Knockbeg ease their way into Bro Bosco Cup knockout stages
Knockbeg's Dylan O'Dwyer gets ready to take a shot Photo: Pat Ahern
Knockbeg College topped their group thanks to a second win on the trot in this Leinster Senior Football A/Brother Bosco Cup in Graiguecullen on Friday. It is a second easy victory in the group and while they would have probably preferred a more difficult assignment, they did everything right against an Offaly side who looked decent early on.
Knockbeg’s Dylan O’Dwyer opened the scoring with a first minute point. Cian Horkan equalised almost immediately before O’Dwyer nudged his side in front once again. It was a lead they were never to lose and Ennae Byrne gave a glimpse of what was to come when he got at the end of an attempted goal attempt by O’Dwyer to deflect a wayward shot to the net.
That was on eleven minutes and from there, the eventual winners never looked back. When a kick-out went wrong Byrne pounced for his second three-pointer. Jack Julian then got forward and once again the Colaiste Choilm side were in trouble as the centre back finished to the net. At the interval, Knockbeg were 3-8 to 0-3 in front. There was no way back for the visitors.
Their misery was compounded. Five minutes into the second period, Ennae Byrne reacted best to a loose ball and he goaled from close range.
From the side-line, the Tullamore mentors beseeched their players not to throw in the towel. Knockbeg continued to turn the screw and showed no mercy. Calum McElroy raised another green flag and substitute, Ronan Dooley, beat several would be tackles and finished well.
Colaiste Choilm did react to the support on the line from their mentors and scored four points in the final ten minutes. It was never going to be enough as Knockbeg saw out the contest without mishap.
Coach, Conor Ronan, didn’t play up the win but did say the players adapted a prepared game plan and were professional in their approach which was a huge source of satisfaction to all.
“We are very happy with how the lads conducted themselves today. We asked them at the beginning to bring a level of work-rate and a level of effort and see if Tullamore could match it.
“It was a case of if you bring a level of effort, you will then create opportunities. Let the football do the talking. We are really happy,” he reiterated.
Knockbeg will now play Good Counsel in the last 16.
E Byrne 3-4 (1f), R Dooley 1-2, D O’Dwyer 0-3, C McElroy, J Julian 1-0 each, R Lawler, M Byrne 0-2 each, D Lawler, R Moran, A Farrell, J Doyle 0-1 each.
C Heffernan 0-3, C Burns 0-2, E Rouse (f), C Horkan, P Burns (45) 0-1 each.
Cody Tucker (Graiguecullen); Sam McHugh (Palatine), Ross Moran (Tinryland), Senan Gallagher (St Laurences); Patrick Fitzgerald (Killeshin), Jack Julian (Ballylinan), Jack Doyle (Crettyard); Mikey Byrne (Tinryland), Donnacha Lawler (St Laurences): Jack O’Gorman (Castledermot), Ruaidhiri Lawlor (St Laurences), Calum McElroy (Arles Kilcruise); Dylan O’Dwyer (St Laurences), Ennae Byrne (Arles Kileen), Adam Farrell (Killeshin). Subs: Ronan Dooley (Éire Og) for Fitzgerald (h/t), Fionn Lawlor (St Laurences) for Farrell (38), Aodhan Bergin (Grangenolvin) for O’Gorman (38), Jacob Curran (Éire Óg) for R Lawler (47), Fionn O’Sullivan (Crettyard) for Byrne (53).
Aidan Walsh; William Cronly, Odhran Briody (Rhode), Robert Burns; Charlie Heffernan, Tadhg Kelly (St Vincent’s), Louis Aubin; Eoin Rouse, Darragh Stewart; Patrick Duffy, Charlie Burns (St Vincent’s), Cian Horkan; Cian Multaney Kelly (Na Fianna), Colm Nolan, Adam Martin (Na Fianna). Subs: Cormac Staunton (Na Fianna) for Cronly (h/t), Caden O’Beirne for R Burns (St Vincent’s, h/t), Paddy Burns (St Fianna) for Multaney Kelly (h/t), Ben Dillane for Nolan (39), Ciaran Owens (St Vincent’s) for Martin (45).
Lar Murphy
