Summerhill’s 2nd team opened their Premier Division 2 championship campaign with a home game v Simonstown on Saturday evening. Everyone was in great form following the League final win the previous evening and hope were high that we could open our campaign with a win. Playing into the stiff breeze the visitors began brightly and raced into a 1-1 to 0-1 lead after 6 minutes. Summerhill retook the lead that they would subsequently never relinquish with a goal in the 12th minute. A Simonstown kick out was fielded by Jack Regan who played a great ball into Cathal Ryan who fired to the back of the net to leave the score Summerhill 1-2 Simonstown 1-1. Summerhill dominated the rest of the half and added a second goal from Cathal Brien. A pin point pass in from Eamonn Ryan found Brien in acres of space behind the Simonstown defense and he coolly finished to the net. Half time score Summerhill 2-7 Simonstown 1-2. Despite what appeared to be a comfortable Summerhill who had played with the advantage of a strong breeze, had spurned several other decent scoring chances in the first half.

Summerhill extended their lead to nine points with a well taken point from Conor Summerville straight from the throw in of the second half. But Simonstown upped their intensity and slowly started to chip away at the Summerhill lead. Summerhill kept the score board ticking over with four well taken points from half time substitute Paul Rispin. With about eight minutes left on the clock Simonstown struck for their second goal to reduce the deficit to just three points. However the home side maintained their composure and hit three unanswered points from Luke Byrne, Cathal Brien and Eoghan Grehan to run out winners on a score line of 2-15 to 2-6. Next up is a trip to Paddy O’Brien Park to take on O’Mahonys in round 2 in two weeks time. It was also great to see Kevin Lyons back in a Summerhill jersey following a few years abroad.

Team & Scorers: Sean Muddiman, Kevin Mulligan, Eoghan Jennings, Paddy Troy, Donal Matthews, Jack Davies, Darragh McVann, Jack Regan, Eoghan Grehan (0-1), Conor Summerville (0-2), Eamonn Ryan, Gavin McVann, Darren Chapman, Cathal Brien (1-2), Cathal Ryan (1-5, 2f).

Subs: Paul Rispin (0-4), Kevin Lyons, Lube Byrne (0-1), Caolan Young.