Starlights 2-12 Sarsfields 0-05

STARLIGHTS DID all they could to stay in contention for a top-two finish in Group D of the WFC county senior football championship, but ultimately their thirteen point win over Sarsfields at Wexford Park on Sunday evening wasn’t enough to keep them ahead of Kilanerin as they missed out on a quarterfinal spot on the basis of score-difference.

Kilanerin, who eased past Ballyhogue at Monamolin, had a hero in Wexford Park too, as the Sarsfields’ substitute goalkeeper Adam Doyle brought of a string of secondhalf saves to deny Starlights a bagful of other scores which, had they netted, could have seen them advance instead of Kilanerin.

The Hudson brothers, John and Willie did the early damage for Starlights, with a point from John and a super goal from Willie, who finished to the net after a super run through the middle.

Kevin Gore briefly interrupted the Starlights’ onslaught when pointing for the Wexford town side.

But opponent Tommy Foley found the range with two nice points before similar scores from James Carthy, Willie Hudson and John Hudson had Starlights leading 1-6 to 0-1 after 25 minutes. Kevin Gore and Paul Murphy knocked over points for Sarsfields as they finished the half strong, but they still trailed at the break by 0-3 to 1-6.

Points from Andy Moore and Kevin Gore, Sarsfields’ best player on the night, gave their side a bright start to the second half.

But Starlights regained a strong footing, as Willie Hudson landed a point before his brother John kicked two fine efforts over the ‘bar, and substitute Ricky Foxe got on the end of a Tommy Foley pass to slot home their second goal as they search for scores began to gather serious momentum.

However, the Sarsfields’ replacement ‘keeper Adam Doyle then made his mark with a number of super saves, one of which was right out of the top drawer of goalkeeping as he denied Seán Kenny.

Two more Willie Hudson points and another from his elder brother were all the Starlights could add before the end, and as news came through that Kilanerin had put Ballyhogue completely to the sword in the other group game, it left Starlights with the empty feeling of elimination from the senior championship for 2009 despite their big win.

Starlights Lee Murphy, Tom Wall, Mark Gahan, Killian Lett, Cathal Murphy, Shay Deegan, Mark Quigley, Jason Russell, James Carthy (0-1), Anthony Russell, Willie Hudson (1-4), Davy Morrissey, Seán Kenny, John Hudson (0-5, 2 frees), Tommy Foley (0-2).

Subs: Ricky Fox (1-0) for Anthony Russell; Eamonn Furlong for Killian Lett; Tomás Mahon for Davy Morrissey.

©   Enniscorthy Echo