NY GAA Report: Solid win for Bronx

St. Barnabas continues to be the top team in the junior division as they chalked up a relatively easy victory over a gamely but greatly outmatched O’Donovan Rossa squad. 

Exchanges were close to even for the first five minutes as Barnabas put three points on the board courtesy of the Mathers brothers, Conor and Tiernan, and Mikey Brosnan, while Jason Darby and Dennis O’Leary replied for the Rossa. 

Then the floodgates opened and the Barnabas lead swelled to 1-13 to 0-3 at the short whistle. The points flowed over from the Mathers, Brosnan and Cole brothers plus Mikey McBrien and Pat McGrinder also chipped in. 

Keeper Pat Kerrigan did very well to keep out a sizzler from Caolan Mathers, but later a Mathers duo, Conor and Caolan, would eventually combine to rattle the net. 

O’Donovan Rossa stepped up their performance and production in the second half, but this youthful and skillful Barnabas squad, though with one outlier on the full forward, was always in charge despite the best efforts of Darby, O’Leary, O’Connell, Sweeney, the Kings, Pat Kerrigan, and company. 

Mark McMorrow closed out the scoring with a goal for St. Barnabas, while Jason Darby, Rossa’s chief scorer, and target man, did likewise for his team.

St. Barnabas: Jack Dennis, Mark McMorrow, Michael Boyle, Paidi Mathers, Peter Cronin, Kevin Rafferty, Alan Power, Shane Brosnan, Tiernan Mathers, Caolan Mathers, Francis Cole, Conor Mathers, Mikey Brosnan, Ray O’Connor, Shane Hennessy. Subs: Jack Martin, Owen Cole, Tommy O’Shea, Liam Rafferty, Mike McBrien.

O’Donovan Rossa: Pat Kerrigan, Damien Battles, Mike King, Seamus King, Mike Mahon, Philip King, Sean Carty, Liam O’Connell, Maurice Sweeney, Kevin Barry, Paddy Duffy, Darren Birmingham, Jason Darby, Paudi Kyne, Dennis O’Leary. 

Subs: Chris Owens, Ciaran Hughes, Niall Meehan, Shane Ryan. 

Referee: Mike Reilly.

*This report first appeared in the May 5 edition of the Irish Voice newspaper, sister publication to IrishCentral.