Newcastlewest ease past Galtee Gaels to reach knock-out stages of Limerick senior football championship

HOLDERS Newcastlewest are back at the summit of Group 2 and have qualified for the knock-out stages of of the Irish Wire Products Senior Football Championship after scoring a convincing 2-9 to 0-8 victory over Galtee Gaels at a wet Ballyagran on Thursday evening.

Both teams were unbeaten heading into this Round 4 clash and it was the Galtee men who opened the scoring through Conor McGrath after a cagey opening five minutes in soaking wet conditions.

Emmet Rigter replied for Newcastle West with a point before adding two more scores with his deadly left foot.

Galtee Gaels goal keeper Danny McGrath was called into action after 12 minutes, pulling off a magnificent save from the on-rushing Brian Nix.

Two minutes later, however, McGrath couldn’t repeat the trick as Mike McMahon got a fist on a high ball to finish the net and send Newcastle West into a four point lead.

Zach McCarthy then replied for Galtee Gaels with a point before points from topscorer Rigter and Eoin Hurley stretched the Newcastlewest lead further.

The key score of the game came just before half time as Rigter cut in from the right hand sideline before finishing superbly past McGrath, giving his side a commanding eight-point lead at the break, 2-6 to 0-4.

A Diarmaid Kelly mark opened the scoring in the second half and it was quickly followed by another Rigter effort.

To their credit, Galtee Gaels rallied and a Conor McGrath free and a fine effort from substitute Jack O’Dwyer pulled two back for the Gaels as they started to press their opponents.

Another Kelly score reinstated the eight point cushion after 41 minutes and this would surprisingly be his side’s final score of the game.

It would take until the 58th minute for another score to be registered from the boot of Alan Condon.

Maurice O’Sullivan slipped up from centre back to add another point in the dying seconds of the game, but it was ultimately not enough to trouble the county champions as Newcastlewest ran out winners on a 2-9 to 0-8 scoreline.

SCORERS: Newcastlewest: Emmet Rigter 1-5, Mike McMahon 1-0, Diarmaid Kelly 0-2, Eoin Hurley 0-2. Galtee Gaels: Conor McGrath 0-2 (0-1 free), Zach McCarthy 0-2, Sean Casey, Alan Condon, Jack O’Dwyer, Maurice O’Sullivan 0-1 each.