Glenealy in control
O’Neill’s men boss encounter with the old enemy
IT’S shaping up to be one hell of a hurling summer in Wicklow as the Big Three lock horns and engage in battle.
Last weekend Carnew served Bray notice that history won’t repeat itself and this weekend Glenealy laid down a marker.
They had the luxury of hitting 13 wides in an utterly dominant display in which they led 2-03 to no score after 14 minutes.
The Glenealy defence looked the dangerous Carnew attack in the eye and gave them nothing.
Pádraig Doran and Enda Donohoe were well able to win their own ball against Bray but anything that came their way this time was easily defended.
The Glenealy backs didn’t do anything special, just went about their business with quiet efficiency with Warren Kavanagh proving very impressive.
But it was symptomatic of Glenealy’s dominance all around the field. Leighton Glynn and Paddy Driver had Don Hyland and Andrew Hughes chasing shadows all day while the half-back and half-forward lines were comfortably on top.
Alan Driver poached the two important goals and Enan Glynn roamed around, dragging Graham Keogh out of position.
Only three Carnew players matched last week’s performance: Martin O’Brien moved back into corner-back to negate Alan Driver midway through the first half and also kept Jamie Byrne quiet when he replaced the injured Driver. In the other corner Oisín Furlong had another excellent game. Only finished his Leaving, he’ll be around for years to come.
Timmy Collins was the sole forward who performed reasonably close to the standard expected. He fought and made life difficult for the Glenealy defence, pitched in with a point, and set up a handful of scores for his teammates. Beyond O’Brien, Furlong and Collins though, Carnew were playing second fiddle all day.
Two long balls created Alan Driver’s two goals within 15 minutes of the first half. Conal McCrea won’t remember the second one fondly when he appeared to be in control of the ball but let it past and Driver finished with the aid of Ted Kennedy’s hurl.
By that stage of the first half, Glenealy had already hit seven wides as Carnew simply could not gain possession around midfield, never mind launch an attack. Granted, the conditions favoured Glenealy with a strong wind and a setting sun blazing directly in the eyes of the Carnew defence but still they were out of sorts.
Enan Glynn, Joey Driver Jnr. and Danny Staunton scored a point each before Enda Donohoe’s opening free on 20 minutes. Carnew scored five more points in the last 10 minutes of the first half to gain some traction on the scoreboard.
However, points from Aaron Nugent and Leighton Glynn’s score of the game left it 2-06 to 0-06 at half-time. Glynn caught Kennedy’s puck out, evaded a challenge, soloed up the field and, having caught the sliotar twice already, struck it over the ball off his hurl. Think DJ Carey versus Clare in Croke Park.
It was a two-goal lead Glenealy rarely relinquished. Every time Carnew made a move Glenealy replied to keep a comfortable cushion between the sides.
Carnew didn’t have the numbers in attack to get the goal they craved. In the first half Enan Glynn dragged Graham Keogh out of the full-back line leaving space for Alan Driver to nip in for his goals. Centre-back Liam Kennedy retreated back to fill that hole and one of the midfielders would then drop into his position.
However, that let Danny Staunton roam around the field to help out a defence that shut up shop. Staunton also got up the field unmarked and knocked over a second-half point when Enan Glynn found him in space with a cross field ball.
Carnew showed a little bit of naivety too in the second half. At one stage a free was hit long in around the square but the Carnew man there, Pádraig Doran, was surrounded by three or four Glenealy men. Eventually other forwards made a move to help him but Glenealy had already cleared the ball.
Carnew did get within three points with five minutes to go but never looked close to coming away with a victory. For Glenealy it’s a real statement of intent and sets up a pulsating summer of hurling action.
Scorers – Glenealy: Alan Driver 2-00; Aaron Nugent (2f) 0-04; Leighton Glynn (1 65), Danny Staunton, Enan Glynn 0-02 each; Joey Driver 0-01.
Carnew: Enda Donohoe (8f, 1
65) 0-09; Don Hyland, Timmy Collins, Daniel Nolan, Dean Grandy 0-01 each.
Glenealy: Joey Driver; Declan Conyard, Tommy Doyle, Joey Driver Jnr.; Emmett Byrne, Warren Kavanagh, Rory O’Neill; Leighton Glynn, Paddy Driver; Aaron Nugent, Danny Staunton, John Manley; Alan Driver, Enan Glynn, Jack Kavanagh. Subs: Jamie Byrne for Alan Driver (31 mins, inj.); Gavin Byrne for Jack Kavanagh (49 mins).
Carnew: Ted Kennedy: Conal McCrea, Graham Keogh, Oisín Furlong; Mark Collins, Liam Kennedy, Martin O’Brien; Don Hyland, Andrew Hughes; Jack Doyle, Timmy Collins, Daniel Nolan; Nick Skelton, Enda Donohoe, Pádraig Doran. Subs: Dean Grandy for Nick Skelton, Drew Brennan for Conal McCrea (both HT); TJ Hennessey for Drew Brennan (58 mins). Referee: Declan Peppard.