GAA: JOE MALLON MOTORS SFC – GROUP D – ROUND 2
Woodgate Inspires Raheens To Victory
RAHEENS 2-19
ROUND TOWERS 1-7
By Daire Walsh
PADDY was in inspirational form at St Conleth’s Park on Sunday as Raheens reignited their Kildare Senior Football Championship Group D campaign with a comprehensive victory against Round Towers.
After coming out on the wrong side of the result in their opening round tussle with Moorefield (3-12 to 0-17), the Caragh-based outfit were desperate to claim the two points on offer in this game. Woodgate’s final haul of 0-11 went some way to ensuring they were victors on the day, but full-forward Mikey McGovern (1-3) and Conor Murphy (1-1) also stood tall for Raheens.
Having drawn with Clogherinkoe in their first game of the group, Towers knew that a win here would give them a strong chance of making it through to the competition’s knockout phase. While Jason O’Brien finished the contest with six points the Kildare Town side were second best throughout and will now seek to dust themselves down for a final round showdown with Moorefield.
Despite McGovern and Graham Waters finding the target for Raheens, Towers were actually well in the reckoning during the opening moments. Either side of a McGovern free, O’Brien showcased his own dead-ball prowess to leave the bare minimum between the teams.
Nonetheless, Raheens were already beginning to play with confidence and created significant daylight as the first-quarter progressed. Following three points in succession from Woodgate, McGovern fisted over at the end of a memorable run.
Towers midfielder Cathal Daffy may have kicked over off a subsequent attack, but the black and amber found themselves four points in arrears (0-7 to 0-3) at the first water break. Instead of being an ideal breather for Towers, this interlude presented Raheens with an opportunity to fine tune their attacking play.
In between a brace of ruthlessly dispatched Woodgate frees, Waters, Murphy and Alan Igoe kept the scoreboard ticking over. An O’Brien free finally halted this scoring sequence, before Woodgate pointed from play to leave Raheens 0-13 to 0-4 in front at half-time.
It was difficult to see a way back for Towers at this juncture, though they did receive a couple of lifelines in the third-quarter. After Woodgate had moved his side ahead by double figures, Raheens lost Igoe to the sin-bin.
In his absence, Towers inside forward David Kelly kicked to the net off a goalmouth scramble on 41 minutes. There was no reason for Raheens panic, however, and McGovern’s superb three-pointer reinforced their superiority in time for the second water break.
This also effectively eliminated any prospect of a dramatic fightback, but their opponents were not prepared to rest on their laurels. From the next attack, Murphy shifted the ball onto his left foot and drilled past James Robinson with considerable aplomb.
O’Brien went on to add three points for a resolute Towers and goalkeeper Robinson also had a late penalty turned away by his opposite number Declan Campbell. Raheens were determined to finish the play in style and, with Woodgate adding four points to compliment a single effort from substitute John Jennings, they managed to do just that.
RAHEENS: Declan Campbell; Aidan Dunlea, Tom Early, Jack Hamill; Graham Waters 0-2, Matthew Betts-Symonds, Killian Thompson; Liam Power, David Fitzpatrick; David Malone, Paddy Woodgate 0-11, 8 frees, Rory Donnelly; Alan Igoe 0-1, Mikey McGovern 1-3, 0-1 frees, Conor Murphy 1-1. Subs: Adam Malone for Thompson (44), John Jennings 0-1 for Igoe (45), Paul Dolan for Fitzpatrick (49), Barry Winder for Murphy (54), Colin Malone for Donnelly (56).
ROUND TOWERS: James Robinson; Jack O’Neill, Mikey Kelly, Hugh McDonald; Max Byrne, Michael Joyce, Tadgh Meaney; Mark Waters, Cathal Daffy 0-1; Evan Flynn, Stephen Comerford, David O’Neill; Jason O’Brien 0-6, 5 frees, Matthew Kelly, David Kelly 1-0. Subs: Ryan Dowling for Byrne, Callum Flynn for Joyce, DJ Flynn for Meaney (all half-time), Aaron McConville for M Kelly (48), Jason Dunne for D Kelly (51).
REFEREE: Matthew Redmond.