Avonmore Intermediate Football Championship Group 4
Date: Thursday 12th August, 2010
Venue: Knockbridge
Time: 7.15 P.M.
Referee: Darren Ward

Dundalk Young Irelands 2-07
Hunterstown Rovers 1-09

Dundalk Young Irelands defeated Hunterstown by the narrowest of margins in a tight match in Group 4 of the Intermediate Championship, a victory that ensured they qualified for the quarter finals stage.

The Irelanders started the match very well and raced into a commanding lead with Mark Savage causing major problems for the Hunterstown defence. He opened the scoring in the 2nd minute with a well taking point before reacting quickest to a Ciaran Murray shot which rebounded off the post to finish to the net to give the Irelanders a 4 point lead inside 5 minutes.

However, Hunterstown regrouped and won a lot of possession around the middle of the field and opened their scoring with a goal through Richard Taaffe, from the penalty spot, on 9 minutes. They then hit 2 points in a row to put them into the lead for the first time in the match. Derek Maguire equalised a minute later but again Hunterstown hit back with a point from Alan Landy. The match got very scrappy from this point with very little flow to it. The Irelands then hit 2 wides in a row before Maguire got his second point to tie the scores. Hunterstown hit back with a point a-piece from Landy and Taaffe. But it was the Irelands who finished the half strongly and scored 3 points in a row through Nicholas O'Connor, Savage and Joseph Flynn to lead by a single point at half time.
Half Time: Dundalk Young Irelands 1-06 Hunterstown Rovers 1-05
The second half was equally as scrappy as the first and scores were at a premium. It was Hunterstown who appeared to be heading towards victory with Landy scoring 3 points inside the first 15 minutes of the half, while O'Connor got one for the Irelands on 34 minutes.

However, on 48 minutes, Derek Maguire got the Irelands last score of the match with a well taken goal following some neat play by the full forward line. This proved to be a decisive score as Hunterstown, try as they did, could only narrow the deficit to a single point with another point from play. In fact, they almost grabbed a dramatic injury time winner as Brendan Lennon dragged his shot wide of the post when clean through on goal. But the Irelands held on for a narrow victory and passage into the quarter finals with next weeks match against the Joe's determining who will top the group. Hunterstown go into the relegation play-offs. The Irelands will have to win a lot more ball around the middle of the park and reduce the number of wides (13 missed chances in the match) if they want to go on and win the Championship.

Best for the Irelands were Mark Savage, Derek Maguire and Peter Flynn while Alan Landy and Richard Taaffe tried hard for Hunterstown.
Dundalk Young Irelands: Tom O'Connor; Michael Mone, Graham Carr, Cian O'Naraigh; Peter Flynn, Aaron Rogers, Robbie Farrell; Andrew Nixon, Nicholas O'Connor (0-02); Ciaran Murray, Joseph Flynn (0-01), Johnny Lynch; Dermot Mone, Derek Maguire (1-02), Mark Savage (1-02).

Subs: Simon Flynn for Michael Mone (33 mins); Sean Bailey for Cian O'Naraigh (41 mins); Gerard Nixon for Andrew Nixon (50 mins); Peter Nixon for Nicholas O'Connor (57 mins).

Hunterstown Rovers: David Fedigan; Richie Cunningham, Robert Martin, Martin Lennon; Shane Dowdall, David Finn, Paddy Matthews; Tony McKenna, Richard Taaffe 1-1; Brian Matthews 0-2, Ciaran Carrie, Brendan Lennon 0-1, Paddy Mooney, Alan Landy 0-5, Conor Finn. Subs: Fergie Clerkin for R Taaffe, Chris McCann for S Dowdall. Tweet

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