JAFC: Cillian Egan fires 2-5 as Whitechurch knock out Delanys

Whitechurch 2-11 (2-0-11) Delanys 0-9 (0-0-9)

Whitechurch bounced back from their defeat by Mayfield in the opening round of the AOS Security Seandún Junior A Football Championship to claim the points from their second group game.

This result leaves Whitechurch in third place, 14 points behind Passage on scoring differences, while the Dublin Hill side are eliminated.

After a promising start by Delany’, Whitechurch’s first goal turned the tide in their favour and they held the upper hand as they restricted them to a single score in the second quarter. Delanys were also dealt a blow when they were reduced to 14 players for the final 10 minutes.

The Dublin Hill side had Whitechurch pinned back from the start with two points from Gary Gould. Aaron Spriggs and Cian Heaphy also chipped in with further points to give Delany’s a four-point advantage.

Whitechurch began to seize the initiative as Darragh O’Connell set up Cillian Egan for the game’s opening goal in the 13th minute.

Whitechurch continued to have their opponents on the back foot as Egan and Sean Keane each added points, though Gould replied with a free.

Egan added a hat-trick of unanswered points and O’Connell also added one to give Whitechurch an interval lead of 1-6 to 0-5.

Gould traded two points, including a free with Egan. Ben Carroll also pointed a free for Whitechurch in the opening minutes of the second half. Darren O’Sullivan scored a point from play for the Dublin Hill side.

Entering the final quarter Keane tagged on two points from play for Whitechurch, while Gould pointed his third free for Delanys.

For the remainder of the game, Whitechurch had the Dublin Hill side camped in their own half of the field as Keane and Joe Dennehy each added points from play.

Egan added his second goal for Whitechurch, four minutes from time, while wayward shooting from frees was proving to be Delanys' undoing.

Scorers for Whitechurch: C Egan 2-5; S Keane 0-3, D O’Connell, J Dennehy, B Carroll 0-1, each.

Delanys: G Gould 0-6 (0-2f); A Spriggs, C Heaphy, D O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

WHITECHURCH: D Kelleher; S Dennehy, J Kelleher, A Murphy; S Glackin, S O’Reilly, C Hennessy; R Dennehy, C O’Brien; S Keane, M Callanan, A Kelleher; D O’Connell. C Egan, B Carroll.

Subs: R Buckley for Murphy (38), J Dennehy for Carroll (48), J Hearty for A Kelleher (55), C Dennehy for Glackin (56), C O’Dwyer for S Dennehy (59).

DELANYS: N Foley; G Hosford, P Coughlan, R Foley; C Peelo, V Keating, J Hosford; G Gould, A Spriggs; R Quirke, C Heaphy, C McElhinney; C Healy, P Kenneally, E Quirke.

Subs: M Walsh for Kenneally, D O’Sullivan for Coughlan (both h/t), P Stout for Heaphy (45, inj), R Charles for Healy (59).

Referee: Cathal O Murchú (Brian Dillon’s).