Oylegate-Glenbrien in total command

OYLEGATE-GLENBRIEN 3-12 DUFFRY ROVERS 0-7

OYLEGATE-GLENBRIEN were too strong for Duffry Rovers as they came away with a comfortable win in this Enniscorthy District Under-21 football Roinn 1 championship quarter-final in Coolree on Monday of last week.

Both sides looked evenly matched during the early exchanges, but after a Shane Reck goal midway through the opening half, the eventual winners seemed to find another gear and continued to pull away from their opponents for the remainder of the game.

Conor Heffernan opened the scoring for the visitors before Tim Bowler quickly replied for the home side.

Seamus Casey and Conor Doyle were causing problems for the Duffry defence and added three scores to give Oylegate-Glenbrien a three-point lead that the dangerous Gearóid Doyle brought back to one with two well-taken scores.

Damien Reck added to the lead with a point after making a run to receive a short pass from Casey’s ’45 before his brother, Shane, tried for a long-range point that dropped short and ended up in the net, putting his side five in front.

This steadied the boys in blue and they extended this lead to eight just before the break, with points from Doyle, Heffernan and Barry Dunne.

The Duffry needed an early score and they got just that in the form of two great free-kicks from Bowler within three minutes of the re-start.

But they failed to capitalise on this any further as Dunne found the net minutes later, finishing off a great ball from Jack Reck, dashing away any hopes of a Duffry Rovers fightback.

Points were added by Doyle, Pa Cullen, Pierce Murphy and Ciarán Hourihane before the latter found the net after an excellent move involving Cullen and Casey, to give his side a comfortable win and a semi-final meeting with Monageer-Boolavogue.

That game is fixed for Friday night in St. Patrick’s Park but must be in doubt now as Monageer-Boolavogue will be contesting the replayed Co. Junior ‘B’ football championship final against Fethard in Taghmon on Sunday.

Cloughbawn are awaiting the outcome in the Enniscorthy District final, while Rathgarogue-Cushinstown will face Taghmon-Camross or Gusserane in the New Ross decider.

Sarsfields and Réalt na Mara have already won the Wexford and Gorey titles respectively, but the county final will not take place at this stage until December at the earliest.

Oylegate-Glenbrien: Eddie Mernagh; Lee Kehoe, Kieran Lambert, Conor Hill; Ciarán O’Brien, Damien Reck (0-1), Pa Cullen (0-1); Ciarán Hourihane (1-1), Shane Reck (1-0); Jack Reck, Conor Heffernan (0-2), Conor Doyle (03); Barry Dunne (1-1), Seamus Casey (0-2, 1 ’45), Pierce Murphy (0-1). Subs. - Richard Murphy for Cullen, Stephen Ring for Hourihane, Ryan Hill for J. Reck.

Duffry Rovers: Conor Cullen; Eric Nolan, Michael O’Leary, Liam Pender; John Dunne, Craig Casey, Gavin Watchorn; Gavin Rafter, Tom Dunne; Cian Fitzhenry, Tim Bowler (0-3 frees), Micheál Doyle (0-1); Gearóid Doyle (0-3), Colm Redmond, Jamie Roban. Sub. - Michael Kearns for Nolan.

Referee: Brendan Martin (Ballyhogue).