AFL 1: GAME OF THE WEEK – ST SYLVESTER’S V THOMAS DAVIS
ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
ST SYLVESTER’S: 4-15
THOMAS DAVIS: 1-12
St Sylvester’s moved up to seventh place in the Adult Football League Division One table, after the Malahide club defeated Thomas Davis at Broomfield on Saturday evening.
With Alex Wright and Jack Hazley leading by example, Syls enjoyed an explosive opening to the contest. This helped Jack Sheedy’s side to develop a 14-point interval lead, and even though Davis battled strongly after the restart, the home team ultimately claimed their eighth league win of the season.
Although a Senior Championship quarter-final against St Vincent’s is on the horizon for Syls, they were still eager to produce a strong showing on their home patch. Yet, before their attack could get into a settled rhythm, Michael Shiels had to make a point blank save from Davis midfielder Eoin Kirby just 10 seconds into the action.
This was an early let-off for the northsiders, but whereas they could have been facing into an early three-point deficit, they subsequently found themselves in front by the same margin. Edmund Walsh converted a brace of frees, and with his centre-field partner Ross Hazley also pointing from open play, they were making good use of their wind advantage.
Throughout the pitch, Syls had a distinct physical presence, and this was perfectly emphasised by their first goal of the contest in the fifth-minute. A sideline ball was Ronan Palmer was delivered into towards the opposition goalmouth, where Jack Hazley rose above the Davis defence to palm the ball to Sean Blanchfield’s net.
It was proving to be a dream start for Syls, and after full-forward Dylan Connolly added a point from a tight angle, Jack Hazley grabbed his second goal in the space of three minutes. Davis were struggling get out of their own half, and with another score from Walsh being supplemented by a 0-3 salvo courtesy of Wright, they were already 14 points in front (2-8 to 0-0) by the 11th minute of the half.
Davis’ were already left in a precarious position at this point, but they finally got their account up and running at the end of the first-quarter. Ciaran Farrelly found the target from a free on 14 minutes, and after he added to his tally with his second effort at goal, former Clare footballer Shane McGrath registered their first score from play out on the right-wing.
The ferocious pace in the Syls play had dropped off to a certain degree, but they came roaring back on the 20-minute mark, as Connolly rolled a shot into the bottom right-hand corner for his side’s third goal.
Ross Hazley’s second point of the tie complimented this latest major, and despite conceding additional points to McGrath and Kirby, Syls ended the opening period in devastating fashion. The industrious Gary Sweeney split the posts for the home team, and thanks to a neat finish by Wright in stoppage-time, they brought a seemingly insurmountable 4-10 to 0-5 lead into the break.
There was still an onus on Davis to persist with their challenge, though, and they introduced Daithi Ryan, Joey O’Reilly and Eanna O’Toole in an attempt to fresh up their play. Indeed, at the end of a patient move at the beginning of the second-half, O’Reilly secured the Kiltipper Road men’s sixth point of the proceedings.
There was definite signs of improvement from Davis in the third-quarter, and though midfielders Walsh (free) and Ross Hazley kept the scoreboard ticking over for Syls, they were soon placed under sustained pressure for the very first time on the night.
Centre-forward Lawrence Healy lashed over the woodwork after breaking through on goal, while Ryan Deegan, McGrath and O’Toole also mustered unanswered scores for the visitors. The movement of O’Toole caused problems for the Syls defence, and he added a goal to his individual haul by shooting beyond the reach of Shiels on the stroke of 50 minutes.
This was a very positive purple patch for Davis, and with McGrath and Ryan also contributing points, they recorded an impressive 1-6 without reply.
However, Sylvester’s remained in control, and they closed out the game effectively with further points by Wright (two) and Walsh. They will end their league campaign away to St Jude’s, whereas Davis complete 2017 with a home encounter against Clontarf on September 30th.
Scorers – St Sylvester’s: Alex Wright 1-5 (0-4f), Jack Hazley 2-0, Edmund Walsh 0-5 (3f), Dylan Connolly 1-1, Ross Hazley 0-3, Gary Sweeney 0-1. Thomas Davis: Shane McGrath 0-4, Eanna O’Toole 1-1, Ciaran Farrelly 0-2 (2f), Ryan Deegan, Eoin Kirby, Lawrence Healy, Daithi Ryan, Joey O’Reilly 0-1 each.
ST SYLVESTER’S: Michael Shiels; John Peacock, Conor Quinn, Colm McIntyre; Glen Hazley, Daniel St Ledger, Andrew Cunningham; Ross Hazley, Edmund Walsh; Ronan Palmer, Gary Sweeney, Jack Hazley; Alex Wright, Dylan Connolly, Jamie Kennedy. Sub: David Galvin for St Ledger (18).
THOMAS DAVIS: Sean Blanchfield; Adam Fallon, Gavin Carruth, Conor Molloy; Aaron Shorten, Peter Boland, Oisin Kelly; Ryan Deegan, Eoin Kirby; Kieran Murray, Lawrence Healy, Shane McGrath; Mark Nolan, Ciaran Farrelly, Adam Fitzpatrick. Subs: Daire Kerr for Boland (20), Daithi Ryan for Fallon, Joey O’Reilly for Murray, Eanna O’Toole for Fitzpatrick (all half-time), Chris Galvin for Molloy (41).
REF: David Sweeney (St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh).
By Daire Walsh