Alley take part one of double
Wednesday September 01 2010
BUFFERS ALLEY claimed victory in the first part of Saturday's double-header against Rapparees by easing to a twelve-point win in the quarter-finals of the Junior hurling championship at Hollymount.
The Monamolin men were just too good for their subdued and outplayed opponents as they ran in three quality goals in an excellent team performance.
A goal in the opening minute set the tone for the afternoon as an unmarked John Moran collected a Ken Harney pass before firing past a helpless Davy Doyle.
The sides proceeded to trade points until the latter stages of the opening half, with Damien Barron producing a superb sideline cut score for the Enniscorthy town side and Paul O'Leary picking off three placed balls for the Alley.
However, the advantage of the breeze started to tell late on as Darragh Butler and Páuric Roche both got on the scoresheet to ease their side six ahead at the interval (1-8 to 0-5).
Playing with the wind, it might have been expected that the Rapps would have edged their way back into the contest. In fact, the opposite happened as O'Leary found Moran in perfect position to flick a high ball home for his second major and a ten-point lead.
Matty Cardiff added a further point moments later but, despite not scoring for the next 15 minutes, they never came under sufficient pressure. A couple of Barron frees kept the scoreboard ticking over, but conceding the third goal with six minutes remaining put paid to any fanciful ideas of a Rapparees comeback.
This time it was Roche on target - bursting through the defence to beat a faultless Doyle - as Buffers Alley kept their hopes of a double alive into the semi-final stage.
- DEAN GOODISON in Hollymount
