AFL1: Pat's impressive against Dunboyne
February 20, 2012
Niall Mooney St Pats
St.Peter's Dunboyne 0-7
St.Patrick's got their A League campaign off to a great start with an impressive team display against Dunboyne in Stamullen on Sunday.
From the throw in Pat's worked the ball up the field and full-forward Niall Mooney duly slotted the ball over the bar. Three minutes later Dunboyne opened their account with a fisted point and soon followed it up with close in free. Dunboyne were well on top at this stage but were finding scores hard to come by thanks to some impressive Pat's defending and it was 15 minutes into the game before they got their next score from a spectacular long-range effort.
Two minutes later Niall Whearty tapped over a free after Shane Landy was hauled down by the last defender when he looked clean through on goal but Dunboyne quickly cancelled this out with a score of their own a minute later. Pat's replied in great fashion with a goal when danger-man Niall Mooney calmly placed the ball in the back of the net with his left foot after being picked out by Daithi Whyte.
Dunboyne managed to get the next point but Pat's then dealt them another hammer-blow on the stroke of half-time when impressive youngster Shane Landy showed the coolness of a veteran to slot the ball home for Pat's second goal after being picked out by Niall Mooney. Despite Dunboyne being on top for long periods of the first half Pat's went into the half-time break with a lead of 2-02 to 0-05 thanks to some industrious defending and lethal finishing in the full-forward line.
Scores were hard to come by at the start of the second half and it was the 44th minute before Shane Landy converted a free from the right hand side to get Pat's up and running again. Half-time substitute Donal Landy then scored a fantastic point after beating three or four defenders with scintillating run and Niall Mooney quickly followed this up by splitting the posts from the very tightest of angles.
On 53 minutes Donal Landy scored a great point which clipped the post and he was at it again two minutes later with another fine score before his younger brother Shane made it six unanswered points in row for the Pat's by knocking the ball over the bar from 35 yards out. The five minutes of injury time were played were mostly due to a hefty knock suffered by Pat's midfield colossus Brian Calvey but gladly after a few minutes of treatment he soldiered on in manner typical of his teams display.
It was the third minute of injury time before Dunboyne opened their second half account from a free and they finished off the scoring two minutes later with a fine left footed effort but Pat's ran out comfortable winners in the end on a scoreline of St. Patrick's 2-08 St. Peter's Dunboyne 0-07.
Best for the Pat's were Niall Mooney, Brian Calvey and Shane Landy.
St.Patrick's - Eabhan Connolly, David Stafford, Keith Whearty, Andy Reilly, Shane McGinty, Ray Russell, Darren Hagan, Finian Everard, Brian Calvey, Andy Mooney, Daithi Whyte, Barry Mooney, Shane Landy (1-2,1f), Niall Mooney (1-2), Niall Whearty (0-1,1f). Subs: Donal Landy (0-3) for N Whearty HT, David McQuillan for Everard 57', Eoin Moynihan for A Mooney 62'.
St. Peter's - Niall Walsh, Cathal Finn, Barry Comer, Gary Timoney, Damien Sweeney (0-01), Tommy O'Connor, Martin O'Grady, Sean McGarrell, Mick Convey (0-01), Aidan O'Connor, Colin Clarke, David Clarke, Donal Lenihan, Gary Watters (0-02; 1f), Stephen Moran (0-02; 1f). Subs: Paul Hayes for Gary Timoney, Padraic Curran for Donal Lenihan, Andy McWeeney for Aidan O'Connor, Ger Robinson (0-01) for Colin Clarke, Michael Dunne for David Clarke Tweet
