Lusk knocked out of Leinster IFC after great duel

TWO MILE HOUSE (Kildare) 4-15 ROUND TOWERS LUSK 1-16

Round Towers Lusk’s provincial dreams came a cropper at the first hurdle when defeated in Saturday’s Leinster Club IFC quarter-final by Kildare’s Two Mile House in St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge.

2010 All Star Peter Kelly was the top-scorer for the Lilywhites as his tally of 2-2 helped his side into the semi-final after a well fought battle.

The Lusk men were left to rue the concession of two relatively soft goals in quick succession in the last quarter as the Kildare champions ran out eight-point victors.

Points from Jack Hussey and Kieran McKitterick had Towers 2-1 up early on before Kelly set up Conor Keogh to strike for their first goal in the sixth minute.

Cormac Howley almost replied immediately but his goal effort was saved by impressive keeper Didier Cordonnier before Adam Caul fired over the rebound.

Two Mile House forged clear coming up to the interval before points from Howley and two from Caul made it 1-9 t0 0-8 at half-time.

Five minutes into the second half Kelly scored his first goal for the Kildare men but interval sub Liam Bohan hit a quick-fire 1-1 for the Lusk men.

Then disaster struck for the Dublin intermediate champions with Kelly and then Chris Healy raising green flags for Two Mile House when exploiting some poor concentration in the Lusk defence.

Towers kept going to the finish with points from Aaron Duffy, Bohand and Stephen Harford but Kelly, Aidan Casey and player/manager Niall Browne replied for the winners.

Dublin's representatives in the Leinster JFC, St Finian's of Newcastle, also suffered defeat when losing 3-13 to 4-8 to Offaly's St Brigid's in Geashill.

Finian's led 3-5 to 1-5 at the break with their goals coming from Sean McCarthy, Conor Spillane and Ronan Higgins but a disastrous spell midway through the second half during which Brigid's scored 2-3 without reply turn the game the way of the Faithful County men.

SCORERS – Two Mile House: P Kelly 2-2, C Healy, C Keogh 1-2 each, A Casey 0-4 (0-3f), M Sherry 0-2, C Doolan, N Browne, J Collins 0-1 each. Round Towers Lusk: L Bohan 1-3 (0-1 ‘45’), K McKitterick (0-1f) A Caul 0-3 each, C Howley, S Harford 0-2 each, J Hussey, C Healy,  A Duffy 0-1 each.

TWO MILE HOUSE: D Cordonnier; N Sherry, W Burke, F Breen; J D’Arcy, M Kelly, C Burke; P Kelly, C Doolan; S White, C Healy, J Collins; A Casey, M Sherry, C Keogh. Subs: C Burke, A Cregg, N Browne.

ROUND TOWERS LUSK: A Burns; G Leech, K Connell, G Clare; R McGee, D Hurley, A Caul; S Harford, D Clarke; D Leech, J Hussey, L White; K McKitterick, K Healy, C Howley. Subs: C Tonge, L Bohan, J Hanratty, A Duffy.