AGB OFF TO A FLYER!
Wicklow champions in fine form against Wexford side
AGB have continued their great year with a victory over Wexford Intermediate champions Taghmon/ Camross, but not without once again enduring a nervy closing few minutes.
Nothing, perhaps, like the county final but they led by 10 after 25 minutes and by seven after 41 minutes and still a last gasp goal could have crushed their hopes.
Like the county final they were the better team, founded on their tigerish defenders, Karl Kirwan and Tom Maher, who are about as much fun to mark as watching replays of Liverpool play Manchester United. The corner-forwards they shadowed might have touched the ball five times between them over the hour.
Seamus McLoughlin was the only forward who won any sort of ball but even when he did his options were limited and he was generally crowded out. Taghmon/ Camross played with one, and sometimes two, sweepers that made life difficult for the Arklow attack but it also meant their own forwards were outnumbered and unable to create chances.
Padraig Kelleher did well at wing back while Darragh Fitzgerald was flying around everywhere winning breaking kick outs and launching attacks. Philip Healy had the unenviable task of finding space in a crowd of Taghmon defenders but he was always showing for it and holding it up for his teammates to arrive. He kicked two wonderful points too.
A good day at the office but Arklow will have to look at their passing that was sometimes wayward, Kelleher and Gary Tyrell committing the most offences, and they’ll have to work on that before the meeting with the Meath champions.
Arklow came out of the traps very quickly and led by three points to no score after five minutes. Philip Gleeson converted a free when John Paul Hurley was fouled and then Fitzgerald set up the next two points, one each for Stephen Hurley and Padraig Kelleher.
Barry O’Gorman registered the first Taghmon point with his left foot in the sixth minute but it would take them another nineteen minutes before they would score again during which Arklow put 2-02 on the score board.
Cormac O’Shea scored an exquisite first Arklow goal when Stephen Hurley won a kick out and passed to him about 55 metres from goal and O’Shea ran straight at goal. Philip Healy intelligently ran out of the way and took a defender with him and O’Shea finished brilliantly into the top corner.
Philip Gleeson converted a couple of frees and Cormac Hyland converted a penalty for their second goal. Gleeson had a goal chance that was foot blocked by David O’Keefe and the referee had no hesitation in giving a penalty that Hyland dispatched into the bottom corner. There were twenty five minutes gone and Arklow led by 2-05 to a point.
To their credit however Taghmon/Camross came back into the match and reeled off 1-03 in a three minute period. Stephen O’Gorman started the scoring with a good goal and Ian Carty, Darren Carty and Seamus McLoughlin got the points. Arklow scored another couple of points to calm their nerves but with the last kick of the half McLoughlin sent his team in at half time five points down and back in the match, 2-07 to 1-05.
Arklow began the second half with a couple of points when Taghmon gifted them a couple of frees in front of goal. Goalkeeper Sean O’Gorman took a hand pass inside his 14 metre line and rather than play it out quickly he took a moment and was challenged. The referee blew his whistle for over-carrying and moved it straight in front of goal after some dissent. Moments later O’Gorman took Philip Healy out and received a black card while Arklow scored another free.
Taghmon/Camross once again responded well when they eventually scored with three on the trot before Philip Healy kicked over a point from an outrageous angle. With ten minutes to go Arklow still led by five points, 2-10 to 1-08.
Ian Carty, Alan Nolan and Seamus McLoughlin all scored a point each to give Taghmon a sliver of hope towards the end but it was just too little too late for the team and Arklow Geraldines Ballymoney marched forward in the Leinster Intermediate club championship.
Scorers – AGB: Cormac O’Shea (2f) 1-02; Cormac Hyland 1-00pen; Philip Gleeson (3f) 0-03; Philip Healy, Padraig Kelleher 0-02 each; John Paul Hurley, Stephen Hurley 0-01 each.
Taghmon/Camross: Ian Carty (3f) 0-04; Seamus McLoughlin (2f) 0-03; Stephen O’Gorman 1-00; Barry O’Gorman 0-02; Darren Carty, Alan Nolan 0-01 each.
AGB: Mervyn Travers; Karl Kirwan, Tom Maher, Danny O’Harte; Padraig Kelleher, Ciaran Hyland, Gary Tyrell; John Paul Hurley, Stephen Hurley; Cormac Hyland, Darragh Fitzgerald, Cormac O’Shea; Philip Healy, Philip Gleeson, Christopher O’Brien. Subs: Ross Hynes for Gary Tyrrell (44 mins); Ivan Hurley for Christopher O’Brien (54 mins).
Taghmon/Camross: Sean O’Gorman; Mark O’Gorman, Alan Nolan, Stephen Stafford; Darren Carty, David O’Keefe, Pauric O’Gorman; Barry O’Gorman, Ian Carty; Stephen O’Gorman, Darren Hayden, Eoin Doyle; Pierce Doyle, Seamus McLoughlin, Luke Sinnott. Subs: Jack Dunne for Sean O’Gorman (41 mins, BC); Michael O’Gorman for Luke Sinnott (46 mins); Shane Doyle for Eoin Doyle (50 mins); Derek O’Hanlon for Darren Carty (53 mins0, inj.).
Referee: J King (Dublin)