NA PIARSAIGH BLACKROCK 1-5
OLIVER PLUNKETT’S 0-7
Ciarán Murphy scored a goal two minutes past the hour to give Na Piarsaigh Blackrock their first victory of the season on Friday night, as table-toppers Oliver Plunkett’s saw a five-point lead slip on the Rock Road.
The visitors led by 0-4 to 0-0 at the interval – Seán Callaghan, Cian Matthews (2) and Luke Haggans on the scoreboard – and when Callaghan hit over his second point of the game, after the restart, it looked like Na Piarsaigh would be in for a 10th fixture without a triumph.
But, having boosted their survival prospects by drawing away to Naomh Fionnbarra most recently, they got off the mark on 37 minutes via a Jamie Fealy mark and then the returning Fionn Tipping converted.
Callaghan widened the gap to four again after Naps lost John Galligan to a black card with 12 minutes to go but Robert Murphy and substitute David Boyle added points, halving the deficit.
Plunkett’s were very wasteful in the second half but looked to have settled the situation when Cian Brady stylishly scored. Though, on the stroke of full-time, Ciarán Murphy kicked a nice point and in the next attack, Boyle played a quick free-kick to him and he cut inside to shoot past Haggans.
NA PIARSAIGH BLACKROCK: Aidan Marks; John Galligan, Shane Roddy, Chris Kellett; Tommy Muckian, Joe Woods, Stephen McGuinness; Michael Woods, Ciarán Murphy 1-1; Robert Murphy 0-1, Ronan McCartney, Eoin Farrell; Jamie Fealy 0-1, Robert O’Hanlon, Fionn Tipping 0-1. Sub: David Boyle 0-1.
OLIVER PLUNKETT’S: Luke Haggans 0-1; Ricky Bateson, David McTeggart, Cillian Smith; David Lambe, Dean Carolan, Seán Rice; Seán Boyle, Stephen Keeley; Killian Nolan, Cian Matthews 0-2, Niall Murtagh; Seán Callaghan 0-3, Luke Carley, Adam Smith. Subs: Kristian Nolan, Cillian Matthews, Cian Brady 0-1, Jamie Byrne, Ben Boyce.
REFEREE: Damien Connor (St Patrick’s).
Division 3B
NAOMH MALACHI 3-7
WESTERNS 4-12
Westerns moved clear at the top of Division 3B with a ninth league victory of the season in Courtbane on Wednesday night.
County U20 star James Maguire rattled in 2-7 for the Reaghstown men in an outing where he combined particularly well with Emmet Smith, who finished with 1-3.
The visitors were in front by 1-2 to no-score when Jason Clarke got Naomh Malachi off the mark in what was their only register of the opening period, at the end of which Maguire, Smith and Conor Kerr had found the net.
Trailing by 3-6 to 0-1, Kevin Carragher’s side began the second half powerfully and Keelan Conlon punched a looped ball to the back of the net. Indeed, in bagging four of the subsequent five points, Malachi’s had the gap whittled back to a single digit.
But Westerns recovered their composure and struck five successive points. A goal by Maguire extended the gap to 14 points but quickfire majors at the other end by Conlon and Collie Rooney put a degree of respectability on the outcome from the hosts’ perspective.
NAOMH MALACHI: Darren Kearney; Donal Begley, Stephen Burns, Darren Clarke 0-1; Jamie Kelly, Jason Clarke 0-4, Conor Begley; Paudie Moley 0-2, Kevin McShane; Andrew Begley, Matthew Campbell, Conor Nicholson, James McShane, Collie Rooney 1-0, Ronan McElroy. Subs: Keelan Conlon 2-0 for J McShane, J McShane for C Begley, Gary McShane for J McShane.
WESTERNS: Terry Sweeney; Michael Martin, Ray Quinn, Adam Brady; Finn Duffy, Cathal Kennedy, Patrick Kerley; Ryan Duffy, Dylan Ogle; James Maguire 2-7, Ciarán Scriven 0-1, Killian Crosbie; Emmet Smith 1-3, Conor Kerr 1-0, Anthony Durnin. Subs: Aidan McGarrell 0-1 for Kerr, Conor McEllin for Duffy, Seán McGuinness for Kerley, Joe Durnin for Scriven.
REFEREE: Jonathan Conlon (O’Connell’s).
Winter Leagues
Roche Emmets got the better of neighbours Clan na Gael in the Paddy Sheelan Shield quarter-final tie played at Clan na Gael Park on Friday, setting up a next round battle with Dundalk Young Irelands courtesy of a 1-6 to 1-5 victory.
In the Kevin Mullen Shield, Sean McDermott’s gave Naomh Malachi a walkover. The Shelagh natives will now face Naomh Fionnbarra in the last four.
Glyde Rangers advanced to the semi-finals of the Mullen Plate when seeing off Wolfe Tones in Tallanstown on Friday, 2-12 to 0-7, having led by 0-9 to two at the interval.
