Millstreet edge out Blackwater

Millstreet maintained their grip of the Duhallow U21AFC after a two point win over Blackwater Gaels at Boherbue yesterday.

As heavyweight clashes go, the meeting of these close rivals didn’t disappoint the large attendance from serving up a cracking encounter. At the end of the hour, Millstreet’s composure under pressure and better accuracy ultimately proved the difference.

With the sides deadlocked on six occasions in the opening half, Millstreet scorched into the lead after Michael Vaughan tucked home a penalty. The Cullen and Lyre amalgamation raised the stakes from the solid efforts of William O’Keeffe, Kevin Tarrant, Keith McGeough and Tomás O’Keeffe.

McGeough stepped forward from midfield into attack to bag two goals to alter the scoreboard. Coming up to the interval, a productive spell saw Millstreet faultless in the execution of a run of points to shade matters 1-8 to 2-4.

Though the sides exchanged points on the restart, Millstreet unleashed their supremacy from the commanding presence of midfielders Cormac Sheehan and Vaughan, well supported by John Buckley and Brian G Murphy.

Up front, Len and Michael Murphy turned in bustling performances to shoot points for the holders to enjoy a 1-13 to 2-5 grip. However. Gaels were far from a spent force on reinventing themselves as great battlers.

Taking encouragement from points from the accurate Tomás O’Keeffe, Gaels threatened further, Walsh clipping the crossbar and McGeough denied a hat-trick by the post. And Millstreet weathered the storm with a long range points from Buckley and Len Murphy. Credit Gaels for fighting to the finish, claims for a penalty waved aside before substitute Aaron Nolan’s consolation injury time goal.

Scorers for Millstreet: M Vaughan 1-4 (1-0p, 0-2f), M Murphy 0-5, L Murphy 0-2, J Buckley 0-2, E Hickey, R Kelleher, C Sheehan and D McCaul 0-1.

Blackwater Gaels scorers: K McGeough 2-0, T O’Keeffe 0-6 (0-4f), A Nolan 1-0, D McAulliffe, D Walsh and K Tarrant 0-1 each.

MILLSTREET: S Cotter; A Murphy, J Buckley, P Rohan; D Lenihan, B G Murphy, P Sheehan; M Vaughan, C Sheehan; M Murphy, L Murphy, D McCaul; R Kelleher, D Sheehan, E Hickey. Sub: B O’Connor for Rohan(34).

BLACKWATER GAELS: L Mullane; E Buckley, W O’Keeffe, S Twomey; B O’Connell , S Fleming, C O’Keeffe; K McGeough, K Tarrant ; G Twomey, D Walsh, A Meade; J Sexton, J O’Connor, T O’Keeffe. Subs: D McAulliffe for Meade(inj. 15), D Twomey for Buckley(25), F Murphy for G Twomey(52), A Nolan for Sexton(58).

Referee: D O’Leary (Kiskeam).