Scintillating second half sees Rathgormack run Roanmore ragged
Roanmore goalkeeper Josh Sheridan just gets to the ball in time as Rathgormack's Adam Murray makes the challenge. Photo: Noel Browne
County champions Rathgormack made it 17 wins on the spin in the Waterford Senior Football Championship on Sunday as they easily accounted for Roanmore in the opening encounter of their title defence.
Second half goals from Jason Curry, Billy Power and Francis Roche emphasised their dominance as they won the second period 3-13 to 0-3.
The Conway Cup holders are bidding to become the first side since Stradbally in 2005 to go four-in-a-row, and having responded well to a spirited Roanmore opening - they never looked in any real danger of being on the receiving end of a seismic upset at Azzurri Walsh Park.
The Comeragh men hit the front with 19 seconds on the clock as Adam Murray played in Billy Power and he made no mistake off the right flank, but the Sky Blues were in no mood to bow to the champions as they struck for the opening goal with their first attack.
With 90 seconds gone, Ethan Flynn showed a trademark burst of speed to slalom through a gap and he played a great pass into the path of Eddie Nolan, and the former Republic of Ireland international used his soccer skills to great effect as he calmly swept low past Paudie Hunt to the bottom left corner of the net.
Two efforts short and two wides were uncharacteristic of Rathgormack as they struggled to find their rhythm early doors, but Francis Roche did reduce arrears to one - before a great goal chance presented itself to Conor Murray on 9 minutes - but surprisingly, he dragged his effort left and wide.
Nolan bent over a superbly-taken two-point free at the opposite end on 12 minutes, but that was to be Roanmore’s last score of the first period as Rathgormack hit their groove and responded with the next seven points up to the half-time whistle.
Conor Murray drove forward to open his account, before a lovely strike from Billy Power made it a one-point game midway through the half. Jason Curry tried his hand at raising an orange flag and his effort was palmed away by Josh Sheridan as it dropped short - but only straight into the path of Adam Murray who levelled matters on 18 minutes.
Roanmore frustrations grew as punishment of a breach afforded Curry the chance to knock over a simple free to restore the lead, and matters got worse as Conor Murray cut inside Conor Ryan and blazed straight over the black spot with aplomb. Great combination play soon allowed Billy Power to send over his third white flag, before Curry doubled his tally right on the cusp of the interval to make it 0-9 to 1-2 in Rathgormack’s favour at the break.
Adam Murray ensured Kenny Hassett’s side picked up exactly where they left off on the resumption, before a superb effort from Conor Murray on his weak side pushed the lead out to six points. It got worse for Roanmore as Jack Bray showed a black card to Conor Ryan for hauling down Murray on 33 minutes, and Jason Curry duly made the gap between the sides even bigger.
38-year-old Nolan provided Roanmore’s first score in 23 minutes from a free, but they never threatened the Rathgormack rearguard as Curry drew in a well-taken free of his own to raise his side’s first orange flag of the afternoon.
Michael Curry was penalised for steps when clean through on goal as Roanmore breathed a temporary sigh of relief, but it didn’t last long as Rathgormack ran them ragged when injecting any form of pace, resulting in Adam Murray being hauled down for a penalty on 43 minutes.
Up stepped Jason Curry, and he calmly buried the penalty past Sheridan to the far right corner and the champions led by eleven. Conor Murray jinked inside to add his fourth as the game fast began to get away from Roanmore, a black card for Rory Furlong on 47 minutes for dragging down Conor Murray meaning they were down to 14 again.
Another two-point free was part of an exhibition of shooting from Jason Curry, before Adam Murray added his third when afforded acres as the gap grew to fifteen. Substitute Stephen Curry got in on the act as the champions began to score for fun, and it went from bad to worse for Roanmore on 53 minutes - Josh Sheridan’s kickout was cut out by Stephen Curry and he teed up Billy Power to lob it back over Sheridan’s head to yield a second goal to cap off a fine personal display.
Nolan palmed over his side’s first score from play on 54 minutes and was then denied a second goal by a great block from Paudie Hunt. A 45 from Sheridan was again only consolatory for the city side, Thomas Skehan adding another at the opposite end - before Stephen Curry squared to Francis Roche to palm to an empty net on 60 minutes to bring up goal number three.
Fittingly, a third two-point free from Jason Curry rounded out the scoring as he finished with 1-9. Rathgormack very much remain the standard setters on this evidence.
Jason Curry (1-9; 1-0 pen; 0-6 3tpf; 0-2f); Billy Power (1-3); Francis Roche (1-1); Conor Murray (0-4); Adam Murray (0-3); Stephen Curry and Thomas Skehan (0-1 each)
Eddie Nolan (1-4; 0-2 tpf; 0-1f); Josh Sheridan (0-1; 0-1 ‘45)
Padraig Hunt; Liam Mulligan, Sean Hahessy, Ger Hahessy; Glen Power, Tom Walsh, Cathal Crowch; Billy Power, Michael Curry; Francis Roche, Peter Walsh, Jason Curry; Adam Murray, Thomas Skehan, Conor Murray.
Mairtín Power for Glen Power (44); Reece O’Mahony for Liam Mulligan (44); Stephen Curry for Peter Walsh (45); Paudie Fahey for Cathal Crowch (49)
Josh Sheridan; Darragh Power, Dean Walsh, Conor Ryan; Darragh Hearne, Ethan Hayes, Seamus Byrnes; Rory Furlong, Frank McGrath; Dean Reidy, Sean Roche, Brian Nolan; Eamon Power, Eddie Nolan, Ethan Flynn.
Mickey Merrigan for Brian Nolan (42); Eoin Barry for Sean Roche (48); Alex Furlong for Seamus Byrnes (52)
Jack Bray (St Saviour’s)
