AIB Leinster club senior football championship quarter-final
Athy (Kildare) 1-16 Summerhill (Meath) 0-9
Paul Keane reports from Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge
THIS WAS a second-half to remember from Athy, 30 or so minutes of dominance that propelled them through to a Leinster club SFC semi-final with plenty to spare.
Just a point separated the sides at half-time, but when Athy hit the afterburners after the break, they sped away to a deserved 10-point win.
Brian Maher’s first-half goal got Athy going after a slow start, and they turned on the style after the break with Man of the Match Sean Moore among the scorers.
There was a strong cameo too from teenager Colm Moran, who struck 0-2, while county captain Kevin Feely piled on the misery for Summerhill with 0-3 overall.
Veteran Kildare forward Niall Kelly nailed a two-pointer during that one-sided second-half as the eight-time county champions outscored Meath’s best by 0-10 to 0-1.
Athy’s reward is a semi-final tie against the winners of tomorrow’s tie between Naomh Mairtin (Louth) and Portarlington (Laois), which, it’s understood, will take place back in Newbridge in a fortnight.
Summerhill were already underdogs heading to the home of Kildare football against an Athy team that took down all-conquering Naas on the local scene.
Athy comfortably took care of Baltinglass in their provincial opener, so taking on the hosts without talisman Eoghan Frayne was a giant blow.
Meath captain Frayne hit 0-5 against Longford champions Killoe in Round 1 and was named to start again, but pulled out with a calf injury.
Former Meath forward and goalkeeper Barry Dardis replaced Frayne, but the east Meath side were still stripped of a marquee talent.
It didn’t seem to bother them, initially at least, as they ran up a 0-5 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes.
Liam Shaw sniped three of those points, two of which came from frees as he took over the placed ball duties.
Jamie O’Shea, who hit Killoe for 1-2, was on the mark again too as the side managed by David Clare overwhelmed Athy with their ultra intensity.
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The midfield battle could have come straight from an inter-county fixture; Kildare duo Feely and David Hyland against Summerhill’s in-form duo of Adam McDonnell and Adam Flanagan, both of whom have featured for Meath.
A 16th-minute Feely point ignited Athy, who reeled off 1-4 before half-time to lead 1-6 to 0-8 at the interval.
Tailteann Cup All-Star James McGrath nabbed a point during the blitz, but it was Brian Maher’s goal that turned things decisively in Athy’s favour.
Summerhill were turned over deep in their own defence, and county minor Moran fed Maher for the 17th-minute goal.
Athy kicked two wides after the restart and dropped two point attempts short before Moran opened his own account with a terrific point under pressure.
Summerhill struggled badly to get out of their own half as Athy put a huge press on the opposition kick-out.
Moran stretched the lead to three with another fine score, this time from just inside the arc, leaving Athy 1-8 to 0-8 ahead.
Summerhill struggled for any sort of traction and didn’t manage a point in the second half until sub Conor Lyons intervened in the 49th minute.
Athy all but put a low-scoring game to bed with eight minutes to go when Kelly lofted over a two-pointer to leave five between them.
It was all Athy from there on, and sub Ben Purcell tagged on back-to-back points to help stretch the lead to 10 by full-time.
Athy scorers: Brian Maher 1-0, Kevin Feely 0-3, Sean Moore 0-3, Niall Kelly 0-3 (0-1f, 1 tp), Colm Moran 0-2, Ben Purcell 0-2, James McGrath 0-1, David Hyland 0-1, Cian Keaveney 0-1.
4. Darren Lawler
3. Michael Spillane
5. Padraic Spillane
10. Brian Maher
6. Cathal McCarron
2. Sean Moore
8. Kevin Feely
12. Conor Doyle
11. Barry Kelly
9. David Hyland (Captain)
7. James McGrath
13. Ronan Kelly
14. Colm Moran
15. Niall Kelly
Subs:
19. Mark Hyland for Maher (43)
23. Ben Purcell for Barry Kelly (50)
21. Conor Kelly for David Hyland (59)
30. Ciaran Farrell for Moran (59)
28. Cian Keaveney for Niall Kelly (61)
SUMMERHILL
1. Sean Muddiman
3. Ronan Ryan (Captain)
4. Iarla Hughes
2. Ben Moran
5. Jack Bannon
6. Ross Ryan
7. Jamie O’Shea
8. Adam McDonnell
9. Adam Flanagan
10. Diarmuid McCabe
11. Kevin Ryan
12. David Larkin
13. Conor Frayne
22. Barry Dardis
15. Liam Shaw
Subs:
21. John Lavelle for Moran (43)
20. Conor Lyons for Bannon (43)
19. Padhraig Geraghty for O’Shea (49)
28. Sean Dalton for Dardis (56)
17. Kevin Lyons for McDonnell (61)
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Athy through to Leinster semi-final after dominant second-half display
AIB Leinster club senior football championship quarter-final
Athy (Kildare) 1-16
Summerhill (Meath) 0-9
Paul Keane reports from Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge
THIS WAS a second-half to remember from Athy, 30 or so minutes of dominance that propelled them through to a Leinster club SFC semi-final with plenty to spare.
