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U-21 B FC - First-half blitz enough for O'Dempsey's

Strikes from Robbie Kehoe, Barry Kelly and Tomas Slevin handed the hosts a nine-point lead at the break, and despite a mini-resurgence from Emo-Courtwood, that lead proved too much to overcome and they ran out of steam in this ill-tempered replay following their drawn game in Emo a fortnight ago.

Emo-Courtwood started brightly and took the lead twice in the opening five minutes. Brian Gorman's well-taken score in the opening minute was cancelled out by Ed Kelly but Luke Doyle's free restored the lead for the visitors. However, that was the last time that they held the advantage as O'Dempsey's stormed clear through points from Robbie Kehoe and two Barry Kelly frees before they started working the green flag.

The first of the three quick-fire goals midway through the opening half-hour came from the penalty spot when Ciaran McManus' strong run was halted by Shane Carney's trip. Tomas Slevin duly dispatched the spot-kick low into the bottom left, and before Emo-Courtwood could regroup Barry Kelly had buried another. Ian Murphy's attempted hand-pass was blocked by McManus and he found Kelly who cooly fired past Louis Deacy.

Kelly's goal opened up a seven-point lead with 20 minutes gone, and although Luke Doyle's monster free into the wind reduced that briefly, Robbie Kehoe compounded Emo-Courtwood's abysmal first half with a surging run past three would-be defenders before rifling a shot under the hapless keeper.

Trailing by nine at the interval, Emo-Courtwood could have been forgiven for throwing in the towel, but with their pride at stake, they came flying out of the blocks after the restart and Luke Doyle hit four points on the trot in the opening five minutes to provide a ray of hope. O'Dempsey's looked a pale comparison of the side that had carved their opponents open so easily in the first period, and things started getting decidedly ugly as both sides scrapped for the right to take on Crettyard-Killeshin in the final.

Tomas Slevin scored O'Dempsey's first score of the second-half with 15 minutes to go and two minutes later Emo-Courtwood's brave challenge was sunk. Sean McMahon did well to get his scoring kick in whilst falling, but a challenge from Mark O'Halloran was spotted by referee Pat Moran and the defender was given a straight red card.

Three minutes later O'Dempsey's Robbie joined O'Halloran on the line for a late challenge that resulted in his second yellow card, but the game was as good as over by then and McMahon hit their fourth goal with five minutes to go to leave ten between the sides. McMahon and sub Ciaran Haberlin added two more before Shane Murphy put an air of respectability to the scoreline with a fine goal with the last kick of the game.

SCORERS - O'Dempsey's: Barry Kelly 1-3 (0-3 frees), Sean McMahon 1-2, Tomas Slevin and Robbie Kehoe 1-1 each, Eddie Kelly and Ciaran Haberlin; Emo-Courtwood: Luke Doyle 0-7 (six frees) and Shane Murphy 1-0, Colm Wilson and Brian Gorman 0-1 each

O'DEMPSEYS: Padraig Bannon; Bobby Sweeney, Tomas Finlay, Paddy McNamara; Eoin O'Hora, Robbie Kehoe, Tadgh Matthews; Richard Whelehan, Rory Bracken; Sean McMahon, Ed Kelly, Ciaran McManus, Eamon Melia, Barry Kelly, Tomas Slevin. Subs: Ciaran Haberlin for McNamara (injured - 15 mins)

EMO-COURTWOOD: Louis Deacy; Ian Murphy, Mark O'Halloran, Matthew Coman; Enda Luttrell, Shane Carney, Shane Murphy; George Sherlock, Johnny Booth; Colm Wilson, Luke Doyle, Ross Doyle; Robert Wilkinson, Brian Gorman, Evan Costello. Subs: Jim Coman for M Coman (injured - 8 mins), Johnny Deegan for R Doyle (injured - 24 mins), Martin Donoher for Wilkinson (39 mins)

Referee: Pat Moran (Graiguecullen)

Published Date: 21 July 2010
By Staff Reporter for The Leinster Express