Murray spearheads Youghal first league match victory.

East Cork Division 2 Junior Football League
Eochaill 3-06
St Catherine’s 1-10
IT WAS a pretty dismal night for football, last Friday night in Ballynoe, but that won’t bother Aidan Foley and his players as Youghal came away with the points after a two point margin win over St Catherine’s.
It’s always great to get a win in your first game in the league and even though Youghal had a few scares in the second half overall they deserved the victory after a gutsy display by the young side.
In tough wet conditions with a heavy pitch it took ten minutes for the opening score and it came off the boot of Adrian O’Connor to give Youghal the lead.
Two minutes later and St Catherines responded with a pointed free from by far and above their best player on the night Shane Fitzgerald and seconds later St Catherine’s had the lead for the only time in this game when Padraig O’Connor finished off a well worked move to put over the ball from play.
On the sixteenth minute Youghal took control of the first half when a long ball in from Shane Spillane bounced invitingly for Vincent Murray to challenge the St Catherine’s goalkeeper Colm Molloy. Murray was quicker to the bounce of the ball and cleverly flicked the ball past Molloy for the games opening goal.
Youghal’s players were inspired by the goal and then hit over two points on the 21st and 23rd minutes from David O’Mahony and Keith McCarthy respectively.
St Catherine’s had the last score of the first half with a pointed free from Fitzgerald to leave a goal between the sides at half time.
Youghal couldn’t have started the second half better with an instant point from Oisin Murphy, followed by a score seconds later from Keith McCarthy, then on the 34th minute a goal from Victor Cahill had St Catherine’s under all kinds of pressure, but St Catherine’s responded brilliantly.
For the next 20 minutes St Catherines stopped Youghal from scoring and notched up seven points without reply.
Scores came from Tim O’Connor, Paul Higgins and three brilliant points from play and a pointed free from Shane Fitzgerald made it a one point game with just six minutes to go.
Just when it looked like St Catherine’s were going to run out winners in this one and inspired individual run by Youghal’s David O’Mahony finished off by a superb point on the 55th minute changed the complexion of the game yet again at a crucial time.
With three minutes to go Youghal hit their third goal through Ordain Brennan who broke down the left wing and fired a ball in, that deceived the Catherine’s keeper and the ball nestled in the net.
The final word went to St Catherine’s number nine Shane Fitzgerald who capped off a man of the match performance with a very late consolation goal for Catherine’s, but it was too late to effect the outcome, in what was a thoroughly entertaining game of football.
Eochaill:
Scott O’Sullivan; Andreas Curtin, Aaron Kenny, Killian Daly; Adrian Curtin, Padraig O’Mahony, Simon Herlihy; Oisin Murphy, Donal Mulcahy; Aaron O’Connor, Shane Spillane, Keith McCarthy; Victor Cahill, Vincent Murray (Cpt) David O’Mahony.
Subs used: Ross Desmond for Victor Cahill, James O’Halloran for Simon Herlihy, Ordain Brennan for Shane Spillane.
St Catherine’s:
Colm Molloy: David O’Connor, John Casey, Dave Wallace; James Casey, Junior Sheehan, John Mulcahy; Alan Carr, Shane Fitzgerald; Padraig O’Connor, Pa Roche, Laurence O’Connor; James Caples, Tim O’Connor, Paul Higgins
Match Referee: Pa Beausang
Youghal next match is away to Glenville this Friday coming the 18th of February with an
8pm throw in.