Laune Rangers v Milltown/Castlemaine

Laune Rangers 3-17, Milltown/Castlemaine 0-9

Laune Rangers booked their place in the Keane’s SuperValu Minor Club Football Championship Final with a comprehensive win over Milltown/Castlemaine on Saturday evening last.

A depleted Milltown/Castlemaine team, missing a couple of regulars owing to other commitments, were no match for the strong home-side who ran out deserved winners in the end and now turn their attention to the Final where they will meet Austin Stacks.

Laune Rangers had the dream start, a goal straight from the throw-in, when Patryk Radny made no mistake in slotting the ball into the back of the Milltown/Castlemaine net.  Milltown/Castlemaine got off the mark in the 3^rd minute with a pointed 45’ from Dara Hogan to let the score 1-00 to 0-01. In the 5^th minute, Eoin O’Connell intercepted a Milltown/Castlemaine kick-out before finding Patryk Radny who sent the ball over the bar to let the goal between the sides, 1-01 to 0-01. Laune Rangers won a free straight from the resulting kick-out which was then brought forward for dissent, Charlie O’Sullivan found Stephen Gannon who called a mark and made no mistake with his kick, 1-02 to 0-01 with 5 minutes played.

Milltown/Castlemaine registered their second score in the 11^th minute with a point from Diarmuid Quirke and the goal stood between the sides once more. Niall Tadhg O’Brien found Adam O’Neill with a peach of a pass in the 12th minute with O’Neill splitting the posts. This was followed soon after by another point from Patrick Radny who extended his personal tally for the afternoon and the score stood at 1-04 to 0-02. A converted free from Darragh Clifford saw the score 1-05 to 0-02 in the home side’s favour mid-way through the opening half.

Milltown/Castlemaine’s Dara Hogan added another pointed 45’ to his tally in the 18^th minute before Laune Rangers added a further point when Radny linked well with Adam O’Neill after the Laune Rangers back had worked very hard to win back possession. Milltown/Castlemaine’s Aaron Dinham pointed for the visitors in the 22^nd minute to let the score 1-06 to 0-04 in the home side’s favour. Two punched efforts from James Jones and Charlie O’Sullivan extended Rangers’ lead some more. In the 29^th minute, a mistake on the kickout by the Milltown/Castlemaine goalkeeper was punished by Adam O’Neill who slotted home their second goal of the afternoon. This was followed immediately by Adam’s second and Rangers’ third goal of the afternoon to let the score at the short whistle: Laune Rangers 3-08 to 0-04 Milltown/Castlemaine.

Milltown/Castlemaine opened the second half scoring with a pointed free from Dara Hogan in the 2^nd minute. Laune Rangers responded in the 4^th minute with a point of their own from Seán Diggin. Three points on the trot for Laune Rangers from John Horgan, Seán Diggin and Stephen Gannon pushed the home side further out-of-sight, 3-12 to 0-05 with 9 minutes of the second half played. Milltown/Castlemaine responded with three pointed frees in the minutes that followed from Dara Hogan to keep their scoresheet ticking over as the game headed into the final quarter.  Laune Rangers’ substitute Rian Hogan added his name to the scoresheet in the 21^st minute to see the score stand at 3-13 to 0-08. Another Dara Hogan effort in the 24^th minute was Milltown/Castlemaine’s last action of the half.

Laune Rangers finished the game out with four further points; a fisted effort from Stephen Gannon, a well taken point from Adam O’Neill, another Rian Hogan point and a final free from Adam O’Neill to see Laune Rangers run out deserved winners on a full-time scoreline of: Laune Rangers 3-17 to 0-09 Milltown/Castlemaine.

Laune Rangers: Conor Buckley, Alex Garry, Shane Clifford, Matthew Spillane, Charlie O’Sullivan, Niall Tadhg O’Brien, James Jones, Eoin O’Connell, John Horgan, Patryk Radny, Seán Diggin, Stephen Gannon, Adam O’Neill, Darragh Clifford. Subs: Rian Hogan, Seán O’Donnell.

Milltown/Castlemaine: Gearóid Quirke, Tristan Jasinski. Aaron Dinham, Seán O’Sullivan, Liam O’Dowd, Michael Lynch, Cian O’Brien, Damien O’Connor, Ben O’Carroll, James Dempsey, Eoghan Corbett, Dara Hogan, Diarmuid Quirke, Conor Giles.