A total of 2-10 from Brian O’Connell and Alban Crosbie ensured Walterstown made it two wins from two Group C of the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship in Páirc Tailteann on Saturday evening last. For Meath Hill, it’s two defeats now on the trot. See full picture gallery at the bottom of the page.
Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship Group C Round 2
Walterstown: 2-16
Meath Hill: 1-13
The Blacks, who beat Syddan in the opening round, had too much firepower in attack for Meath Hill and were full value for the win. It wasn’t until Brian O’Connell pounced for goal in the 56th minute, however, that Walterstown could really breath a sigh of relief. Before the goal, only two points separated the sides but thereafter Martin O’Connell’s charges cruised home.
Starting without the injured Ruairí O’Dowd and Sam McCabe in attack, Walterstown welcomed back Adam Treanor at corner forward and in defence Eoghan O’Mahony returned at corner back. In the middle of the field Conor O’Sullivan paired with Barry O’Connell, while the influential Alban Crosbie moved forward.
Indeed it was Crosbie who got the Blacks off the mark in the fourth minute. Meath Hill opened the scoring first with a point from the boot of James Mooney but it was soon avenged by Crosbie. Talisman Brian O’Connell was fouled in the square by Harry Corscadden and referee Kieran Olwell signalled for a penalty which Crosbie dispatched with his right foot and in to the corner of Ryan Shekleton’s net.
Soon after O’Connell popped over a free out left after Conor O’Sullivan was impeded and gave Walterstown a 1-1 to 0-1 advantage after six minutes of play.
By the midway point of the opening half Martin O’Connell’s men had stretched their lead to six (1-5 to 0-2) thanks two points from Barry O’Connell and two in 30 seconds from Crosbie and the Blacks were humming along nicely.
After the first water break Barry O’Connell tagged on another point, while his older brother raised a white flag from a free and Walterstown led 1-7 to 0-3. However, that lead was soon cut back by three when Meath Hill, through Paddy Matthews, took full advantage of a defensive error from the Blacks and put the ball in the back of John Davis net.
Walterstown reacted well to the goal though and went down the other end and tagged on their 8th point of the evening. A superb ball in from Barry O’Connell, landed straight in to the chest of Brian, his raised his hand and send the resultant advanced mark over the bar to give the Blacks a 1-8 to 1-3 lead.
Meath Hill finished out the first half strong and had Walterstown’s lead down to just two early in stoppage time. Before the break though Brian O’Connell nabbed another point, a much needed one, from a free to leave the score at 1-9 to 1-6 at the interlude.
Soon after the turnaround Meath Hill had it down to two again but the Blacks responded with a point from Alban Crosbie after some patient build up play.
By the 39th minute Walterstown led 1-12 to 1-9 but Meath Hill weren’t going away without a fight. Cormac Sheehy added a point to reduce the gap on the 40 minute mark, just after the Blacks lost Barry O’Connell to injury.
Further points from Brian O’Connell (free) and Adam Treanor left Walterstown leading 1-14 to 1-10 at the second half water break but after that break their opponents twice raised white flags to close the gap. The first of those game a Jack McMahon free and just after Walterstown were reduced to 14 men. Captain Mark McCormack received a black card for a foul on James Mooney and having been yellow carded just four minutes earlier, headed to the line.
With five minutes of normal time remaining Meath Hill were penalised for over carrying and the Blacks, through Crosbie, took full advantage from the free and thereafter Walterstown had too much in the tank for Martin McGovern’s side.
The killer blow for Meath Hill came in the form of the aforementioned goal from Brian O’Connell in the 56th minute, followed by a point from Alan Wall, put this game firmly beyond their reach.
So it’s two from two from the Blacks and up next is a meeting with Oldcastle, who also have four points on the board. That third round game will be played the weekend of September 12 and the winner will go straight through to the quarter finals.
SCORERS: Walterstown – Brian O’Connell 1-6 (5f, 1 mark), Alban Crosbie 1-4 (1 pen, 1f), Barry O’Connell 0-3, Conor O’Sullivan 0-1, Adam Treanor 0-1, Alan Wall 0-1.
Meath Hill – Jack McMahon 0-4 (3f), Paddy Matthews 1-0, James Mooney 0-2, Dominic Yorke 0-2 (1f), Shane McCabe 0-2, Cormac Sheehy 0-2, Barry Kieran 0-1.
WALTERSTOWN: John Davis; Eoghan O’Mahony, Brian McGrane, Conor Farrelly; Alan Wall, Cathal Hennelly, Aron McLoughlin; Barry O’Connell, Conor O’Sullivan; Robbie Cunningham, Alban Crosbie, Mark McCormack; Adam Treanor, Brian O’Connell, Davy Donnellan. SUBS: Peter Reynolds replaced E O’Mahony (inj) 11 mins, Adam Barrett replaced Barry O’Connell (inj) 39 mins, Paul Donnellan replaced D Donnellan 55 mins, Johnny Geoghegan replaced C Hennelly (inj) 61 mins.
REFEREE: Kieran Olwell.
[envira-gallery id=”47245″]