Just a point separated the sides at half-time, but when Athy hit the afterburners after the break, they sped away to a deserved 10-point win.
Brian Maher’s first-half goal got Athy going after a slow start, and they turned on the style after the break with Man of the Match Sean Moore among the scorers.
There was a strong cameo too from teenager Colm Moran, who struck 0-2, while county captain Kevin Feely piled on the misery for Summerhill with 0-3 overall.
Veteran Kildare forward Niall Kelly nailed a two-pointer during that one-sided second-half as the eight-time county champions outscored Meath’s best by 0-10 to 0-1.
Athy’s reward is a semi-final tie against the winners of tomorrow’s tie between Naomh Mairtin (Louth) and Portarlington (Laois), which, it’s understood, will take place back in Newbridge in a fortnight.
Summerhill were already underdogs heading to the home of Kildare football against an Athy team that took down all-conquering Naas on the local scene.
Athy comfortably took care of Baltinglass in their provincial opener, so taking on the hosts without talisman Eoghan Frayne was a giant blow.
Meath captain Frayne hit 0-5 against Longford champions Killoe in Round 1 and was named to start again, but pulled out with a calf injury.
Former Meath forward and goalkeeper Barry Dardis replaced Frayne, but the east Meath side were still stripped of a marquee talent.
It didn’t seem to bother them, initially at least, as they ran up a 0-5 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes.
Liam Shaw sniped three of those points, two of which came from frees as he took over the placed ball duties.
Jamie O’Shea, who hit Killoe for 1-2, was on the mark again too as the side managed by David Clare overwhelmed Athy with their ultra intensity.
The midfield battle could have come straight from an inter-county fixture; Kildare duo Feely and David Hyland against Summerhill’s in-form duo of Adam McDonnell and Adam Flanagan, both of whom have featured for Meath.
A 16th-minute Feely point ignited Athy, who reeled off 1-4 before half-time to lead 1-6 to 0-8 at the interval.
Tailteann Cup All-Star James McGrath nabbed a point during the blitz, but it was Brian Maher’s goal that turned things decisively in Athy’s favour.
Summerhill were turned over deep in their own defence, and county minor Moran fed Maher for the 17th-minute goal.
Athy kicked two wides after the restart and dropped two point attempts short before Moran opened his own account with a terrific point under pressure.
Summerhill struggled badly to get out of their own half as Athy put a huge press on the opposition kick-out.
Moran stretched the lead to three with another fine score, this time from just inside the arc, leaving Athy 1-8 to 0-8 ahead.
Summerhill struggled for any sort of traction and didn’t manage a point in the second half until sub Conor Lyons intervened in the 49th minute.
Athy all but put a low-scoring game to bed with eight minutes to go when Kelly lofted over a two-pointer to leave five between them.
It was all Athy from there on, and sub Ben Purcell tagged on back-to-back points to help stretch the lead to 10 by full-time.
Athy scorers: Brian Maher 1-0, Kevin Feely 0-3, Sean Moore 0-3, Niall Kelly 0-3 (0-1f, 1 tp), Colm Moran 0-2, Ben Purcell 0-2, James McGrath 0-1, David Hyland 0-1, Cian Keaveney 0-1.
Summerhill scorers: Liam Shaw 0-4 (0-2f), Diarmuid McCabe 0-2 (tp), Barry Dardis 0-1, Jamie O’Shea 0-1, Conor Lyons 0-1.
ATHY
1. Shane Jackman
4. Darren Lawler
3. Michael Spillane
5. Padraic Spillane
10. Brian Maher
6. Cathal McCarron
2. Sean Moore
8. Kevin Feely
12. Conor Doyle
11. Barry Kelly
9. David Hyland (Captain)
7. James McGrath
13. Ronan Kelly
14. Colm Moran
15. Niall Kelly
Subs:
19. Mark Hyland for Maher (43)
23. Ben Purcell for Barry Kelly (50)
21. Conor Kelly for David Hyland (59)
30. Ciaran Farrell for Moran (59)
28. Cian Keaveney for Niall Kelly (61)
SUMMERHILL
1. Sean Muddiman
3. Ronan Ryan (Captain)
4. Iarla Hughes
2. Ben Moran
5. Jack Bannon
6. Ross Ryan
7. Jamie O’Shea
8. Adam McDonnell
9. Adam Flanagan
10. Diarmuid McCabe
11. Kevin Ryan
12. David Larkin
13. Conor Frayne
22. Barry Dardis
15. Liam Shaw
Subs:
21. John Lavelle for Moran (43)
20. Conor Lyons for Bannon (43)
19. Padhraig Geraghty for O’Shea (49)
28. Sean Dalton for Dardis (56)
17. Kevin Lyons for McDonnell (61)
Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).
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Athy GAA Report Summerhill Winning