Michael Lyng Senior Football Championship
Group 2
Palatine 2-12
Old Leighlin 0-12
At Netwatch Cullen Park,
By John Whelan
Palatine have returned to winning ways after a first round loss to Éire Óg. Led by a remarkable individual tally of 2-5 from Lee Gordon, Palatine powered to an important win over Old Leighlin. Despite a bright start Palatine trailed by two at half time, a composed effort from Palatine which saw Old Leighlin remain scoreless in the last ten minutes was enough to give them victory.
Ciaran Moran chose to fist the ball over the bar with just fourteen seconds gone. Moran added to his early opener when he shot over the bar again with just two minutes gone. Old Leighlin didn’t get on the scoreboard immediately but they did show signs of danger when they beat the keeper but Chris Parle denied them on the line.
Seamus Kinsella finally opened the scoring for Old Leighlin after ten minutes. Pat Hickey tagged on a superb effort to level the sides just seconds after Kinsella’s point. David Bambrick completed the blitz on the Palatine defence when he grabbed Old Leighlin’s third point in two minutes to clinch the lead. Willie Minchin extended their lead to two points on seventeen minutes and they were beginning to look comfortable.
Paul Reid replied instantly when Jason Kane and John Reid broke together and moved the ball at speed to find Paul Reid who slotted the ball over the bar to give Palatine their first score in fifteen minutes. Cathal Coughlan looked to keep the Old Leighlin scoring going and he restored their lead to two on the next possession. Sean Bambrick could have shot Old Leighlin clear when his effort troubled Craig Kearney in the Palatine goal enough to just get his fingertips on it. The ball was deflected to Bambrick who fisted it over the bar instead of going for goal.
Lee Gordon was in fine form in this game and he sprung to life in the closing ten minutes of the first half. After Sean Bambrick’s near goal opportunity Lee Gordon managed three points in five minutes to level the sides. Gordon’s dominance wasn’t to be unmatched in the first half at least, as Pat Hickey scored twice in the one minute as the game headed for half time. Between points Hickey had caught the ball from the kickout and worked the ball forward only for him to retrieve the ball and slot it over the bar to give Old Leighlin a two point lead at half time.
Palatine got off to the best possible start when Lee Gordon resumed his first half exploits. This time he went one better when Paul Reid won the ball off Old Leighlin, found Gordon with a pass and he duly blasted it to the back of the net to take the lead. The lead didn’t last long and Pat Hickey continued his first half form too with a point on thirty two minutes. Seamus Kinsella reclaimed the lead on thirty three minutes.
Jason Kane saw his shot go across the face of goal and it was clear Palatine were going to sustain their efforts. Cathal Coughlin edged Old Leighlin two points clear. John Reid, Jason Kane and Lee Gordon replied with a point each in a three minute period to take the lead.
Willie Minchin levelled the sides with Old Leighlin’s fourth and final point of the half with twelve remaining. Shane O’ Neill was sprung from the bench in the second half and he grabbed his first ever Senior Championship point to take the lead. O’Neill was then instrumental in the score that really clinched it for Palatine, he found Lee Gordon with the pass and Gordon beat James Clarke for a second time to give Palatine four points clear. John Reid added a point to keep Palatine ticking over and then in a fitting end to the scoring Lee Gordon put the ball over the bar to finish the evening with a whopping 2-5.
Palatine
Craig Kearney, Bryan Farrell, Conor Lawlor, Chris Parle Mark Rennick, Aidan Murphy, Gavin Farrell, David Reid, Jason Kane(0-1), Paul Reid(0-1), Ciarán Moran(0-2), John Reid(0-2), Jamie Kenny, Lee Gordon(2-5, 1f), Stephen Reilly SUBS: Cormac Holloway, Jack Brennan, Joe Byrne, Patrick Cushen, Christopher Crowley, Shane O’Neill( 0-1, in for Gavin Farrell 38mins) , Darragh Moran, Tommy Murphy, Tomas Kenny, Cian Forkan, David Kinsella, Dermot McDonald
Old Leighlin
James Clarke, Eamon Fitzgerald, Michael Meaney(Blackbush) Richie Burke, Declan Kelly, John Hayden, Davy Dowling, Hughie Gahan, Michael Meaney (Monemore), David Bambrick(0-1), Pat Hickey(0-4), Sean Bambrick(0-1), Cathal Coughlan(0-2), Seamus Kinsella(0-3, 1f), Willie Minchin(0-2) SUBS: Tom Lynch, Paddy Deevy(in for Sean Bambrick 48mins), Paraic Coughlan, Barry Hayes( in for Michael Meaney BB 46 mins), John Amond( in for Willie Minchin 54 mins), Niall Roche( in for Richie Burke 46 mins), Aaron Amond, Declan Gough, Sean Whelan, Mark Brennan, Ian Atkinson ( in for Michael Meaney MM 58 mins), Gearoid Foley, Liam Coughlan, David Gahan, Brendan Kinsella, Kevin Carpenter, Darren O’Neill, Brian Roche, Tadhg Carpenter, Michael Whelan, Roy Sheehy, Ger Hickey, Eamon Tobin