Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin turn in impressive display
Austin Donegan on the ball for Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin
Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin made a very impressive start to their South Leinster ‘B’ Senior Championship today on the club pitch in Rathangan.
Under the management of Naas man John Joyce, they would be expected to go well this year after with a large chunk of their back again this year after reaching a North Leinster final before losing narrowly to St Peters of Dunboyne.
They have a Kildare under 20 player from 2025 in Austin Donegan and three minors in Charlie Cullen, Ollie Deller and Pauric Carthy, as well as a 2024 Offaly minor in Sean Wyer.
That all meant they were far too good for Enniscorthy but their superiority did lead at times to a casual approach to their shooting and the winning margin really should have been greater. If they can become a little more clinical and ruthless in front of the posts then this team is capable of having a very good season and making it a very memorable time for their school.
They raced out to a 0-7 to 0-0 lead in the opening 25 minutes, including a well judged two point effort from Deller.
Although Enniscorthy did get in for a goal late in the half, Carty then converted another free to the leave the Rathangan side 0-8 to 1-1 ahead at the break.
It was a strange sort of third quarter as Rathangan seemed like they were coasting and yet, when Enniscorthy scored their second goal followed by a point, there was only four in it with 17 minutes to go, 0-12 to 2-2.
Sensing the they needed to up their game, Rathangan impressively stepped it up a gear or two.
A sweetly struck two point free by Carty got them rolling again and that was followed by a goal ten minutes from time. The electrifying Donegan drove at the Enniscorthy defence and although the ball was knocked from his grasp, Paidi Ryan was hand to fire home from the loose ball.
That ended any thoughts of unlikely Enniscorthy comeback and from then, Rathangan free wheeled home with Carty, Deller, Aaron Walsh and Donegan all on the scoresheet again before the final whistle.
Coláiste Íosagáin, Portarlington and Gorey CS are the other teams in Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin’s group and it’s a trip to Wexford to take on the latter next up for Joyce’s team.
Max Kruger (Gracefield); Charlie Cullen (Ellistown), Oisin Kenny (Rathangan), Tadhg Weldon (St Broughans), Paddy Murphy (Rathangan), Cathal Weldon (St Broughans), Niall Finnegan (Milltown); Sean Wyer (Bracknagh, 0-3, 1f), Ollie Deller (Round Towers 0-4, 1tp); Diarmuid Conlan (Rathangan), Austin Donegan (Rathangan, 0-2), Paidi Ryan (Rathangan, 1-2), Pauric Carty (Rathangan 0-7, 1tpf, 3fs), Ruairi Broughan (Rathangan), Luke Mullally (Rathangan). Subs: Aaron Walsh (Ballyteague) for Broughan, 40; Alan McEvoy (St Broughans) for Cullen, 52; Aaron O’Loughlin (Ellistown) for Murphy, 52; Ryan Quinn (St Broughans) for Mullally, 55; Darragh Gilligan (Rathangan) for Finnegan, 58.
