Versatile Bates leads Vols

SHANE BATES swapped the green baize for the green grass of Clongeen on Friday and led Volunteers to a 2-9 to 0-11 win over Bannow-Ballymitty in Group A of the Whizzy Internet Intermediate ‘A’ football championship.

The talented snooker player scored two second-half goals as the town team forged in front after trailing by 0-5 to 0-3 at the break, with his first arriving immediately after the restart before his second made it 2-7 to 0-7 in the 46th minute.

He also contributed a point from a free, with the rest of the white flags for the Vols raised by Cian Brennan (four), Gary Cullen (two), Dale Scallan and Tony Crosbie.

Duffry Rovers accounted for Craanford by 3-14 to 2-10 in the same group, gradually getting to grips with proceedings after a Joe Conroy goal left their rivals with a 1-3 to 0-3 advantage after 19 minutes in Boolabawn on Friday.

The Enniscorthy District side recovered to lead by 2-9 to 1-6 at halt-time, and they added a third goal in the 52nd minute before Brendan Tobin replied immediately with a Craanford consolation.

Tobin ended with 1-5 to his name, with Joe Conroy (1-1), Ollie Doran (0-2), Jamie Doyle and Eoin Doyle (0-1 each) also on target.

The Group B derby in Craanford on Saturday saw St. Patrick’s defeat Kilrush by 2-6 to 0-6, thanks to second-half goals from Ciarán Murphy and Dylan O’Brien.

Murphy struck directly on the restart to stretch the Ballyoughter side’s lead to 1-4 to 0-2, before O’Brien effectively wrapped up the win in the 43rd minute (2-5 to 0-3).

Cian Hogan (three) and Tomás Morris (two) picked off points from dead-balls for the winners, with Ben Kavanagh contributing from play. Kilrush had point-scorers in Jack Nolan, Seán Kirwan and Shane Tomkins.

Kilmore built on an 0-8 to 1-1 interval lead forged against the wind in Bree on Friday to defeat Geraldine O’Hanrahans by 0-15 to 1-4.

Their chief marksmen were Tom Byrne, Denis Kenny and Daithí Moore, with Páraic Reville, Conor Moore and Tommy Cousins also contributing.