Garrycastle ease past understrength Castledaly

Garrycastle underlined their 2010 championship credentials at Pairc Ciarain last Sunday afternoon as they eased home to a facile thirteen-point victory over Castledaly. In the past these two clubs have served up some highly entertaining fare but Sunday's game was anything but with the reigning county champions proving far too strong for Enon Gavin's somewhat depleted side. The result, Castledaly's first loss of the championship campaign, sees them remain in third place on four points. However, The Downs, the only team still able to catch them, have now played one game less and sit just behind Castledaly on three points. It will come down to the last round of matches to see who claims the quarter-final spot. Garrycastle, meanwhile, have no such worries. Sunday's victory, coupled with last week's win over St. Malachy's and the previous two group wins means that, with just one group game remaining, Anthony Cunningham's men look almost certain to claim the automatic semi-final spot. Within just thirty seconds of the throw-in Garrycastle had taken the lead - one they would not relinquish - when a quick Rory McGowan free found Dessie Dolan who turned and scored in a flash. Minutes later the roles were reversed with Dolan this time picking out McGowan who tapped over a simple score. It took until the thirteenth minute for a Castledaly score to arrive, but it was worth waiting for with wing-forward Niall Duffy landing a huge, curling effort off the right. Dolan quickly got Garrycastle back up and running with a point from play on 15 minutes and one from a free on 18 after Alan Daly was brought down. McGowan and Dolan combined for a third time on 21 minutes when a quick Dolan free again found McGowan who, this time, broke a Castledaly tackle before splitting the posts to stretch the lead out to four. Paddy Mulvyhill, a 24th-minute substitute for Shane Mulvyhhill who was withdrawn owing to a nasty-looking facial injury, then won a free on 28 minutes which Dolan duly converted to give Garrycastle a comfortable five-point lead to take into the interval. Castledaly opened the second half's scoring when MJ McLoughlin played a quick free to Alan Stone before getting it back and popping over the bar. It was a rare respite for Castledaly who were then steamrolled by Garrycastle's potent attack. On 37 minutes corner-back, and contender for man of the match, John Gaffey intercepted a Castledaly pass before passing to Dolan. Dolan fed Doran Harte who gave a perfectly timed hand-pass back to Gaffey who had continued his run. Gaffey then showed all the confidence of a corner-forward in curling the ball over the bar - undoubtedly the score of the game. With 41 minutes elapsed, wing-back James Dolan, himself having a fine game, laid off the ball to midfielder Seanie O'Donoghue who knocked over his first of the day. A minute later full-forward Paul Dillon got in on the act as Garrycastle looked to kill off the game. Alan Daly squandered a good goal chance a minute later but on 46 minutes he made no mistake. A blistering solo run from the right wing from James Dolan culminated in the number seven picking out the unmarked Alan Daly. And with an unhindered run at goal, Daly took his time before burying the ball to the roof of Justin Coughlan's net. Game well and truly over with fourteen still to play. Two further Dessie Dolan scores stretched the Garrycastle lead out to eleven before, on 53 minutes, Alan Fitzgerald finally managed to find range for Castledaly. James Duignan and Paul Dillon finished off the game's scoring to leave a comprehensive thirteen-point gap between the sides at the final whistle. SCORERS Garrycastle: Dessie Dolan (0-6, three frees), Alan Daly (1-0), Rory McGowan (0-2), Paul Dillon (0-2), John Gaffey (0-1), James Duignan (0-1, free), Seanie O'Donoghue (0-1) Castledaly: Alan Fitzgerald (0-1), Niall Duffy (0-1), MJ McLoughlin (0-1). TEAMS Garrycastle: Cathal Mullin; John Gaffey, Enda Mulvihill, Tom McHugh; Doran Harte, Karl Henson, James Dolan; James Duignan, Seanie O'Donoghue; Shane Mulvyhill, Dessie Dolan, Rory McGowan; Alan Daly, Paul Dillon, Conor Cosgrove. Subs: Paddy Mulvihill for S. Mulvihill (24'), Justin McAteer for C. Cosgrove (39'), John O'Shaughnessy for D. Dolan (54'). Castledaly: Justin Coughlan; Enda Kelly, Ciaran Henson, Michael Gavin; Stephen Kavanagh, Tommy Warburton, Paddy Halloway; Gordon Duffy, Russell Casey; Alan Fitzgerald, Niall O'Neill, Niall Duffy; Eoin Fleming, MJ McLoughlin, Alan Stone. Subs: Adrian Kelly for S. Kavanagh (28'). REFEREE: Pat Fox