Wins for Stradbally and Rathgormack in first round of Senior Football Championship

Just two of the six games scheduled to take place in the first round of this year’s JJ Kavanagh and Sons County Senior Football Championship took place this weekend.

Because of the heavy overnight rain which continued right throughout Sunday, the double headers at Kill and Fraher Field were called off in the hours leading up to the games.

Reigning champions Stradbally opened their bid to win back to back titles with a five point win over last years Intermediate Champions Ballinameela at Fraher Field in the first game of this year’s championship at Fraher Field on Saturday evening.

It was last years intermediate champions that opened the brighter of the two teams kicking the first three scores of the game, the first two a brace of frees from Jim Curran followed by a fisted effort from Brendan Phelan after a Michael Shine ’45 fell short.

The side in Blue and White were at this stage unlucky not to have been even further in front as they had an effort from Tom Curran taken off the line by Cathal Cusack.

Stradbally hit their first score of the game on twenty minutes when Michael Sweeney put over a free and followed it up with another effort again from a free moment’s later.

Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh levelled matters on twenty three minutes and a minute later the Cove Men hit the first goal of the game when Shane Ahearne finished from close range.

That score gave Stradbally a 1-3 to 0-3 lead at the break but Ballinameela were unlucky not to have gone in all square as two minutes from the break, Jim Curran and Rob Shine linked up with Brendan Phelan but his goal effort was deflected for an un-converted ’45 by Eoin Cunningham who made an excellent save with his legs.

Ballinameela began the second half by drawing level as Michael Culloo found Rob Shine who beat Eoin Cunningham in the Stradbally goal.

Stradbally however for the remainder of the game would prove to be the better of the two sides as Shane Ahearne landed a hat-trick of points, Michael Sweeney hit a brace and Tony Grey and Stephen Cunningham both hit one each to give Stradbally a 1-10 to 1-4 lead with the hour played.

In the middle of this sequence of scores the Cove Men lost Robert Ahearne after he was flashed a black card by referee Tommy O’Sullivan.

In added time Brendan Phelan pulled a consolation score back for Ballinameela which could well prove valuable at the end of the league section of the competition if Ballinameela were to finish level on points with other sides.

The second game at Fraher Field on Saturday evening saw Rathgormack record a 1-7 to 0-8 win over Brickeys.

Brickeys were first out of the traps in this game with a point from a Cormac O’Grady free.

However for the remainder of the half it was Rathgormack that proved to be the better of the two sides as Conor Murray landed three points, Jason Curry landed a brace and Michael Curry hit one to give their side a 0-6 to 0-1 lead after twenty minutes.

Brickeys did manage to come more into the game in the last ten minutes of the half as Cormac O’Grady put over a brace of frees and Mark Scanlon hit one from play to leave two between the sides, but on the stroke of half time Jason Gleeson hit the games only goal to give his side a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage on the score board as the sides headed to the dressing rooms at the break.

Brickeys in the second half proved to be the better of the two sides but some poor shooting when presented with chances would cost them.

Cormac O’Grady put over three more frees by the fifty-third minute and a minute later Shane McGrath pointed to leave the minimum between the sides.

Rathgormack registered their only score of the second half on fifty six minutes when Jason Curry from a free split the Rathgormack posts but it was good enough to seal a deserved win for his side.

Details have also been announced for games in round two of the championship.

Because of Waterford’s involvement in the National League semi final against Limerick on Sunday next in Thurles, three games involving players involved in Derek McGrath’s Waterford set up, will not take place until Tuesday week.

Ballinacourty and An Rinn get next weekend’s round of games underway on Friday evening when they play at Fraher Field, the game having a 8pm throw in.

On Saturday evening there is a double header at the same weekend. Saint Saviours and Ardmore clash at 6-30pm and will be followed ninety minutes later with the clash of Brickeys and Kilrossanty.

The three games on Tuesday week all have 7-30pm throw ins.

The Nire and Gaultier clash at the Saint Molleran’s grounds at Carrickbeg. Clashmore and Ballinameela meet at Fraher Field while Stradbally and Rathgormack meet at Lemybrien.