Seniors qualify for league semi final

Post date: Jun 24, 2011 2:12:37 PM

Edenderry seniors qualified for the league semi final on Tuesday night with a five point win over Raheens in Geashill. The reds had to win to secure 4th spot in the league and despite a slow start to the game, two first half goals from Stuart Cullen put the reds in control.

Raheens started the game the better of the sides and with three minute gone they held a two point lead after converting two free's. With six minutes on the clock Edenderry got their first score when Sean Doyle pointed for the reds. Raheens came back with two more points to give them a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after twelve minutes. Derek Kelly pointed a free & his first of the night on fifteen minutes and just two minutes later Edenderry won a penalty after Sean Doyle was fouled in the box.

Stuart Cullen scored from the spot to put the reds one point ahead but Raheens responded with a pointed free. Edenderry started to dominate proceedings with three unanswered points from Derek Kelly, Martin Keogh and Richie Dalton. Raheens hit back with two pointed free's in the closing minutes of the first half to reduce the deficit to the minimum. In stopage time Dan Nolan made a great run driving a long ball into the square where Dean Cummins flicked the ball onto Stuart Cullen who finished to the back of the net.

Half Time:

Edenderry 2-5

Raheens 0-7

Edenderry made two changes at half time with the introduction of Brian Quinlan and Sean Pender for Peter O'Neill and Sean Doyle. With less than a minute gone Raheens had pointed from another free to leave three between the sides. Two points from Mark Young, one from a free stretched their lead to five points. Ten minutes into the second half Raheens scored their last point for eighteen minutes. There was a fifteen minute spell from the tenth to the twenty fifth were there was no score at all as both sides kicked their fair share of wides.

With five minutes remaining Derek Kelly scored two more points while Raheens scored one to leave five points between the sides at full time.

Full time:

Edenderry 2-9

Raheens 0-10

Despite the slow start to the game for Edenderry once they got the goals they remained in control of the game and restricted the opposition to just four points from play. While perhaps they could have won by more Raheens did battle hard and didnt make it easy for the reds.

Man of the Match: Colm Byrne

Referee: D Walsh

Mark Young(0-2), Diarmaid Meleady, Johnny Hurst, Wayne Mooney, Colm Byrne, Basil Malone, Daniel Nolan, Derek Kelly(0-4), Richie Dalton(0-1), David Hanlon, Martin Keogh(0-1), Peter O'Neill, Sean Doyle(0-1), Dean Cummins, Stuart Cullen(2-0)

Subs:

Brian Quinlan for Peter O'Neill

Sean Pender for Sean Doyle

Sean Doyle for David Hanlon

Peter O'Neill for Martin Keogh.

Aaron O'Connell, Andrew Forde, Stephen Abbott. Keith McGuinness(inj)