JOHN COUGHLAN

 
Brian Dillons 1-13
Delanys 1-5

BRIAN DILLONS’ third round replay win over Delanys in the Sportsturf Solutions Junior A football championship sadly came at a cost last night at Ballinlough.
With ten minutes remaining star dual player Darragh Rodgers went down clutching his right knee.
Rodgers who has already had two cruciate operations lay on the ground before being stretchered off and was later taken to hospital by ambulance from the ground.
Although his parents John and Christine as well as the Brian Dillons officials looked worried it is unknown whether the injury is serious until the knee is scanned.
Credit to Rodgers he has twice made incredible comebacks from serious injury and hopefully onthis occasion it is not the prognosis that all his teammates and friends fear.
This was a totally different game from the drawn one as Delanys minus four starters due to holidays were on the back foot for the entire first half.
Dillons to their credit played smarter football and when Cillian Brosnan kicked a monstrous free in the 12th minute his team had surged into a six-point lead.
Two minutes later Danny Kiely kicked Delanys opening points and they were given a ray of hope a minute later when Calvin Healy got in behind Dillons full back line for a well taken goal.
After dominating the half Dillons only led by two points but they rediscovered their best form and hit back with a David O’Leary goal following a goalkeeping error.
Trailing 1-10 to 1-3 at the break and reduced to 14 men following the dismissal of William Coughlan Delanys had a mountain to climb.
Although the Dublin Hill outfit restrictedtheir opponents to three points (frees) in the second half they were alwaysplaying catch up.
No doubt Brian Dillons mentors will have some soul searching to do following their second half display but they will look forward to their quarter final clash with St Nicks.
Scorers for Brian Dillons: J Horgan 0-8 (0-7f), D O’Leary 1-0, M Buckley 0-2, C Brosnan 0-2 (f), C McCarthy 0-1.
Delanys: C Healy 1-1 P O’Connell 0-2 (0-1f), D Kiely, R Foley (0-1 each).
Brian Dillons: J Kirby; D Murphy, E Hussey, M Corbett; S Crowley, D Rodgers, C McCarthy; C Brosnan, D Brosnan; D Cremin, B Barrett, T Lawrence; M Buckley, J Horgan, DO’Leary.
Subs: M Walsh for D Cremin (38), C Daly for D Brosnan (44), D Brosnan for D Rodgers (inj 50), N Fahy for S Crowley (50).
Delanys: ACafferkey; C Peelo, E O’Brien, G Spriggs; C Foley, R Foley, D Carroll; W Coughlan, P Healy; P O’Connell, D Kiely, K Foley; C Healy, M O’Driscoll, I McConville.
Subs: G Quinlan for M O’Driscoll (45).
Referee: J Larkin (Douglas).