Athy's young guns shoot down Old Leighlin

LEINSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL Athy (Kildare) 1-13 Old Leighlin (Carlow) 1-3:ATHY MAY be young, but they certainly know how to play. Kildare's clubs can already attest to that, as can Offaly champions Edenderry, and now Carlow's Old Leighlin.

With nine members of their starting side still involved in Athy’s domestic under-21 campaign, Mark Brophy’s charges are true novices but you wouldn’t know it as they recovered from a sluggish start to pull clear of Old Leighlin.

“A ten-point victory in any competition is very good, especially at this level so we’re pleased enough with it” said Brophy afterwards.

The Carlow champions were reduced to 14 men just a minute from the end of normal time when David Dowling received his second yellow card.

They were well beaten by that stage though, having offered very little attacking threat apart from the excellent efforts of Seamus Kinsella, whose 56th minute goal was Old Leighlin’s only second half score.

Athy responded with a goal of their own inside 60 seconds, when James Eaton slammed to the net from the penalty spot, after Ger Hickey had handled the ball on the ground in the small square.

They struggled to impose themselves in the opening half as referee Joe Curley’s overt fussiness prevented any flow developing, although the south Kildare outfit had much more fluidity about their play after the resumption.

They did show their naivety in defence in the first half though, when James Roycroft was forced into three outstanding saves. But with Kevin Feely and Tony Gibbons in fine form, Athy always held the upper hand.

Cian Reynolds, Liam McGovern and Ross Bell were amongst those to capitalise with some outstanding points and Athy now advance to a semi-final against Westmeath kingpins, Garrycastle in Newbridge on December 4th.

ATHY: J Roycroft; D Hyland, B Kinahan, J Kinahan; R Bell (0-2), E Delahunt, E Kennedy; P Dunne, K Feely (0-1); T Gibbons (0-1), C Reynolds (0-3, 0-1 free), L McGovern (0-3); D Mulhall (0-1), K Brophy, J Eaton (1-1, 1-0 pen). Subs: D O'Keeffe (0-1) for Brophy (41 mins), D Holligan for B Kinihan (45 mins), C O'Brien for Delahunt (54 mins); H Mahon for Bell, T Dunne for Kennedy (both 60 mins).

OLD LEIGHLIN: J Clarke; G Hickey, Michael Meaney, E Fitzgerald; D Dowling, J Hayden, R Burke; P Hickey, M Brennan; D Kelly, C Coughlan (0-1, free), D Bambrick; Michael Meaney, H Gahan, S Kinsella (1-2, 0-1 free). SubS: A Nolan for Brennan (27 mins), C Brennan for Fitzgerald (50 mins), S Kinsella for Michael Meaney (52 mins).

Referee: J Curley(Meath).