Longford SFC: Excellent Kenny brothers score 3-13 in Rathcline’s fine win over Granard

Rathcline . . . 3-17   St Mary’s Granard . . . 2-16

The excellent Kenny brothers Shane, Oran and Oisin clocked up a total of 3-13 between them as Rathcline scored a fine win over Granard in a highly entertaining Senior Football Championship Round 1 clash at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Thursday night.

While Oran (1-8) was the chief tormentor for St Mary’s who were badly hit by the absence of the injured Darren Gallagher and the unavailable Mark Tully, the brilliant goal that Shane Kenny scored in the closing stages of the first half was a spectacular strike as he ended up with a tally of 2-3. 

The Lanesboro outfit (minus Bryn Peters and Misko Kajan) were razor sharp in attack in ripping the Granard defence wide open and from the moment the always alert Oran Kenny pounced to score the crucial third goal with six minutes gone on the changeover, Granard were fighting a losing battle.

Leading by just a solitary point at the break (2-7 to 1-9), there was just no stopping rampant Rathcline in the second half and this was a very pleasing performance for their shrewd manager, Leitrim native Enda Lyons.

Jakub Pawlowski scored the St Mary’s goal in the first half and they were six points behind before David Callaghan flicked the ball to the net for a consolation score in stoppage time.

Granard ended up with 14 players on the pitch after defender Vincent Nally received a black card in the 60th minute, just before the Callaghan goal, and Rathcline had the last say when wing back Oisin Kenny landed his second point approaching the final whistle. 

RATHCLINE: David Mulvihill; Cormac Casey, Harvey Myhill, Niall Keane; Seadna Ryan, David Rooney, Oisin Kenny (0-2); Shane Donohoe, Kevin Tansey; Kian Gilmore, Iarla O’Sullivan (0-2), Cronan Flood (0-2); Daire Cox, Shane Kenny (2-3, 1 ‘45, 1 free), Oran Kenny (1-8, 4 frees), 

Subs:- Jakub Kajan for N Keane (28 mins); Matthew Heneghan for K Gilmore (40 mins); Cillian Flood for K Tansey (45 mins); Ultan O’Sullivan for D Cox (52 mins); Aaron Kenny for Cronan Flood (57 mins). 

ST MARY’S GRANARD: Thomas Gallagher; Daniel Lynch, James Kiernan, Aaron Smyth; Vincent Nally, Mark O’Neill, Sean Corcoran; Jakub Pawlowski (1-2), Charlie Martin; Brendan Creegan (0-1), Micheal Hynes (0-3, 1 mark), Patrick Hynes; Harry Kiernan (0-2), Jamie Brady Hynes (0-6, 5 frees), David Callaghan (1-2).

Subs:- Oisin O’Hara for D Lynch (23 mins); Cathal O’Hara for C Martin (50 mins); Dylan Reilly for P Hynes (50 mins). 

Referee: Tony Gaffney (Mostrim).