Joyce's Naas CBS start with a win
Ronan Joyce Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/James Crombie
A haul of 1-9 from forwards JJ Reilly and Robert Millham was very much instrumental in the victory of Naas CBS over Terenure College in Round 1 of the Bro Bosco Cup in Terenure on Tuesday. On a perfect day for football, despite the overnight rain, Naas led 0-8 to 0-7 at the break with three late points in the half helping them into that one-point lead. It was Millham’s goal, four minutes after the restart, which set the tone for the third quarter for the Naas school, a quarter in which they were to register 1-9 without reply. Millham added two more points from frees while Reilly chipped in with two two pointers, one from a free, during that period. Ronan Joyce’s charges lad to withstand a mighty Terenure comeback which yielded two goals from play and one from the penalty spot as well as a two pointer from play in the last ten minutes however. It made for a nervy ending for the Naas school but they had enough points on the board to see them through.
Terenure, newcomers to the Bro Bosco Cup in the last few years, are certainly making their presence felt in the competition. They were 0-3 to 0-1 up after six minutes, helped by a two pointer from captain, Daithi Gannon. Naas points by Rian Curran and Matthew Galvin brought the sides level for the first of three occasions in the first half. Although dangerous full forward, Ben Mulvihill and Naas captain, Niall McAndrew, exchanged points to keep matters level at the end of the first quarter, three points in a row from the hosts gave them a commanding lead with seven minutes to go till half time. Two of the points came from Mulvihill and one from Ronan O’Dell, brother of Dublin star, Lorcan. An inspirational point by McAndrew in the 25th minute drove Naas CBS on again and two Reilly points, one from a free, and a Galvin free gave the County Town team the slender one-point half time lead.
Terenure didn’t score from the 24th minute until the 50th minute by which time Millham, Reilly, McAfee and Cathal Harris, a two pointer, had added to the Naas tally giving them a thirteen-point lead 1-17 to 0-7. Terenure clawed away at that lead and a goal from Mulvihill started the recovery in the 50th minute while Rian Ennis added a penalty a minute later. Naas weathered the storm with points from Cillian Long and Millham and although Terenure finished with a two pointer from Jack Brady and an injury time goal from substitute, Finn Connellan, those scores came too late to deny Naas CBS the victory. Naas will now host Marist College, Athlone on Thursday, 22 October in Round 2 of the competition.
Colum Gibbons (Naas); Rory Cooke (Raheens), Eoin Markey (Kill), Alan Smyth (Naas); Cathal Harris (Kill) 0-2 (1 X 2pt), Cillian Long (Naas) 0-1, Niall McAndrew (Naas) 0-2; Hugh Kelly (Kill), Oisin McAfee (Raheens) 0-2; Rian Curran (Raheens) 0-1, Conor Lafferty (Kill), Matthew Galvin (Two Mile House) 0-2 (1 free); JJ Reilly (Kill) 0-6 (1 X 2pt free, 1 X 2pt 1 free), Robbie Millham (Naas) 1-3 (2 frees), Callum Cowzer (Naas). Subs: Fionn Stewart Byrne (Ballymore Eustace) for Conor Lafferty 40, Max Sargent (Eadestown) for Matthew Galvin 46, Jack Murray (Blessington) for Oisin McAfee 58, Fionn Coyle (Two Mile House) for Callum Cowzer.
Rory O’Donovan; Conor McCarthy, Arthur Duffy, Conor Deasy; Conor O’Brien, Rian Ennis 1-0 (pen), David Lombard; Matthew Fowler, James Browne; Donal Clair, Daithi Gannon 0-2 (1 X 2pt), Jack Ledwidge; Ronan O’Dell 0-1, Ben Mulvihill 1-4 (1 free), Jack Brady 0-3 (1 X 2pt, 1 free). Subs: Finn Connellan 1-0, Rory O’Shaughnessy.
Joe Sweeney (Laois)
