ACL Division 3 – Keady Michael Dwyers V. An Port Mór

Keady Michael Dwyers : 1.11 – An Port Mór : 0.06

On Sunday it was Port Mór who provided the opposition for Keady as the Dwyers looked to continue their fine form in the league so far this season with another two points. The game was played against a backdrop of thunder and spells of rain and the wet conditions were perhaps a factor in a somewhat lacklustre first half with few scores but to use the old cliché this was a game of two halves as a storming second half performance by the Dwyers secured an eight point victory and another league win. A clinical goal from Ryan Comiskey in the first half gave Keady the basis for the win at a stage where the game was evenly matched and a total of five points from Mark Hughes ensured a comfortable victory for the home team.

The first half started poorly with both teams exchanging wides and cancelling each other out and it was ten minutes into the first half before the first score came, a converted free from Port Mór to give the visitors a lead that was quickly relinquished as a free from Mark Hughes levelled the scores. At this stage the visitors were making more chances to earn the next score, hitting a number of wides as the Keady defence were defending solidly and limiting Port Mór to shots from distance but when Keady got the ball it was usually Barry Toal, Paul Gollogly and Raymy Mullen looking to set up attacks from the half back line. It was the twentieth minute before the next score as Mark Hughes turned provider, his long ball into the corner was picked up by Ryan Comiskey who carried the ball into the box before slotting the ball into the top left hand corner of the net to give Keady the upper hand.  Almost immediately Keady extending the lead as Hughes hit his second score of the game with a fine point under pressure his marker. The first half ended with a well taken score from the ’45 line by the visitors to leave the scores at 1.02 to 0.02 in favour of Keady.

The second half started more brightly than the first, a point from Port Mór quickly followed by two points from the tireless Mark Hughes. Keady now looked more comfortable on the ball and Chrissy Woods, David O’Hea and Dean Nugent in the Keady forward line were making several runs to give Keady plenty of options in attack and it was one of these runs that allowed Woods the space and time to hit his first point of the game with a fine shot. From the resulting kickout the ball was worked to Mark Hughes who found Barry Toal near the sideline and Toal was able to score a fantastic point from a difficult angle to edge the Dwyers further in front. Two converted frees from Port Mór on either side of a Chrissy Woods score left Keady with a five point cushion with ten minutes left of the second half before Mark Hughes hit another free over the bar for Keady. Although Port Mór were pushing to get themselves back into the game the Keady defence stood strong and several tackles from Christopher Courtney and Stephen Murray allowed the Dwyers to turn defence into attack very quickly, the next point of the game proving an example of this hard work from Keady as the ball was worked up the field to Ryan Comiskey who slotted the ball over the bar. Port Mór temporarily reduced the deficit back to six points with another score but an excellent point from substitute Kevin O’Neill and another from Comiskey ended the game with the scores at 1.11 to 0.06.

This was another hard working performance from the Keady boys and there were a number of examples of good football from Keady. The defence stayed strong and limited Port Mór to six points and only three points from open play and the midfield of Conor Nugent and Paul Murray provided a coherent link between defence and attack whereas the Keady forwards proved too much for the visitors to handle. Keady now stand top of ACL Division 3, two points clear of second placed St.Peters and will hope to continue this momentum into next weeks fixture.

Team: A.Ashforth, R.Mullen, S.Murray, D.Boylan, C.Courtney, P.Gollogly, B.Toal, P.Murray, C.Nugent, R.Comiskey, R.Brennan, D.Nugent, M.Hughes (K.O’Neill), C.Woods, D.O’Hea. Subs Not Used: R.Morgan, R.Smith, P.Smyth, G.Toal, M.Toner, B.Scully.

Scorers:  M.Hughes (0.05), R.Comiskey (1.02), C.Woods (0.02), K.O’Neill (0.01), B.Toal (0.01)