Junior Football Group 4 Roundup: Lann Léire win showcases championship ambitions

DKIT SPORT JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP 4

LANN LÉIRE 3-6 NA PIARSAIGH 0-8

This was a game until it suddenly wasn’t. Lann Léire left it late, but when they finally turned on the after burners, they saw off a competent Na Piarsaigh Blackrock side by a misleading or maybe deserving 10-point margin, depending on how you see things.

Under Paul Sharkey, the Rock Road side were well set up, applied themselves and were right in contention throughout, yet they weren’t able to live with Darragh Malone’s initiative.

The youngster, like many championship adages, took the game by the scruff of the neck and removed all awkwardness his opponents desired with an excellent goal towards the finish.

Malone claimed a Liam Callan restart and ran right through to blast past Adam Molloy in the Dundalk side’s goal. That would be that. Sharkey’s side lost all momentum and Malone again sensed the weakness and supplied Bob Murphy with the final goal of the contest.

Murphy helped himself to a goal in the first half too. He pickpocketed Molloy after a quarter of an hour, but that gift still wasn’t enough to shake off Na Piarsaigh. Killian Gregory landed two fine scores to make it 1-4 to 0-3 at the turn.

Ciarán Murphy was excellent for the losers on the night, but he needed more from his support players to mount a closing rally.

With the Dundalk side stumbling, Malone landed the knockout blow and in doing so backed up many peoples’ beliefs that this could well be Dunleer’s season.

LANNLÉIRE: Liam Callan; Alex Carroll, Paul McGeough, Jason Torris; Matthew Malone, Paul Doyle, Briain McGuinness; Pierce Hawkins, Paul Callan; Mark Dunne, Ian Mulroy (0-2), Killian Gregory (0-3); Luke Dunne-Boylan, Bob Murphy (2-0), Darragh Malone (1-1). Sub: Conor Dunne for B Murphy (60).

NA PIARSAIGH BLACKROCK: Adam Molloy (0-2 frees); Joe Woods, Shane Roddy, John Galligan; Stephen McGuinness, Michael Woods, Fionn Tipping; Ciarán Murphy (0-3), James Mahoney; Jamie Fealy (0-1 free), Robert Murphy (0-1), Tommy Muckian; David Boyle, Mark Larkin, Paul Mallon (0-1). Subs: Gerard Rice for Boyle (35), Mark O'Hare for Mahoney (47), John Garvey for Larkin (54).

Referee: Stephen Murphy (Naomh Máirtín).

NAOMH MALACHI 1-10 SEAN MCDERMOTTS 0-10

A early contender for game of the season and that was before the dramatic late Naomh Malachi winner from veteran Colin Rooney over Sean McDermotts in the last game of the opening weekend in the Junior Championship.

With the thriller tied at 0-10 apiece and three minutes into stoppage time already gone, corner man Matty Campbell used all his pace to eat into the space of Darver before slipping it off to Rooney for the winner.

The simple option of a point was on, but Rooney never hesitated and banged the winner home much to the delight of his supporters on the bank.

The contest was an absorbing one as the sides were level on eight occasions over the hour.

Cormac Walsh had two frees and an Emmet Duffy minor before half time to draw the game level at 0-6 each after drawing parity after Mals strong run into the end of the period themselves. Jack Kirwan fired over a brace while Conor Nicholson landed a 45’ in a game that had everything. 

Finbar Moran was the busier of the two goalkeepers as the Churchtown side’s goal led a charmed life in either half before breaking point in the finish.

Niall Babbington and Kirwan brought their tallies up to three each, but Marty Duffy looked to have done enough to at least secure a draw with a superb late point.

Jason Clarke however, held his nerve in his first season back to his native club to level with a free before Rooney’s heroics.

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NAOMH MALACHI: Mark Meegan; Sean McArdle, Kevin McShane, Stephen Burns; Seán Watters, Tiernan Gonnelly, Jamie Kelly; Paudie Moley, Paudie McLoughlin (0-1); Conor Begley (0-1), Jason Clarke (0-2 frees), Conor Nicholson (0-1 45’); Matty Campbell (0-1), Jack Kirwan (0-2), Darren Clarke (0-1). SUBS: Collie Rooney (1-0) for Nicholson (42), Michael McLoughlin for C Begley (49), Ronan McElroy for Watters (57).

SEAN MCDERMOTTS: Finbar Moran; Ian McDonald, David McArdle, Nathan Commins; Ian Corbally, Seán Martin, Danny Commins; Emmett Duffy (0-1), Kevin McMahon; Stefan Halpenny, Niall Babbington (0-3), Peter Tuite (0-1); Danny Reilly; Marty Duffy (0-2, 0-1 free), Cormac Walsh (0-3 frees).SUBS: Conor Walsh for Halpenny (26), Declan Carroll for Reilly (46).

Referee: Bryan Smith (O’Raghallaighs)