Bhulf Tón 2-12 Dunshaughlin 1-12 

No floodlights were needed in Paddy O’Brien Park on Friday night for the JAFC clash between Wolfe Tones and Dunshaughlin as Thomas Blaney illuminated proceedings with a suberb individual performance.

The mercurial Blaney, who was stationed on the 40, led the way for the Tones with six first half points from play, many of which were magnificent solo efforts. At 0-3 to 0-1 in arrears after Darragh Canny got the Tones off the mark, Blaney took centre-stage and posted six points of the highest quality, bolstered by a rare Jake McFadden score to put his side 0-8 to 0-5 ahead. Dunshaughlin finished the half strongly, however, and Tones were somewhat unlucky to go in at half time ahead by just the minimum. Adam O’Neill, Darragh Canny and Peter Carroll were responsible for Tones’ final points of the half. 

Half Time - Wolfe Tones 0-11 Dunshaughlin 1-7.

The two vital scores of the match came early in the second half. When Aaron Tolan’s wild left-footed point attempt was skied, it was Adam O’Neill who best judged the high ball and bundled his way through the Dunshaughlin rear-guard before netting at the near post.

If the first major had some fortune attached, there was no such luck needed for the second. Tones talisman Niall McLoughlin collected the ball and needed but a glance to spot Aaron Tolan inching off his marker before drilling a pin-point accurate 50 meter pass to put Tolan in on goal who finished with aplomb.

This left Wolfe Tones 2-11 to 1-8 ahead and the remainder of the match was a mere matter of survival for the Tones. In an error-strewn second half, Tones only added one other score, a fine effort from the boot of Darragh Canny from an acute angle. Some resilient defending saw them close out the game for their third win of the competition.

Top performers on the night were Conor Brennan whose accuracy off the tee was unerring all evening, veterans Alan McKeever and Niall McLoughlin marshalled the defence well, Adam O’Neill’s high-fielding was crucial to lift the siege in the second half and Blaney, Tolan and Canny all had fine performances in attack.

Bhulf Tón: Conor Brennan, Seán Kendall, Alan Mc Keever, Sean Moriarty, Mark Mc Fadden, Niall Mc Loughlin, Peter Carroll (0  01), Adam O’Neill (1 01), Alan Lynam, Laochra Ó Fionnagáin, Thomas Blaney (0 06), Jake Mc Fadden (0 01), Aaron Tolan (1 00), Darragh Canny (0  03), Sean-Óg Foley. Subs: Sean Lynch for Sean-Óg Foley (35 mins). 

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