O'Brien stars in Moate cruise
Moate CS 2-13 St Joseph's, R'bridge 1-3
Saturday January 28 2012
Moate CS underlined their credentials as major contenders for Leinster honours as they stormed into the last eight.
Home side Moate built up a seven-point lead by half-time, with Cian Bradley and Niall O'Brien each showing great accuracy from frees, taking full advantage of opportunities earned by corner men Martin Rock and Lorcan Dolan.
St Joseph's were handed a lifeline two minutes into the second half when a high ball from Shane Murtagh was fumbled into his own net by Moate midfielder Patrick Holloway, but three more frees from Bradley and O'Brien restored Moate's substantial lead.
Moate's victory was ensured when O'Brien blasted home from close range in the 47th minute, and wing-back John Rock added further gloss at the death when he cut through the defence and finished emphatically.
SCORERS -- Moate: N O'Brien 1-4 (4f), C Bradley 0-4f, J Rock 1-1, M Rock, A Scanlon, L Kelly, L Dolan 0-1 each. Rochfortbridge: P Holloway og 1-0, I Hyland 0-2f, N Cully 0-1.
MOATE CS -- J Kinahan; R Gorman, L Colgan, J O'Kelly Lynch; J Rock, J Ganly, L Kelly; D McCormack, P Holloway; C Allen, C Bradley, A Scanlon; M Rock, N O'Brien, L Dolan. Subs: J Madden for Scanlon, E Fallon for Allen, T Watts for O'Kelly Lynch, E Coughlan for Gorman.
ST JOSEPH'S -- S Farrelly; D Plant, J O'Reilly, J Gorman; T Muldoon, L Gallagher, M Glennon; A Flanagan, B O'Sullivan; R Greville, C Burke, N Cully; S Murtagh, S Corcoran, I Hyland. Subs: J Gorman for Plant, F McGuinness for Burke, D Giles for Glennon, L Gavin for Murtagh.
REF -- T Donoghue (Longford).
Irish Independent
