Liam Ó Lonáin in rises above St Brendans Dermot Casey during their County Senior Football Championship match in Fraher Field. | Photo: Sean Byrne-Deise Sport
An Rinn 3-12; St Brendans 0-9
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An Rinn senior footballers bounced back from the previous week’s defeat to the Nire with a comprehsive win over group side St Brendans in Fraher Field last Tuesday.
Exchanges early on were even enough but An Rinn’s greater pace in attack proved to be decisive. County player Liam Ó Lionnan again proved his worth with two goals and his lightning pace caused the group side all sorts of problems.
An Rinn opened up an early lead when they kicked two points inside as many minutes, the first from Mike Tobin, then Padraig O Murchadha.
St Brendans’ first score came on eight minutes when Ray Hennessy pointed from play, but Tobin responded three minutes later. O Lionáin pointed for An Rinn just past the half’s midway mark, but Brendans rallied, kicking three points inside three minutes through Richie Walsh, Dermot Casey and Conor Hennessy to draw level.
Mike Tobin got a point from play on 23 minutes, but a brace of points from Andy Hubbard saw Brendans go in front.
Noel O Murchadha scored An Rinn’s first goal a minute before the break, and Mike Tobin added a point to give his side a 1-6 to 0-6 lead at the interval.
Hubbard kicked a point from a free four minutes after the restart, before inter-county star O Lionain, clearly carrying an injury and starting the second half at corner forward, blasted the ball to the net on 35 minutes. Two minutes later he took a nice point and Donaí O Murchadha quickly extended An Rinn’s lead.
Tommy Dunphy got one back before Cian O Conchubhair followed up with a point for An Rinn with 19 minutes remaining and 60 seconds later O Lionain, following a good lay-off from Mike Tobin, fired another goal. Shane O Ceallaigh soon stretched their lead to 11 points.
The last quarter was a non-event. Noel O Murchadha and Shane O Ceallaigh (free) both pointed, with Ray Hennessy getting a late point for the losers.
*Footnote: Once again numbers on jerseys were a problem, with disparities between the line-ups and the teams published in the hand-out given to patrons on the way in. Something for the County Board to take up at its next meeting.
An Rinn: A O hEochaigh; E Breathnach, C O Murchadha, L De Grás; P O Drócháin, S Ó Hartaigh, S Ó Drocháin; M Tobin, L Ó Lionáin; N Ó Murchadha, P O Murchadha, T Ó hUallacháin; C O Conchubhair, S O Ceallaigh, D O Murchadha. Sub: D O hIarlaighe for L O Lionain.
Scorers: L O Lionain 2-2, M Tobin, 0-4 (0-3 frees), O Murchadha 1-1, S O Ceallaigh 0-2 (0-1 frees), P O Murchadha, N D O Murchadha, C O Conchubhair 0-1 each.
St Brendans: T Wall; K Mulcahy, P Casey, K Buckley; D Foley, N Hennessy, S Cummins; A Hubbard, D Casey; A Kiely, R Hennessy, C Hennessy; R Walsh, P Kirwan, T Dunphy.
Scorers: A Hubbard 0-3 (0-1 frees), R Hennessy 0-2. D Casey, C Hennessy, T Dunphy, R Walsh (0-1 frees) 0-1 each.
Referee: D O’Leary (Erin’s Own).
