Navan O’Mahony’s 2-10
Walterstown 4-11
It was a disappointing opening to the IFC for Navan O’Mahony’s who fell to Walterstown’s second half performance in Páirc Tailteann on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
O’Mahony’s got the first score of the game, when Ivo Fitzherbert, in his first few minutes of adult championship, fisted a Duggie Dillon pass over the bar. Walterstown took the lead a few minutes later with a goal and point in quick succession.
In the twelfth minute, Jake Regan pointed a free and two minutes later Fitzherbert set up Robbie Keelaghan to point from play, leaving the bare minimum between the sides. A foul on Dillon saw a penalty awarded, which Regan sent to the net.
A few minutes later, Walterstown responded well with two points, one from a free and one from play. With the wind behind them, O’Mahony’s enjoyed their best period in the final ten minutes. Corner back Darragh Murphy made a great clearance which ultimately led to Regan converting a free. Conor Finnegan and Fitzherbert extended the lead for their sides and Dillon found the net with five minutes remaining.
Walterstown rallied at the end of the half to claim the last two points of the half, reducing the deficit they faced at half time.
Navan O’Mahony’s 2-07
Walterstown 1-05
Just as in the first half, Fitzherbert was the first to score in the second, with a point from play after Regan hit the post. Five minutes passed without score until Walterstown added two points in quick succession.
Aodhan Mallon kicked a point from play in the twelfth minute to leave five between the sides. Less than a minute later, this gap was down to two when Walterstown found the net, a feat they repeated two minutes later to take the lead.
With the wind behind them, Walterstown were determined to hold onto the lead, kicking three points in an eight minute period to leave O’Mahony’s chasing the game. A goal with two minutes remaining for Walterstown effectively ended the game as a contest before they added a point on the thirty-minute mark. A point from Shane Maguire in the dying seconds proved too little too late for the Brews Hill outfit, who will need to regroup before facing St Michaels in two weeks time.
Navan O’Mahony’s
Niall Devlin, Darragh Murphy, Sam Formosa, Brian Dillon, Sean Betson, Niall McGrane, Aodhán Mallon (0-01), Conor Brady, Evan Coffey, Duggie Dillon (1-0), Robbie Keelaghan (0-01), Conor Finnegan (0-01), Jake Regan (1-03), Oisín O’Brien, Ivo Fitzherbert (0-03)
Ronan Clarke for Finnegan, Shane Maguire (0-01) for Dillon, Mike O’Reilly for Coffey
