Back-to-back titles for wonderful Glenealy
DACIA CARS SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
GLENEALY made it back-to-back Dacia Cars Senior Hurling Championship crowns with an impressive 4-10 to 1-12 victory over Carnew Emmets in Joule Park Aughrim on Sunday afternoon last.
Garry Laffan’s men dismantled a lackluster Carnew in the opening half of this game with Jonathan O’Neill Jnr, Alan Driver and Gavin Weir tormenting James Hickey’s full-back line thanks to bombs dropping in from the hurls of Garry Byrne and Warren Kavanagh further out the field as Carnew struggled to gain any sort of foothold in the game.
First-half goals from Gavin Weir after 21 minutes and O’Neill Jnr 60 seconds later left Carnew with a mountain to climb but they set about that task with huge energy and passion in the second half. However, a late Leighton Glynn goal extinguished their fragile championship hopes with all the brutality of a hammer blow to the side of the head and it was pure joy for Glenealy who claimed their 16th title in a proud hurling history.
This was the ultimate game of two halves and the relatively small crowd in Aughrim were fortunate that Carnew emerged from the dressing rooms a changed team because after the one-way traffic of the Intermediate decider the supporters, apart from the Glenealy contingent, obviously, would have felt very short-changed had the Senior decider continued in the same vein as the first half.
There were a number of major moments and developments in the first half that will go some way towards explaining why the O’Donoghue Cup is residing in the beautiful village of Glenealy for another winter.
Carnew’s failure to shut down the space afforded to the Glenealt half-back line in the opening half was fatal. It afforded the superb Warren Kavanagh and the efficient Gary Byrne way too much space and the 2-7 to 0-3 deficit was always going to be too much to claw back given the lack of scoring power in the Carnew front six.
Expecting Timmy Collins and Enda Donohue to lead the charge against the wickedly talented Danny Staunton and the stickier-than-glue Emmet Byrne was expecting too much. When Carnew drove the ball in long the aforementioned pair were there to thwart the inside duo and if not then Warren Kavanagh or Ronan Manley were there to assist.
However, at the other end things were vastly different. Aaron Kinsella, John Walshe and Andy Hughes were tasked with minding Jonathan O’Neill Jnr, Alan Driver and Jamie Byrne and the plan from the beginning was blatantly obvious: get the ball to Gary Byrne or Warren Kavanagh or someone in space and launch that ball down on top of that Glenealy inside line and go for the jugular early on.
Worryingly, the height difference between Jonathan O’Neill Jnr and Aaron Kinsella was causing the young defender problems and despite battling hard it would be a contest he would not win over the course of that first half.
Carnew enjoyed an electric start with Conall McCrea firing over the opening score but from here on in it was Glenealy who took complete control of the contest with points from Warren Kavanagh, Robert Byrne, Jonathan O’Neill Snr and Paul O’Brien to open up that 0-4 to 0-1 lead after 10 minutes.
The work rate of the Glenealy men was impressive right from the start of this game. They hunted in packs, putting huge pressure on the likes of Martin O’Brien, Wayne Kinsella and Jack Doyle.
Three Carnew attacks came to nothing between the 10th and 15th minutes with wides recorded by Timmy Collins and Conall McCrea and a handling error from Padraig Doran and a shot dropped short from Wayne Kinsella being their only rewards for five minutes of serious effort.
A Bosco free at the end of the first quarter increased the lead to 0-5 to 0-1 in favour of the defending champions before Joe Hughes recorded another wide for James Hickey’s men.
It should be noted that Enda Donohoe’s potential from placed balls was something that was addressed in a comprehensive way by Garry Laffan and his management team prior to this game because Donohoe didn’t get his first opportunity at the posts until the 20th minute of this game, that from a free won by Jack Doyle and moments after the free-taker was shown a yellow card for a foul on Glenealy goalkeeper Cian Staunton. There were two reasons for the lack of opportunities for Donohoe. The first was the discipline of the Glenealy defence, the second was the tight marking of Emmet Byrne.
At this point one of the biggest incidents in the first half unfolded. Carnew’s Jack Doyle won possession out the field and was fouled. Referee John Keenan played advantage and away went Doyle like a young calf heading for fresh grass. The Glenealy defence was non-existent and Conall McCrea was on his shoulder but John Keenan blew his whistle and called the play back for the free. The Carnew players were irate, James Hickey raced over to the Aughrim official to plead the case, but the decision stood, and the opportunity was lost. Donohoe pointed the free, 0-5 to 0-2.
The Glenealy threat in front of the Carnew goal was growing and the delivery of the long ball was continuing apace. Danny Staunton plucked a ball from the heavens, fed ‘Bosco’ with a hand pass and the Glenealy veteran launched a bomb down on the Carnew square.
The ball broke, Aaron Kinsella done superbly to win it but his desperate pass away was half blocked and Jonathan O’Neill Jnr somehow managed to get the ball up into his hand and fire a pass out to Gavin Weir who drove low and hard past Ted Kennedy for the game’s opening goal.
