Kildare GAA: Straffan tops in IFC Preliminary round replay

Goals from Ruairi Power and Aaron Kiernan just before the half time break were enough to see Straffan  advance to the winners group of the Auld Shebeen Athy IFC championship.This was the second meeting between the sides inside 10 days after the CCCC upheld the Nurney objection to the score line  of the original fixture and on a cool evening  in Manguard Park Hawkfield the sides went at it again.

Straffan have set up  a winners group encounter with Rathangan on  Saturday evening while Nurney will face near neighbours Monasterevin in Group C of the losers group.

Andy O Neill and Ed Maher had Straffan two up inside four minutes before Nurney hit four in a row.Mikey Conway opened their  account on 7 and with points from   Cathal Hagney and two from  Andrew Behan,one from a free  Nurney were setting the early pace.

The sides swapped four points over the next five minutes John Tracey from a free and a long range effort from James Gannon kept Straffan in touch but Mikey Conway and Ciaran Callan kept Nurney two ahead with half time approaching.The game changed over the the last five minutes.Mikey Conway added his third  and when Andrew Behan got his own third it looked like Nurney would hold the upper hand at the break.

Straffan had other ideas and within a minute they were two ahead.Ruairi Power finished to the net after a good move involving Tom Donovan and Rory O Neill.Straight from the kickout  Straffan attacked and when wing back Aaron Kiernan found himself in space inside the Nurney 20 metre line he finished high to the Nurney net.

Straffan led 2-4 to 0-8 at the break 

Nurney needed a fast start to the second half but they found a stubborn Straffan rearguard hard to break and instead it was the men  from north of the county who hit two two points through Brian Tracey and Ruairi Power to move four ahead.

Straffan continued to frustrate Nurney and they should have put the game to bed on 43 minutes.A turnover and a quick transfer saw Sam Friel through on goal but Niall Donnelly saved well.

The resultant 45 saw Straffan go short but they were able to  extend the lead courtesy of an Andy O Neill free and with 14 left there was five between the sides.Andrew Behan hit Nurney's first point and only point  of the second half  with only 9 mins left but John Tracey quickly added a free as the game petered out.Neither side could ad to their tally as Straffan saw out a comfortable  2-9 to 0-9 win.

Straffan: Liam Donovan, Niall Devane, Alan Byrne, Mike Tracey, Nathan O'Brien, Rory Byrne, Aaron Kiernan 1-0, Sam Friel, John Tracey 0-3 (2 frees), Ruairi Power 1-1, Andy O Neill 0-2 (1 free), Brian Tracey 0-1, James Gannon 0-1,Tom Donovan, Ed Maher 0-1. Subs: Devlan Riley for Ruairi Power 57; Austin Allen for Andy Allen 62; Kevin McNee for Rory Byrne 62.

Nurney: Niall Donnelly,Stephen Conway, John Merrins Eoghan Fitzpatrick, Owen Kealey, Hayden Weldon, Neil Kelly, Cathal Hagney 0-1,Kevin Conway, Tadhg Hagney,Ciaran Callan 0-1,Ewan Morris, Andrew Behan 0-4 (3 frees), Mikey Conway 0-3 (2 frees), Jessie Moore. Subs:  Peter Sunderland for Ewan Morris 38; Damien Berns for Hayden Weldon 45; Darren Byrne for Jessie Moore 52; Daniel Kealey for Cathal  Hagney 56; Adam Talbot for Owen Kealey 58.

Referee Billy O'Connell