Scully hat-trick gets Annanough off to winning start in Laois JFC

Annanough 3-8 Killeshin 1-10
Laois JFC ‘A’ Group D Round 1

The Laois junior football championship has got off to a patchy start with the first three games scheduled during the week all falling by the wayside with three walkovers given.

But one of the main contenders got off to a winning start in Vicarstown this morning as Annanough struck two goals in the final quarter to eventually pull away from Killeshin.

Elliott Scully got both goals to complete his hat-trick and puts Annanough in a strong position to make the quarter-finals, albeit they have to wait four weeks now for their second group game with Killeshin meeting Spink in the mean time.

Scully got an early goal for Annanough but they were rocked by the sending off of long-serving defender Marty Stapleton on a straight red card after just eight minutes.

They led 1-3 to 1-1 at the first water break, with Killeshin’s goal coming from Paddy Walsh.

As well as Scully’s goal, Damien McCaul was also to the fore, causing Killeshin problems and kicking a couple a fine scores from distance.

For Killeshin, veteran Cathal Brennan was on the mark, and finished with five points to his name, a mixture of frees and play.

Killeshin’s numerical advantage was a factor as they fought back to be level 1-4 apiece at half time and the sides were still level, 1-7 each, at the second water break.

But Killeshin were then reduced to 14 with the sending off of Leeson Hughes just before that water break.

They were then down to 13 with a black card and Scully got two good goals in the space of a minute, the second a screamer to make the game safe even if they too finished with 13 men following a black card for Conor Donlon.

Annanough now are in pole position for a quarter-final place with Killeshin needing to beat Spink in two weeks time to avoid being knocked out.

In the other junior games this morning, Ballyroan-Abbey were 1-15 to 0-9 winners over The Heath in Group B while 2020 beaten finalists Portlaoise were 2-12 to 0-9 victors over Portarlington in Group A.

SCORERS – Annanough: Elliott Scully 3-2, Damien McCaul 0-4 (two frees, one ’45), Killian Horgan 0-1, Daire Stapleton 0-1. Killeshin: Cathal Brennan 0-5 (three frees), Paddy Walsh 1-1, Darragh McDonald, Kaelum Hand, Colin Dunn and Liam Seery 0-1 each

ANNANOUGH: Colin Hanley; Cathal Kelliher, Rory Stapleton, Ronan Stapleton; Johnny Fennelly, John Scully, Simon Shortall; Fergal Scully, Jack Fennelly; Conor Donlon, Killian Horgan, Simon Shortall; Daire Stapleton, Elliott Scully, Damien McCaul. Subs: Marcus Shortall for J Fennelly (injured), John Heffernan for D Stapleton

KILLESHIN: Shane Coakley; Evan Galligan, Keelan Galligan, Kevin Brennan; Leeson Hughes, Darragh McDonald, Ger Kelly; Gavin Brennan, Eoin Fitzpatrick; Kaelum Hand, Colin Dunne, Liam Seery; Alan Brennan, Cathal Brennan, Paddy Walsh. Subs: David Mahon, James Doogue

REFEREE: Pat Moran (Graiguecullen)

SEE ALSO – Carolan and Comerford inspire Stradbally to victory over Arles-Killeen

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source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2021/09/05/scully-hat-trick-gets-annanough-off-to-winning-start-in-laois-jfc/