Impressive Round Towers fire-power too much for Monasterevin

Round Towers 3-12

Monasterevin 2-8

Round Towers opened their IFC campaign (Preliminary round) with a fine display against Monasterevin at Manguard Park, on Thursday evening.

Leading by eight points at the break The Kildare Town side had to withstand a great fight-back from Monaster-
evin but a third goal saw them over the line in an overall impressive display.

The opening half saw both open with some excellent scores but the two vital flags of the half came from the boys in black and amber as first Evan Flynn and then Jay O'Brien both filled Adam Forde's net.

Ryan Bannon and Conor Lonergan had Monasterevin two clear after six minutes before Round Towers, relegated from the senior ranks last year, replied with points from Max Cosgrove and Mark Waters, a fine effort from the big man soloing through the middle before splitting the posts

Ryan Bannon hit a beauty to give The Blues the lead but Max Cosgrove hit an excellent point to tie up the game on 0-3 each after 13 minutes.

Mark Waters found Jay O'Brien as The Towers hit the front for the first time, quickly followed by a Sean Glennon point to put two between the sides.

A great move involving six players ended with Eric Morrissey finding the range and Monasterevin looked like they would raise another white flag but a great block by Mikey Kelly denied Padraig Nash.
A fly-kick by Max Cosgrove found Jay O'Brien who duly converted the mark.

Back came Eric Morrissey with a point, Jason O'Brien, lining out with his son Jay on the Towers half-forward line, replied before the opening game arrived on 24 minutes.

Max Cosgrove hit a great ball forward, caught by Evan Flynn who blasting to the net to make it 1-7 to 0-5.

A lovely point from Conor Lonergan with the outside of his right boot followed but before the break a long ball in by Michael Murphy saw Jay O'Brien get the touch ahead of Adam Forde; Evan Flynn added a point to leave the half-time score reading Round Towers 2-8 Monasterevin 0-6.

While Jay O'Brien extended the lead on the resumption Monasterevin came storming back into it when Ryan Bannon was fouled inside and Wayne Fitzpatrick tucked the penalty away with aplomb.

Two minutes later and The Blues hit the net again, this time Ryan Bannon linked up with Cian Harrison with the former finding the net close in to make it Round Towers 2-9 Monasterevin 26 after 41 minutes.

A Wayne Fitzpatrick free left two between the sides but Mark Waters eased the growing worries of Towers with an excellent left footed point.

Four minutes later and the game was done and dusted after a high ball in from DJ Flynn seemed to being wide on the right but Max Cosgrove got a fist to it and the ball ended up in the Monasterevin net.

Jay O'Brien added two points and while Adam Kavanagh got one back for Monasterevin, it was too little too late as Towers got their campaign off to an excellent start booking their place in the winners' group of this IFC.

Scorers: Round Towers, Jay O'Brien 1-5 (1 mark, 1 free), Max Cosgrave 1-2, Evan Flynn 1-1, Mark Waters 0-2, Sean Glennon 0-1, Jason O'Brien 0-1.
Monasterevin, Ryan Bannon 1-2 (1 free), Wayne Fitzpatrick 1-1 (penalty, free), Conor Lonergan 0-2, Eric Morrissey 0-2, Adam Kavanagh 0-1.

ROUND TOWERS: Brian Robinson; Sean Glennon, Michael Joyce, Mikey Kelly; David O'Neill, Shane McQuillan, Max Cosgrave; Liam McDonald, Jamie Flynn cpt; David Kelly, Jay O'Brien, Jason O'Brien; Michael Murphy, Mark Waters, Evan Flynn. Subs: Gary Kelly for Padraig Nash (half-time); Adam Kavanagh for Lenny Havens (half-time); DJ Flynn for Jason O'Brien (45 minutes): Stephen Comerford for Evan Kelly (50 minutes); Jack O'Neill for Mikey Kelly (50 minutes); Jack O'Neill for Mikey Kelly (50).

MONASTEREVIN: Adam Forde; Keelan Meredith, Eoin Stapleton, Cormac Stapleton; Cian Harrison cpt, Eric Morrissey, Evan Nash; Sean Kavanagh, Paul Maloney; Padraig Nash, Michael Donoghue, Conor Lonergan; Ryan Bannon, Wayne Fitzpatrick, Lenny Havens. Subs: Gary Kelly for Padraig Nash (half-time); Adam Kavanagh for Lenny Havens (half-time).

REFEREE: Ray Kelly.