Junior Championship Group 3 Reports: Big shock as Nicks over Glyde Rangers

DKIT SPORT JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP 3 ROUND 1

NAOMH FIONNBARRA 1-14 ANNAGHMINNON ROVERS 0-8

Naomh Fionnbarra picked up the first win of the opening Junior Championship weekend thanks to ace sharpshooter Ciarán Markey in Tallanstown on Saturday night.

Markey led the line expertly to top score with nine points and propel the 2020 Christy Bellew champions to a win against a dogged Annaghminnon Rovers side.

With the Ashes on recently, Barrs’ manager Stuart Reynolds may have been watching, as his side declared for 1-9 to 0-3 at half time, thanks to Markey and a strong wide advantage. 

The knacky full forward was fed a mountain of ball and he delivered. The Togher based side got the perfect start with Jack Butterly finding the net in the opening five minutes, and with that confidence injection they never looked back.

At the other end, the other Markey, Dwayne for Rovers, did not receive the supply he would have desired.

With the returning Chris McGlynn in front of him, Cormac Malone’s side were short on options, but also failed to convert crucial goal chances.

Those are the chances you have to take, especially when Markey was on song for his economical side. Finbarrs margin of victory will put them back in the frame for success after an indifferent league campaign.

NAOMH FIONNBARRA: Fionn McQuillan; Adam Hanratty, Kalum Regan, Ronan Callaghan; Cormac Reynolds, Chris McGlynn (0-1), Hugh McGrane; Jack Butterly (1-1), Brendan Simms; Conor Osborne (0-1), Jack Regan, Josh Crosbie; Michael McArdle (0-1), Ciarán Markey (0-9, 0-6 frees), Hugh Osborne (0-1). SUBS: Niall Woods for J Regan (47), Máirtín Murphy for H Osborne (52), Ciarán Murphy for McArdle (52), James Butterly for Callaghan (60), Ronan McCreesh for C Osborne (60)

ANNAGHMINNON ROVERS: Ciarán O'Reilly; Tomás Byrne, Niall Brennan, Tiernan O'Brien; Christopher Connolly, Colin Campbell, Paul McArdle; Eddie Finnegan, Conor Russell; Richard Ashfield, James O'Connor (0-1), Ronan Byrne (0-1); Dylan McArdle, Rory Phelan (0-3, 0-2 frees), Dwayne Markey (0-2). SUBS: Pádraig Russell for T Byrne (4), Aidan Lee-Martin for Ashfield (47), Tony Brennan for McArdle (51), Shane Grimes (0-1) for Connolly (55).

Referee: Thomas Carr (Newtown Blues).

ST NICHOLAS 2-5 GLYDE RANGERS 1-6

The opening round of the Junior championship needed a shock and in the last game of the night, few suspected St Nicholas would provide it over last year's finalists Glyde Rangers.

Well, even after Con Sheehan’s early goal for the Drogheda side, few still believed the win might be on and only when he bagged his second did the possibility come to pass.

When Sheehan failed to convert his hat-trick, Glyde’s Brian Duffy cut the gap with a goal at the other end and Rangers looked set to end all this talk of an upset. Yet St Nicholas dug in and deservedly picked up their first championship win since 2021.

Dec Heeney was there to evade his side of any danger down the stretch and Philip Kirwan perfectly kicked a fine score to importantly keep the Drogheda side's scoreline ticking, but Sheehan was the man.

Twice, the ultra-sharp corner man linked up with wingback Rian Farrell to find the back of the net in both halves. Paudie Downey always set the tone with fine scores, but Farrell was absolutely terrific and the sting of Sheehan’s finishing laid the gauntlet down to the Tallanstown men.

Despite being level, 1-1 to 0-4 at the break thanks to Ciaran Sheridan and Brian Duffy braces, Glyde hit the self-destruct button with a Fiachra Sheridan black card upon the resumption.

In the next period with the extra man, Nicks rattled off 1-4 to no reply and that allowed them to hang on and claim the shock in the finish. 

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ST NICHOLAS: Shane Finnegan; Stephen Finegan, Alex Finegan, Dylan Brogan; Aaron Flanagan, Ruairí Hanlon, Rian Farrell; Brian Carter, Sam Reilly; Fionn Meagher, Lee Kavanagh (0-1), Philip Kirwan (0-1); Con Sheehan (2-0), Paudi Downey (0-3, 0-1 free), Declan Heeney. Subs: Caebhan Houshidari for Flanagan (14), Andrew Starrs for Kirwan (22-HT, HIA), Starrs for Kavanagh (42), Owen McDonnell for Carter (55).

GLYDE RANGERS: David Brennan; Pauric Kearney, Conor McCullough, Darren McKeever; Ultan Larney, Gerard Bourton, Fiachra Sheridan; Dion Conlon, Jack McKeever; Lee Finnegan, Brian Duffy (1-3, 0-3 frees), Tadhg Kellett; Cillian Scott, Oisín Lynch, Ciaráin Sheridan (0-3, 0-1 frees). Subs: Aaron Devlin for Kearney (42), Oran Matthews for F Sheridan (52), Seán Devaney for Lynch (55).

Referee: Stephen Johnson (Glen Emmets).