Durnin leads Westerns to victory over Tones

Junior Football Championship

Westerns 3-12 0-9 Wolfe Tones

Dalton McNamee reports from Tallanstown

Tommy Durnin struck 1-7 as the Westerns opened their championship campaign with a 12-point victory over a plucky Wolfe Tones in Tallanstown.

Durnin stood-out for Cathal O’Hanlon’s side, touching the ball on 32 occasions over the hour, although he was only one of a number of impressive performers with Stephen Boylan and Anthony Durnin also showing well.  

Had the Tones been more clinical in the first-half they could have ran the Reaghstown natives much closer, with 11 first-half wides hindering their attempts at building a lead. 

Tommy Durnin's goal came midway though the first-half and swung the pendulum firmly in the Westerns favour before Conor Kerr bagged their second major as they took a 2-4 to four-point cushion to the break.

Substitute Ciaran Campbell scored the winners' third goal before the close. The Tones battled to the end, scoring the final two-points through Gideon Lugoye and Niall Smith.

Westerns: Peter Shields; Colin Martin, James Ward, PJ Marron; Sean McGuiness, Stephen Boylan, Michael Martin; Tommy Durnin (1-7, 0-5 frees), Terence Sweeney (0-1); Ciaran Scriven, Trevor Baylon (0-1), John Murray; Johnny Lynch, Anthony Durnin, Conor Kerr (1-1)

Subs: Ciaran Campbell (1-1) for Sweeney, Andrew Kerr for Scriven, Shane Mathews for Michael Martin, Patrick Kerley for Lynch, Gerry Curtis for Baylon, Niall Moynagh (0-1) for Murray

Wolfe Tones: Chris Eustace; Adam Gartland, Paddy Fanning, David Lennon; Sam Kelly, Eoghan O’Shea (0-1), Alan Fanning; Marc Lugoye, Mark Healy; Niall Smith (0-1), Darren Weldon, Jamie McCormack; Gideon Lugoye (0-2, one free), Barry Reilly (0-1), Jordan Duffy (0-4, two frees)

Subs: Graham Fanning for Lennon, Kevin Collier for Gartland, Kieran Smith for Weldon, Andy Faulkner for McCormack

Referee: Peter Hoey (Dundalk Young Irelands)