Hartley's late winner give Sarsfields' top four hopes a boost
Karl Hartley was matchwinner for Sarsfields in Athy
Karl Hartley scored a 60th minute point for Sarsfields to deliver full points in an entertaining Round 9 Division 1 clash with Athy in the Hanlon Concrete LTD SFL at a sunny ETEX Geraldine Park, Athy on Thursday evening. Hartley’s winner just followed a two-pointer free from Sash keeper, Marc Courtney Byrne for an Athy breach to bring the sides level for the fifth time in the game at 1-14 apiece.
County champions, Athy, enjoyed a four-point half time advantage at 1-9 to 0-8 and were still two points to the good as the game approached the end of normal time until those three late points sent the League points up the motorway to the Newbridge club. Athy did have two late chances but both fell into the grateful arms of Courtney Byrne.
The win moves Sarsfields up to fifth place in the League table, one point behind Moorefield in the semi final spot. Athy remain in ninth place, two places above the drop zone.
Niall Kelly and Tony Gibbons were in fine form for Athy, especially in the first half in which they shared 1-6 between them. Kelly opened the scoring for Athy with a free in the 7th minute but a two pointer from Sarsfields midfielder, Matty Byrne gave the visitors the lead for the first time in the game. Gibbons brought the sides level for the first time after 10 minutes with an outside of the foot effort. After Barry Coffey and Killian Mulhall exchanged points, Jake Loakman scored another two pointer for Vinny Walsh’s side in the 13th minute. Niall Kelly then set up Gibbons for the game’s opening goal a minute later and the goalscorer then returned the favour by setting Kelly up for a point in the 16th minute. Although a Barry Coffey free reduced the deficit to a point two more Kelly points, one from a free had the hosts, managed this year by Seán Gannon, leading by three points with five minutes left in the half. Another Coffey free and a point from play by Ryan Kearney left just the minimum between the sides but three unanswered Athy points from Niall Kelly, Kieran Farrell and Ben Purcell gave them that four-point half time lead.
The introduction of Harry Redmond at half time gave Sarsfields renewed impetus and they were rewarded with a goal and a point from Barry Coffey which left the sides level at 1-9 apiece seven minutes after the restart. Kelly and Kearney exchanged points and the sides were level for the fourth time in the game by the 40th minute. Rian Beagan give the visitors the lead again a minute later and we then had to wait until the 50th minute before the Kelly brothers, Niall, with a two pointer and substitute, Brian, gave Athy a two-point lead with eight tetchy minutes left in normal time. Courtney Byrne (free) and Jack Dooley exchanged points before an Athy breach gave the goalkeeper the two-pointer free opportunity which he converted, and Hartley fired over the winner as stoppage time approached.
In Thursday evening's other Division 1 game, Naas beat Clane by 4-18 to 2-10.
Marc Courtney Byrne 0-3 (1 free, 1X 2pt free); Jimmy O’Neill, Cian Hughes, David Higgins; David Shalvey, Barry Coffey 1-4 (2 frees), Colm Harnett; Matty Byrne 0-2 (2pt), Shane Higgins; Rian Beagan 0-1, Ryan Kearney 0-2, Alan Scully; Jake Loakman 0-2 (2pt), Karl Hartley 0-1, Conor O’Donovan. SUBS: Harry Redmond for Shane Higgins H/T, Shane Doyle for Jake Loakman 48, Cian Costigan for David Shalvey 57, Ronan Fitzgibbon for Conor O’Donovan 57, Ethan Montaine for Alan Scully 58.
James Roycroft; Michael Spillane, Mark Hyland, Niall McEvoy; Killian Mulhall 0-1, Sean Moore, Cian Keaveny; Conor Kelly, Jack Dooley 0-1; Ben Purcell 0-1, Kieran Farrell 0-1, Conor Doyle; Cathal Kennedy, Tony Gibbons 1-1, Niall Kelly 0-8 (2 frees, 2pt) SUBS: Paidi Behan for Cathal Kennedy 37, Brian Maher for Killian Mulhall 44, Brian Kelly 0-1 for Kieran Farrell 50.
Paddy McDermott
