Crettyard goal a killer blow for gallant Longford Intermediate champions Fr Manning Gaels

Crettyard (Laois) . . . 1-11   Fr Manning Gaels . . . 0-11 

Facing a Crettyard side who were without their injured Laois star Evan O’Carroll, it was a gallant bid from the Drumlish/Ballinamuck outfit to spring a surprise in the first round clash at O’Moore Park on Saturday evening last with Martin Cassidy firing over seven points (4 frees).
It was the Gaels who got the opening score as Mark Hughes split the posts before Brian Brennan replied two minutes later for the Laois Intermediate champions. Martin Cassidy and Brennan (free) then traded points as the sides were locked level after 10 minutes.
Pauric Gill was creating problems for Crettyard as he opened his account. Alex Whelan kicked Crettyard level at three points apiece with 13 minutes gone on the clock.
Fr Manning Gaels kicked two scores on the trot as goalkeeper Paddy Collum played a 45' short for M Cassidy to point while Hughes scored a second point from a superb long-range effort.
Crettyard replied with two scores courtesy of a Brennan free and a 45' from Cormac Murphy.
Cassidy and Brennan scored a point each before Fr Manning Gaels hit the crossbar after Gill looked to fist the ball over. Murphy got a second point to leave it level at the break after Martin Cassidy converted a free.
It didn't take long for the first score of the second half as Crettyard rattled the back of the Fr Manning Gaels' net. James Brennan played in Alex Whelan and he kicked the ball into the net with a superb first-time soccer style finish.
Cassidy and Murphy (frees) raised white flags before Brennan kicked a free to push Crettyard four points ahead with a quarter of an hour left to play.
Martin Cassidy pointed a free to end a 15-minute spell without a score for Fr Manning Gaels and then Pauric Gill landed a superb shot that went sailing over the black spot.
Jonah Kelly had a great chance to seal the game for Crettyard as a long ball from Dara Kelly put him through on goal but his effort hit the post and the ball went to safety.
Michael Nash and Murphy (45') kicked a score each to push Crettyard ahead by four points yet again as the game approached injury time.
Martin Cassidy pointed a late free in the hope that they could press the kick-out and get a goal to level it but that never materialised as referee James Foley blew the full-time whistle.
Crettyard now advance to play the Dublin champions Naomh Mearnog (Portmarnock) away in the quarter-final this Saturday.

SCORERS– Crettyard: Brian Brennan 0-5 (0-3 frees), Alex Whelan 1-1, Cormac Murphy 0-4 (0-2 45’s, 0-1 free), Michael Nash 0-1. Fr Manning Gaels: Martin Cassidy 0-7 (0-4 frees), Mark Hughes and Pauric Gill 0-2 each.

CRETTYARD: Eoin O’Shea; Brian O’Sullivan, James Kelly, Dara Kelly; Adam Kavanagh, Pierce Nash, John Brennan; Pa O’Reilly, Cormac Murphy; Michael Nash, Podge Lalor, Alex Whelan; Brian Brennan, Jonah Kelly, James Brennan.

Subs: Patrick Brennan for B Brennan (59 mins), Conor Mulhall for Kavanagh (60 mins), Mark Delaney for Jonah Kelly (62 mins).

FR MANNING GAELS: Paddy Collum; Paul McGee, Darren Reilly, Mark Hughes; Kaelum Gill, John Paul Farrelly, Aaron Quinn; Mark Breslin, Sean Whelan; David Collum, Conor Keenan, Jamie Nertney; Cian Cassidy, Martin Cassidy, Pauric Gill.

Subs: Ryan Crowe for Whelan (39 mins), Kevin Whelan for McGee (46 mins), Cathal Quinn for K Gill (54 mins), Cian Brady for C Cassidy (62 mins).

Referee: James Foley (Carlow).