Clan na Gael 3-13 Roche Emmets 1-11

Another below-par performance saw Roche crash to a third defeat of the Division Two campaign on a desperate night at Páirc Clan na Gael.

While Clans held the upper hand for the majority of the contest, a bright start to the second half had Roche a point in front, only for a hugely contentious penalty award to swing the tide firmly in the winners’ favour once it was converted.

And within a matter of minutes, poor backline play saw Roche static to a bouncing ball which rebounded off the post before being deflected into the net as Clans eased into an unassailable six-point advantage.

Emmets, much changed from the loss to Kilkerley, actually made a bright start with teenage full-forward Mikey McCourt causing Clans serious problems.

The tall target man’s audacious hand flick across goal, from a ball which appeared certain to drift wide, ended up picking out the bottom corner of the target at the Castletown end, nudging the boys in blue 1-1 to 0-1 in front.

But with Jason Cullen and Robbie Curran among Clans’ early point-scorers, slack defending, which led to Mark Newell shooting past Evin Quigley for a maximum, started to cost the visitors, who were quickly trailing 1-5 to 1-1.

Down 1-7 to 1-4 at midway, Roche moved ahead with the opening four points of the second half – several sweetly-struck O’Hare’s frees along with Seán Dawe’s conversion doing the necessary.

However, with the teams level, a truly harsh spot-kick award – when it seemed like opposing players merely pulled their boot on a loose ball, with neither stepping back – sparked a Clans whirlwind as Smith shot home prior to the final nail being hammered into the Roche coffin.

With the outcome now beyond doubt, the sides exchanged scores and while Emmets tried to engineer a late consolation three-pointer, Clans ’keeper Cillian Rice stood up to turn away a powerful Glen Stewart drive.

Roche: Evin Quigley; Gerard Browne, Harry O’Connell, James McDonnell; Seán Dawe (0-1), Peter Lynch, Enda Murphy; James McArdle, Mark Reynolds; David O’Connell, Glen Stewart (0-1), Shane Byrne; Robert Mackin, Mikey McCourt (1-1), Barry O’Hare (0-5, four frees & mark)

Subs: Caoimhín Reilly for Murphy, Dan O’Connell for McArdle, Kevin Callaghan (0-2) for McCourt, Fintan Watters for David O’Connell, Mark Byrne (0-1, free) for Mackin

Referee: Paul Finnegan