Despite the morning being cold and crisp to begin with, a clear sky and bright sun started to warm up the day rapidly. Throw-in against Carrick-on-Suir CBS was set for 1 p.m. and it was claimed by Conor Leen, who burst down the wing to set up the first wide of the game. The first ten minutes were tit-for-tat, scores coming from both teams from play. Josh Guyler missed his first two frees from the left of the goals; but picked off one from play. Centre-back Cillian McGroary scored a long range free in the sixteenth minute from outside the 65’. A lot of Carrick-on-Suir's shots were dropping short into the hands of goalkeeper Dylan McCoy, who never failed to clear it. However, the Mono boys gave away four frees in succession within scoring range, and Carrick-on-Suir did not fail to deliver. Sean Rynne hit a difficult point and started to win frees and Guyler started to convert them. On the stroke of half-time the ever-present Conor Leen was caught high by a tackle, and the culprit was rightfully yellow-carded. At half-time the score was nine points to eight in favour of Ennistymon.

Carrick-on-Suir started the better of the two sides in the second half, despite Conor Leen hitting their corner forward a crunching shoulder. Carrick-on-Suir had stopped dropping their shots short and were shooting from closer in. Roughly halfway through the second half Carrick-on-Suir bulldozed through the Monastery’s defence to the left of McCoy’s goalmouth. What was sure to be a rasping shot to the roof of the net was expertly blocked down by corner-back Thomas O’Dwyer. The ensuing 65’ was hit low and venomously towards Ennistymon’s goals. The ball broke down 30 yards from goal but was quickly scooped up for an attempted point, only to be blocked down again by O’Dwyer. But the danger had not passed and the ball was worked in again, but the shot on goal was denied this time by the crossbar. Carrick-on-Suir's centre-forward drove though in pursuit but collided with Dylan McCoy. We will never know which side of the white line the sliotar would have ended up during the resulting ruck, as the referee had to stop play for McCoy, who had sustained a hefty knock to the head. But after a small break in play he got back to his feet, ready for a flick-on from the throw-in on the 21’. But wing-back Shane Woods drove the sliotar out to Diarmuid Fahy. There was another throw ball for a ruck in the fight to win the sliotar. Ennistymon won this and drove in a long ball which was cleared by the Carrick-on-Suir defence. This was typical of the second half in which Josh Guyler conjured up Ennistymon’s only point of the second half. Conor Leen’s goal shot was saved off the line and the Route 1 tactic to Brendy Rouine did not reap the rewards of the previous match. Ricky Wynne replaced Liam Cotter at wing-forward with ten minutes to go but only got on the ball once. Overall Carrick-on-Suir were the stronger and better team in the second half.

Final Score:         Carrick-on-Suir 0-18        Ennistymon        0-10

Man of the Match: Conor Leen

Report by Eoin Hurley, Transition Year.