Impressive Moors seal top spot
Donaghmore/Ashbourne 2-2-12 (22)
Simonstown 0-2-4 (8)
It was all one-way traffic for Donaghmore/Ashbourne as they cruised to victory over Simonstown in Skryne on Sunday and by virtue of Dunshaughlin’s six-point win over Gaeil Colmcille, Timmy O’Regan’s side topped Group D in the SFC.
Donaghmore/Ashbourne were visually impressive albeit against a side who struggled in all three of their group games of this campaign. The men in green and white laid a marker down early and in the first quarter established a four-point advantage which was largely down to the exploits of stalwarts Andy Tormey and Bryan Menton.
Aaron Farrelly and Shane McEnery did their best to chip away at the lead and force a way back into the contest for Simonstown but a 12 minute spell between the 39th and 51st minute where Donaghmore/Ashbourne scored 2-4 on the spin put the game to bed.
Tormey opened the scoring for the Moors with a free. Menton kicked a fantastic two-pointer before he followed up with another score after he linked up well with his midfield partner Jamie Browne which put Donaghmore/Ashbourne four points to the good inside 10 minutes.
McEnery got Simonstown off the mark but his score was cancelled out when a Zach Thornton shot, that dropped short, was fisted over the bar by Tormey. Thornton then scored a brace of points in quick succession for the eventual winners, the second of which was a nice move that came about after Thornton, Tormey and Kevin Fenton applied pressure to Will Byrne and turned possession over.
Shane Meila added his name to the scoresheet before Farrelly reduced the deficit back to 0-2 to 0-8 at half-time. Donaghmore/Ashbourne’s half-time advantage was increased to seven points when Sean Tyrell turned Brian Conlon inside out with a dummy before splitting the posts.
McEnery traded scores with Thornton before Farrelly struck a sublime two-pointer with the outside of the boot which reduced the gap back to five. However, Donaghmore/Ashbourne responded with venom and scored 2-4 on the spin.
Fenton kickstarted the period of dominance with a nice point before Darragh McGovern set up the energetic Tyrell for a goal in the 41st minute. Points from Tormey and Fenton followed before Evan Quinn got on the end of a nice move for Donaghmore/Ashbourne’s second green flag.
Tormey slotted over another free and at that stage from a competitive perspective, the contest had gotten away from Simonstown. Tyrell received a black card in the 53rd minute for an intentional trip.
Andy Colgan traded two-point frees with McEnery. Colgan’s was particularly impressive as it was off the deck from a tight angle. Farrelly knocked over a consolation free late on but at that stage the clash had well and truly petered out.
Donaghmore/Ashbourne: Andy Colgan (0-2 two-point free); Evan Quinn (1-0), Shane Melia (0-1), Sean Curran; Sean Tyrell (1-1), Conor Carton, Kevin Fenton (0-2); Bryan Menton (0-3 one two-point), Jamie Browne; Thomas McGovern, Andy Tormey (0-4 three frees), Kevin Cully; Darragh McGovern, Stephen Carton, Zach Thornton (0-3 one free). Subs: Oisin Daly for S Carton, Evan Kelly for T McGovern both 40m, Dominion Agbaha for Melia 45m, Michael O’Sullivan for Tormey 54m, Stephen Carton for C Carton 62m.
Simonstown: Robbie Burlingham; Paddy Heaney, Shane Gallagher, Brian McGrath; Brian Conlon, Niall Kane, Michael Gavin; Eddie Nash, Will Byrne; Padraig McKeever, Oran Meade, Shane McEnery (0-4 two frees, one two-point free); Aaron Farrelly (0-4 one free, one two-pointer), Ben Hoey, Max Condon. Subs: Sean Tobin for Hoey 36m, Mark Gardiner for Conlon, Jack Melia for Nash both 52m, Jack Collier for McKeever 56m.
Referee: Derek Ryan (Na Fianna).