Blacks brought firmly back down to earth as St Michael's win

RUTH CHAMBERS

After victory in the opening round over a fancied Oldcastle side, Walterstown were firmly brought back down to earth by St Michael’s in he IFC at Kells on Sunday afternoon.

The Blacks trailed by nine at the break and were much improved after the turnaround but the Carlanstown outfit had six to spare (2-12 to 0-12) at the long whistle and were full value for their second win of the campaign.

Walterstown welcomed Barry O’Connell back from injury and he lined out in the half forward line in place of Adam Treanor. In defence Alan Wall, also returning from injury, came in for Davy Reynolds at centre back, while John Davis returned between the posts.

The Blacks enjoyed a super opening half the last day out but on Sunday, they endured disastrous first 30 minutes.

With just four minutes on the clock Michael’s had the green flag raised when Ciaran Lynch drew on the loose ball and nestled it in the net. By the 11th minute Trevor Bannon’s side had stretched their lead to five and it took Walterstown some 17 minutes to register their first score of the game.

That first score came from the boot of Barry O’Connell after he combined well with young Lorcan O’Connor before striking over. O’Connor got in on the scoring act soon after when he split the posts himself after a super pass from Mark McCormack found Ruairí O’Dowd and he picked out O’Connor for the score.

That’s was to be Walterstown’s sum total of scores for the first half as they, time and time again, carried the ball in to the tackle and came out worse off.

Michael’s didn’t have the same issues and finished out the half strongly. A point from Shane O’Donnell stretched their lead and with just six minutes of the half remaining, they pounced for goal number two. This time Jakub Bidzinski hit the net and gave his side a 2-3 to 0-2 advantage,

The team in red tagged on two further points before the interlude and led 2-5 to 0-2.

Walterstown boss Neil Reynolds made two changes at the break with Ross Reynolds coming in for Conor Lenehan in defence, while David Donnellan replaced Aran McLoughlin. Indeed Donnellan made his presence felt early on when he converted a free out right after O’Dowd was impeded.

Even though Walterstown were vastly improved after the turnaround, such was Michael’s lead at the interval, the Blacks were left with a mountain to climb. Try as they did, the Carlanstown outfit always seemed to have a response at the other end and badly needed goals eluded the Blacks for the duration.

Both O’Dowd and Brian O’Connell (free) struck over but before that St Michael’s tagged on two and were still in full control of the scoreboard.

Ten minutes in to the second-half Brian O’Connell raised a white flag from a free after Ruairí O’Dowd was fouled; a common theme for the duration of this second round clash. At that point the scoreboard read 2-8 to 0-6 and soon after Walterstown rang more changes.

Into the equation came Mark Foy for Paul Donnellan in attack, while young Brendan McGuinness came on for Eoghan O’Mahony in defence and acquitted himself very well.

With ten minutes left on the clock Michael’s led 2-11 to 0-8 and while Walterstown enjoyed the better of the exchanged for the remainder, that aforementioned mountain was only half climbed.

In the end only two scores separated the teams but time ran out and St Michael's took the win. Two from two for them and a place in the quarter finals and for Walterstown, it all comes down to their remaining group game with St Vincent’s in Ratoath on September 4.

SCORERS

ST Michael's - Ciaran Lynch 1-4, Oran Meehan 0-5, Jakub Bidzinski 1-0, Shane McDonnell 0-2, Cian McFadden 0-1.

Walterstown - Brian O’Connell 0-5 frees, Ruairí O’Dowd 0-3, Barry O’Connell 0-2, Lorcan O’Connor 0-1, Davy Donnellan 0-1 free.

ST Michael's - Darren O'Connell; Davy Lynch, Ciaran O'Reilly, Harry Dunne; Daniel Murphy, Matthew Halpin, Brian O'Reilly; Sam Briody, J.B O'Reilly; Cian McFadden, Felim O'Reilly, Jakub Bidzinski; Oran Meehan, Shane McDonnell, Ciaran Lynch. Subs - Ben Reilly for C McFadden, Aaron O'Connell for H Dunne, Mark Stafford for JB O'Reilly, Ronan Lynch for C Lynch, Paddy Tobin for O Meehan.

Walterstown - John Davis; Eoghan O’Mahony, Cathal Hennelly, Ciarán Cox; Lorcan O’Connor, Alan Wall, Conor Lenehan; Conor Farrelly, Adam Quinn; Aran McLoughlin, Mark McCormack, Barry O’Connell; Paul Donnellan, Ruairí O’Dowd, Brian O’Connell. Subs - Ross Reynolds replaced C Lenehan, David Donnellan for A McLoughlin both half-time, Breandan McGuinness for Eoghan O’Mahony 45 mins, Mark Foy for P Donnellan 47m.

Referee - Barry Campbell.

VIEW OF GAME FROM ST MICHAEL'S PERSPECTIVE

Pascal Reilly

St. Michaels made it two wins from two outings and booked a place in this year's Meade Farm Group IFC quarter finals after a sparkling first half display in which they possessed too much firepower for the Walterstown lads in a sun blessed Pairc Colmcille in Kells on Sunday afternoon.

This match was expected to be a much closer affair given that Walterstown were victors over a fancied Oldcastle side in round one, however on Sunday St. Michaels packed too much of a punch and showed a turn of speed that Walterstown couldn't match.

The Carlanstown / Kilbeg outfit got off to a brilliant start when in the fourth minute Ciaran Lynch was quickest to react to a Jakub Bidzinski piledriver that rebounded off the crossbar and he duly buried it in the back of the Blacks net. Oran Meehan opened his account a minute later when he tapped over from 20m out. Meehan added another neat point for a 1-2 to nil lead after 11 minutes play. Walterstown didn't raise their first white flag until the 17th minute and they added their second a minute later.

St Michaels were dominating their opponents throughout the opening half hour with their direct approach and long balls out of defence where Davy Lynch, Ciaran O'Reilly and Matthew Halpin excelled standing their ground letting nothing pass them, their deliveries towards the Walterstown goal proved very profitable as Ciaran Lynch, Oran Meehan, Jakub Bidzinski, Cian McFadden and Shane McDonnell all posted scores and they struck gold once more in the run-in to the interval when Bidzinski got on the end of a Meehan pass to record his sides second major on 24 minutes to leave their opponents 0-2 to 2-5 adrift at the interval.

A converted Meehan free a minute into the new half put 11 points between the sides, the Blacks replied immediately and both sides traded a brace of points in the next 10 minutes of play but the St. Michaels lads were as good as home and hosed at this stage as Lynch and Meehan raised a further 3 white flags for a 2-11 to 0-6 lead.

Trevor Bannon began to empty his bench at this stage as Walterstown went in search of goals but the tight winners defence stood their ground and Walterstown had to be satisfied with a further six minors.