Comfortable
for St Patrick’s
Easkey 1-8
St Patrick’s 4-9
A
high-intensity display, coupled with a scoring burst straight after half-time,
was the key to St Patrick’s notching their third win of the Kennedys
Intermediate Championship with a ten-point win over Easkey in atrocious
conditions at the home of the Sea Blues last Saturday evening.
With
a strong breeze blowing down the field, St Patrick’s hard-working first half
effort was vital as they went in at the break only a point down, 1-5 to 2-1,
and following half-time they scored 2-7 without reply to cement a third
straight win in Group Two.
Easkey’s
play in the opening half lacked any real cohesion, with several aimless balls
into their full forward line creating real frustration for the home side.
They
netted with one of their first attacks, however, with Dessie Sloyan laying the
ball off to Kevin Duffy to finish to the net, and they led by this goal after
17 minutes, 1-1 to 0-1.
St
Patrick’s were holding the home side well and when Dónal Brady grabbed his
sides first goal in the 18th minute following Padraic Clarke’s
assist, they were on level terms.
To
their credit, Easkey responded with four points on the bounce, but an
injury-time penalty dispatched by Padraic Clarke erased Easkey’s first-half
endeavour. Indeed, Clarke rasped the crossbar in an earlier attack before his
penalty conversion.
One
down at the break, St Patrick’s were totally superior after the restart with
five points in the first seven minutes before Niall Connolly fisted to the net
in the 39th minute after talisman Clarke’s industry.
Moments
later Clarke himself had another goal to his name after a neat finish, and two
further points soon after extended their lead to 12 (4-8, 1-5).
Easkey
tagged on three late points in the closing stages but the result was never in
doubt.
St
Patrick’s: T Kilgallen; P Kevany, S Kilgallen, E McTiernan; J Kearins (0-1), D
Mahon (0-1), J Egan; P Clarke, T McMunn; P Farrell, P Kearins, D Brady (1-0); C
Keane (0-2), J Clarke (2-5, 4fs), N Connolly (1-0). Subs: A Clarke, B Martin, A
Kelly, J Higgins.
Easkey:
B Feeney; E McGrath, J Feeney, I Barrett; M Kelly, N McGuire (0-1), J Scott; E
Mullen, M Rolston; E Lindsay (0-1), E Healy, M Gordon; K Duffy (1-1), D Sloyan
(0-1, f), R McKenna (0-4, 2fs). Subs: B McGrath, D Feeney, H Gilroy.
Referee:
Barry Judge