 of their Intermediate Football campaign with some to spare thanks to a dominant second half performance against neighbours Davitts at the Bear Pit on Wednesday evening. Much of the opening half was a tight and cagey affair with both sides grappling for the ascendancy and scores at a premium. However, with twenty minutes on the clock, Davitts were forced to deal with the dismissal of their keeper and dead ball marksman in chief, Aaron Slane.
Unfortunately for the visitors, this was telling in the end as they succumbed to the numerical advantage. Sarsfields would go on to notch up 1-08 in the second half without anything in reply from the Falls Road men. By the time Sarsfields midfielder, Cormac Murray, had slotted home the game’s only goal midway through the second half, it was game over.
The opening exchanges saw both teams playing some slick, fluid football through the hands with each having sustained periods of possession as scores were tit for tat. Phillip McPeake got the scoreboard ticking over for the hosts with a well taken point from the right flank on the fifth minute. Michael Connolly responded though for Davitts two minutes later curling over his effort to split the posts after latching on to an imaginatively disguised pass from Gerard Slane.
Both were methodical in their approach, biding their time and awaiting the right opportunity to penetrate. Unsurprisingly, the next two white flags were brandished from the placed ball as Aaron Slane and Garry Lennon traded frees and the scores remained deadlocked after 14 minutes. The Paddies then looked to inject a bit more pace and dynamism to their game and were rewarded when Brian Healy played an innovative one-two soccer style with Connor Laverty before arrowing his effort between the posts from range. Healy, who was in sparkling form throughout the sixty, then doubled his tally on the twentieth minute with a monster effort from range.
The visitors disputed the validity of the score believing it to have sailed just wide. Their shot-stopper then received his marching orders for something said during his dissent and despite a bright start, they now faced an uphill battle.
Immediately, Sarsfields sought about pressing home their advantage but failed to capitalise by putting the finishing touches on some great approach play. Davitts then manufactured a chance of their own which was finished off in style by Anthony Hargan after Niall McParland had commandeered possession in midfield with an outstanding fetch. However, this would prove to be their final score of the game though as they struggled to fashion chances with Sarsfields turning the screw. The half was capped off with an excellent score from the host’s full forward, Garry Lennon, as the sides retreated to the changing rooms with the score 0-05 0-03 in favour of the men in green and black.
There can be little doubt that the Paddies management would’ve emphasised the importance of upping the ante in the second half and capitalising on their man advantage and this is exactly what came to fruition. The home side produced a dominant thirty minutes maintaining a stranglehold on proceedings throughout.
The hosts accumulated a further four points in the opening ten minutes of the second period thanks to Lennon once again, Daniel Smyth and two from the ever-dangerous Healy as the scoreboard was looking all the more ominous for the visitors.
With the game slipping away, Davitts were in dire need of a score. To their credit, they refused to surrender and looked to spring on the counterattack whenever the opportunity arose, pushing bodies forward in an attempt to chip into the deficit. However, they just couldn’t make it stick on the scoreboard. With gaps appearing in defence, the home side exploited these masterfully and sounded the death knell on the 45th minute as Cormac Murray latched on to Tomas Skillen’s pass before blasting to the net from close range.
Sarsfields would not relent and pressed forward in their droves as McPeake doubled his tally with a fisted effort from close range. Tomas Skillen then got his name on the scoresheet before man of the match Brian Healy tapped over a free from close range.
With the game effectively all but over, the flow was interrupted with a few off the ball spats as tempers threatened to boil over with the contest approaching its climax. Ray Mathews was forced to flourish his yellow card in a few directions. Healy then tapped over his sixth of the game in injury time to see his side home with thirteen points to spare and just before our customary Irish summer rain.
With both teams devoid of a few starting regulars, it will be interesting to see how the rest of their campaigns pan out. With fifteen on the pitch, Davitts were well in contention and will hope for better results in the future if they can play to their potential. For Sarsfields, they have been knocking on the door in recent years with two consecutive semi-final appearances. An opening win is always important to lay a marker down and they hope it will inspire big performances down the line to perhaps go one further this year.
Sarsfields:
M Brady; P Murray, C Laverty, M McPolin; C McDonnell, L Mitchell, C Loughran; C Murray (1-00,) C Moley; C Glenholmes, D Smyth 0-01, S Walsh; P McPeake (0-02,) G Lennon (0-03,) B Healy (0-06)
Substitute scorer:
T Skillen (0-01)
Davitts:
A Slane (0-01;) C Rainey, P McKinney, C Toner; J Scally, A Hargan (0-01,) O O’Kane; D Mooney, N McParland; N Maginn, G Slane, P McLaughlin; A Rowntree, M Connolly (0-01,) CJ Sullivan
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