U16 footballers overcome Wicklow to make Gerry Reilly Plate Final

Sun, 16th July 2017

DUBLIN 4-17 WICKLOW 0-10

A storming second halfsaw Dublin overcome Wicklow in their final group game of the Gerry Reilly U16 Football Tournament in Oldcastle on Saturday afternoon.

The Dubs trailed by five points at the break after playing against the wind but turned the game on its head in the second period to run out comfortable 19-point victors.

Monaghan’s narrow victory over Westmeath means that Jason Sherlock’s side finish the group in second position and advance to the Gerry Reilly Plate Final.

Wicklow, with the wind at their backs, led 0-9 to 0-2 after 21 minutes of the opening half after the Garden County had reeled off seven unanswered points.

However, the second half was all Dublin. The Dubs move up a gear and Matt Grogan’s goal gave them the lead for the first time 1-8 to 0-10.

Denis Smith quickly followed up with Dublin’s second goal and there was going to be no way back for Wicklow.

Dublin kept on putting on the pressure as their opponents failed to score in the second half.

Dublin’s Ciarán McManus (above) was named Man of Match and was presented with the RESPA ‘Man of the Match’ award afterwards by Bobby Kellett (Kellett’s Oldcastle Ltd).

DUBLIN: Jake Turley; Josh Bannon, Evan Brooks, David Bohan; Mark Le Strange, Enda Cashman (1-1), Euan Farquarson; Adam Fearon, Ciarán McManus; Cillian Stynes (0-4), Mark O’Leary (0-2), Matthew McMahon; Denis Smith (1-2), Matt Grogan (1-2), Joe Murray (0-2). Subs: Seán Guiden (0-2) for McMahon, Noel Hatton for Bohan, Conor Lowe for O’Leary, Ryan Murphy for Le Strange, Simon Murphy for Fearon, Conor Hennessy (0-2), (Wicklow, (1-0 own goal).

WICKLOW: Alex Byrne; Cian McHugh, Daire Devine, Ben Fennell; Gavin O’Shea, Gavin Fogarty, Eoin Murphy; Eoghan Byrne, Tristan O’Toole; Oisín Cullen, Shaun Cranley (0-4), Andy Foley (0-2); Johnny Keogh, Alan Barrett, Ruari Tompkins (0-4). Subs: Kevin Quinn for Fogarty (inj), Gavin Fogarty for Lavin, Stefan Glavenescu for Quinn, Darragh Dillon for O’Shea, Ken O’Grady for Eoghan Byrne, Kian Geraghty for Alex Byrne.

REF: Joey Curley (Meath).