Subs bench
GLENEALY KILTEGAN 2-15 0-12
GLENEALY produced a powerful second half performance to put a lively Kiltegan side away in the Dacia Cars Senior Hurling Championship clash in Joule Park Aughrim last Saturday evening.
Key to the victory for the defending champions was the unloading of their abundant bench early in the second half as they called Leighton Glynn, the returning Warren Kavanagh and Wayne O’Gorman into the fray to try and gain control of a game being dictated by an ambitious and committed Kiltegan outfit who took a deserved one-point lead into the break at 0-8 to 1-4.
The nature of the game changed completely following the changes and Glenaly would go on to completely boss the second half, clocking up 1-11 to Kiltegan’s 0-4.
Nigel Byrne’s side will take heart from that opening half that was full of endeavour and drive. Kiltegan are very much a work in progress and great work is being done and more progress will no doubt follow.
Promising work early on that resulted in two fine points, the first from Mark Murphy, the second from Padraig O’Toole, was undone when good work by Gary Byrne and Gary Hughes picked out Gavin Weir who blasted home past Luke Byrne in the Kiltegan goal. Weir pointed two frees soon after, one he won himself, and Glenealy had a 1-2 to 0-2 lead in the blink of an eye.
Kiltegan were looking useful, though, and wrenched the lead back from Glenealy over the course of the next 10 minutes as they got on top in most sectors of the field besides the zone patrolled by the rampant Danny Staunton at full-back whose touch is something to behold.
A beauty from deep from MJ Moran got the ball rolling for Kiltegan and that score was followed by white flags from Padraig O’Toole, Liam Keogh an a pointed free from Seanie Germaine and Kiltegan were full value for their 0-6 to 1-2 lead.
The battle raged for the reminder of the second half with John Manley and Alan Driver scores coming either side of a Seanie Germaine free and a fine point from play from Aaron Byrne to leave Kiltegan with a slender 0-8 to 1-4 lead at the break.
Nigel Byrne had sought an audience with referee Chris Canavan after the half-time whistle had sounded, no doubt to inquire as to whether or not a penalty should have been given to Seanie Germaine who gathered superbly from a Rory Finn ball before hitting the deck under severe pressure in the Glenealy square. Canavan waved Byrne’s inquiries away.
As bad as not getting a penalty decision must have seemed to