Worse was to follow for Carnew. The failure to clear a ball around the 45 saw Robert Byrne deliver a tasty ball to Jonathan O’Neill Jnr who turned and lashed home past Ted Kennedy for Glenealy’s second goal. This was followed rapidly by a fine Alan Driver score and Glenealy were coasting at 2-6 to 0-2.
Carnew needed something, anything, to get them back into this game. Seanie Kinsella drove a ball down on top of Timmy Collins in the Glenealy square with ‘Bosco’ Snr keeping him company. Collins gathered, turned O’Neill and was dragged to the ground by Danny Staunton. Penalty for Carnew. Up stepped Donohoe but he watched in horror as his wicked shot was saved by Cian Staunton on the Glenealy line.
Padraig Doran pointed immediately after, but ‘Bosco’ Snr replied not long after James Hickey sent in John Doyle for his half-back Robert Lambert and the sides retired at the break with the defending champions leading by 2-7 to 0-3.
A sweet point from Jack Doyle got Carnew off to a positive start but disaster was to strike moments later as a clever Gavin Weir ball across to Jonathan O’Neill Jnr who was now being marked by Willie Collins. O’Neill gathered and shoveled the ball cleverly past Ted Kennedy to open up a 3-7 to 0-4 lead on Carnew. Surely no way back.
But back they came. They went for goals. Enda Donohue saw his effort blocked by ‘Bosco’ Snr, seconds later Cian Staunton saved from Jack Doyle but Carnew were awarded a free which Donohoe pointed as Drew Brennan came in for John Walshe who left the field with a heavily strapped leg while Martin O’Brien switched to full-back.
Donohue from a 65, Timmy Collins from play, Donohue from
a free and then with a wicked goal from his second penalty of the day brought Carnew kicking and screaming back into this game at 3-7 to 0-9.
It was all Carnew now. They attacked with venom and Warren Kavanagh brought a save out of Cian Staunton as his fumbled the ball with his hurl. All Staunton could do as flick the ball over his own crossbar and we were back to a one-score game at 3-7 to 1-10 with 18 gone.
A Donohoe free left two between the sides but Glenealy are masters at steadying their ship and a class score from Jonathan O’Neill Jnr took the pressure off before his father pushed it out to four with a well-taken free after 22, 3-9 to 1-11.
Now we had a serious game on our hands. Gary Hughes who was introduced for Robert Byrne pointed a massive score for Glenealy before Donohue collected a Seanie Kinsella ball and swung over to make it 3-10 to 1-12 with four of normal to go.
And then the killer blow was landed. A long Alan Driver ball was won superbly by Gary Hughes and he fed Leighton Glynn who lashed home from close range and the destiny of the O’Donoghue Cup was decided once and for all.
Cian Staunton was deservedly named man of the match for his wonderful performance in the goals for Glenealy. Jonathan O’Neill Jnr was exceptional, Emmet Byrne and Danny Staunton were relentless in defence, Warren Kavanagh and Gary Byrne were solid and ambitious while ‘Bosco’ Snr showed his class and skill when required.
Best for Carnew were Martin O’Brien who toiled hard all through. Enda Donohue unleashed himself in the second half, Padraig Doran worked tirelessly in the second half when switched inside while Jack Doyle, Conall McCrea, Wayne Kinsella and Seanie Kinsella tried hard.
Wayne Kinsella would be shown a red card close to the end for a dangerous challenge on Jonathan O’Neill Snr close to the sideline to bring to an end a tough day at the office for the Carnew captain.
Glenealy captain Alan Driver lifted the O’Donoghue Cup to scenes of joy and delight for the Glenealy faithful. Onwards they go to another Leinster campaign with Portlaoise visiting Joule Park Aughrim Sunday week.
Scorers – Glenealy: Jonathan O’Neill Jnr 1-3, Jonathan O’Neill Snr 0-4 (3f), Leighton Glynn 1-0, Gavin Weir 1-0, Warren Kavanagh 0-1, John Manely 0-1, Paul O’Brien 0-1, Alan Driver 0-1, Gary Hughes 0-1.
Carnew Emmets: Enda Donohoe 1-7 (1p, 3f, 2 65), Conall McCrea 0-1, Padraig Doran 0-1, Jack Doyle 0-1, Timmy Collins 0-1, Warren Kavanagh 0-1 (OP).
Glenealy: Cian Staunton; Emmet Byrne, Danny Staunton, Ronan Manley; Garry Byrne, Warren Kavanagh, Joe Driver Jnr; Jonathan O’Neill Snr, John Manley; Jamie Byrne, Robert Byrne, Paul O’Brien; Jonathan O’Neill Jnr, Alan Driver, Gavin Weir. Subs: Leighton Glynn for J Byrne; Gary Hughes for R Byrne, Wayne O’Gorman for J Manley.
Carnew Emmets: Ted Kennedy; Aaron Kinsella, John Walshe, Conall McCrea; Willie Collins, Martin O’Brien, Robert Lambert; Wayne Kinsella, Sean Kinsella; Jack Doyle, Timmy Collins, Enda Donohoe; Andy Hughes, Padraig Doran, Joe Hughes. Subs: John Doyle for R Lambert, Oisin Furlong for J Hughes. Referee: John Keenan