Positive start for senior footballers

Post date: Feb 22, 2014 4:0:16 PM

SFL Division one:

Edenderry 3-5 2-3 Tubber

Edenderry's senior footballers played their first game of the 2014 Division one football league on Saturday afternoon and came out on top with a five point win.

Second half goals from substitutes Stephen Abbott and Sean Moriarty along with 1-3 from full forward Derek Kelly helped secure a brace of points for Peter Brady's men.

The opening half of football wasn't the prettiest and the recent weather conditions had softened up the pitch, making it very hard for both sides to get their footing. Edenderry took the lead through a David Hanlon free in the fifth minute but it would take a further fourteen minutes for a second score which came courtesy of Derek Kelly after some excellent team work from Sean Pender and Colm Byrne at one end, right up to Keith McGuinness and Derek Kelly at the other. David Hanlon added his second point of the day in the twenty third minute from close range after Peter Manley was fouled and just as it looked like the reds were set to hold Tubber scoreless in the opening half, the Westmeath border side managed to grab a goal from a '45 just on the stroke of half time.

Half time:

Edenderry 0-3 1-0 Tubber.

For all of Edenderry's first half possession they were level at half time but just two minutes into the second half they fell behind when former Offaly footballer Bernard Allen struck a unstoppable effort to the roof of the Edenderry net. The reds introduced Stephen Abbott and Sean Moriarty for Gary Blong and Peter Manley at the half time break and it paid dividends just four minutes after the restart. Moriarty, Derek Kelly and Oran Lawton combined brilliantly and it was Moriarty's final pass to Stephen Abbott which led to the 2012 junior player of the year firing his shot straight to the bottom corner of the Tubber net.

Tubber replied with two points to open up a two point lead but Edenderry responded superbly with goals from Sean Moriarty and Derek Kelly in the space of two minutes and Kelly then pointed twice more to give Brady's men a six point lead. A late point for Tubber reduced the deficit to five points but Edenderry held on comfortably in the end.

Next up for the seniors is a home tie vs Clara on Saturday at 4pm.

Team:

Brian Quinlan, James Mackey, Mark Young, Diarmaid Meleady, Colm Byrne, Sean Pender, David Hanlon (0-2f), Cian Lawton, Richie Dalton, Dan Nolan, Keith McGuinness, Gary Blong, Oran Lawton, Derek Kelly(1-3), Peter Manley.

Subs: Stephen Abbott (1-0) for Gary Blong and Sean Moriarty(1-0) for Peter Manley (Both at half time), Joe Murphy for Sean Moriarty (57 mins, black card), Stuart Cullen for Keith McGuinness and Andrew Forde for Mark Young (Both 57 mins)

Referee: Ciaran Groome

Man of the match: Colm Byrne