Monasterevan beat Milltown in tight clash in Kildare IFC

The Auld Shebeen Bar Intermediate Football Championship Group D, Round 3

Monasterevan 1-13

Milltown 2-7

The closing round of this Auld Shebeen Athy Intermediate football championship would determine Monasterevin's finishing position in Group D. For Miltown they couldn't prevent a relegation playoff.

After a tough sixty minutes Monasterevin had done enough to make the quarter final.

Alan Dignam from a 45 opened the scoring after seven. The Monasterevin ploy of using Paul Maloney at full forward paid dividends after 10 minutes when Ryan Bannon's long ball found him and his first time effort flew past David Hanlon in the Miltown goal.

The early exchanges were close with alot of mistakes from both sides but by the 14th minute Miltown had turned a two point deficit into a two point lead.

John O Toole tried to play a sideline to keeper Cathal McCabe but he kicked it straight to Morgan Owens who was left with a simple goal chance Two intercepted kick-outs inside a minute yielded two Ian Fitzgerald points and Monasterevin must have been kicking themselves.

They did respond with three points in a row to lead again after 21 minutes.Gary Morrissey, Leonard Havens and Ryan Bannon providing the finishes.

Miltown showed great battling qualities against Suncroft in Round 2 where they chipped away at a nine point deficit to draw level so a one point Monasterevin lead wasn't about to faze them.

In the 23rd minute a brilliant four man move saw Ian Fitzgerald goal and the men in Red and Green were two ahead again.Late points from Cormac Stapelton and a Padraig Nash mark saw it all square at 1-6 to 2-3 at the break.

The second half saw Monasterevin outscore Miltown by seven points to four but it was never a guaranteed victory for the men in blue as no sooner had Monasterevin gone in front back came Miltown.

Eoin Stapelton and a Wayne Fitzpatrick free moved Paschal Kelleghan's charges two up Alan Dignam kicked a long range free to keep the minimum in it as we approached the last quarter.

Two Fitzpatrick frees were matches by two of Dignams but Miltown could never get level.

Wayne Fitzpatrick with his fifth and Mark Kelly saw Monasterevin winners on a 1-13 to 2-7 scoreline.
They now await the winners of Rathangan and Ellistown in the quarter final.

Milltown have to meet St Kevin's knowing only a victory will protect their Intermediate status.

Late goals secure Suncroft win over Nurney and prelim quarter-final game in Kildare IFC

MONASTEREVIN: Cathal McCabe; Gary Morrissey 0-1, Cormac Stapelton 0-1, Gavin Worrell; Evan Nash, DJ Earley, Cian Harrison; Eoin Stapelton 0-1, Leonard Havens 0-1; John O Toole, Paul Maloney 1-0, Charlie Doyle; Wayne Fitzpatrick 0-5 (5 frees), Ryan Bannon 0-1, Padraig Nash 0-2 (1 mark). Subs: Eric Morrissey for Paul Maloney (29 minutes); Kevin Fitzpatrick for Charlie Doyle (43 minutes); Cormac Brady for Cormac Stapelton (55 minutes); Mark Kelly 0-1 for Leonard Havens (58 minutes); Tristan Kennedy for Wayne Fitzpatrick (59 minutes).

MILLTOWN: David Hanlon; Sean Murphy, Jamie Cross, Niall Gardiner; Shane Daly, Colin O'Shea, Cian Buckley; Kevin Byrne, Sean Hennessy; Hugh Hamilton, Alan Dignam 0-4 (45, 2 frees), Aaron Jacob; Morgan Owens 1-0, Ronan O Shea, Ian Fitzgerald 1-3 ( 1 free). Subs: Eoin Dowling for Niall Gardiner (28 minutes); Karl Downey for Eoin Dowling (42 minutes).

Referee Paul Donnelly.