FL Div 2: Well deserved two points for St Michaels
July 16, 2014
Sam Briody St Michaels
St. Michaels 0-14
St. Colmcilles 1-8.
A dour opening half, some swaying of fortunes, some well executed scores and some impressive personal performances was the make-up of this encounter in ideal conditions in Carlanstown on Tuesday evening.
Both sides traded points in a low scoring opening half in which the sides were level on 3 occasions, Ronan Lynch opened the St. Michaels scoring which followed a point from St. Colmcilles in the opening minute, the visitors then went ahead on four minutes but some good interplay between Anthony Briody and Ronan Cassidy resulted in the latter getting the second levelling point for the home side. Some 10 minutes elapsed before an Oran Meehan pointed free returned the fifth point of the match but by the 18th minute the visitors were on level terms once more and a well worked move on 22 minutes resulted in a pile driver of a shot past the helpless Paul McCormack in the St. Michaels goals for the games only goal. This goal spurned on the home team on rather than the visitors who failed to score again for the remainder of the half and straight from the kick-out St. Michaels set up the next attack when Felim O'Reilly won the kick-out, found Peter O'Connell who sent it over the cross-bar to leave just two between the sides, 5 minutes later the same player was on hand to send an exceptional effort over with his left foot to leave just a point between the sides as the half time whistle blew, 0-5 to 1-3.
Both sides went at it hammer and tongs after the re-start with five points in as many minutes, St. Michaels were first on the board with a point straight from the throw-in from Davy Lynch to level the match, Kevin Cassidy and Sam Briody sent one apiece over to go in front for the first time, but two more points from the 'Cilles' had the sides level for the 5th time on 35 minutes, Ronan Lynch put the home side back in front on 40 minutes and a quick free from the same player 5 minutes later found Ronan Cassidy unmarked and he effortlessly tapped it over the bar to leave it 0-10 to 1-5 in favour of St. Michaels.
St. Colmcilles pulled one back but again J.B. O'Reilly who was playing a stormer of a game found Davy Lynch who once again made it count on the board. Another great move between O'Connell, Ronan Lynch and Meehan resulted in the latter stretching his sides lead to 0-12 to 1-6 on 50 minutes and 5 minutes later some great work by substitute Matthew Halpin saw him go through to stretch the lead to 4 points. The visitors pulled one back a minute later to leave just a goal between the sides, but try as they might they could not break down the St. Michaels defence which was marshalled by the brilliant Jamie Reilly at full back, Dáithí Reilly, Sam Briody, Philip Rogers, Anthony Briody and substitute Matthew Halpin. Kevin Cassidy added his sides last point of the match in the first minute of injury time as did the visitors a minute later.
This was an excellent second half performance by St. Michaels which earned them a well deserved two points.
St. Michaels team & scorers:
Paul McCormack, Sam Briody 0-1, Jamie Reilly, Dáithí Reilly, Paddy Clarke, Philip Rogers, Anthony Briody, Davy Lynch 0-2, Felim O'Reilly, Kevin Cassidy 0-2, Ronan Cassidy 0-2, J. B. O'Reilly, Oran Meehan 0-2, Peter O'Connell 0-2, Ronan Lynch 0-2.
Sub: Matthew Halpin 0-1 for Paddy Clarke, injured 30 minutes.
Referee: Gerry Skelly.
Report and photo Pascal Reilly.
Most Read Stories