Adamstown’s show of power
District delight in replay
AFTER BATTLING all the way through extra-time last time out in the Permanent TSB New Ross District Junior ‘B’ hurling championship decider, there was no such drama in Cushinstown on Saturday as Adamstown powered through to the county semi-final in style.
The victors trailed for just three minutes of this game, right after Taghmon-Camross had a purple patch at the end of the first quarter. Otherwise they were in control and in this type of form they will fancy their chances in the last four against Oylegate-Glenbrien.
The basis of this win was in the stellar midfield play of the excellent James Delaney.
The Adamstown man was all over the middle third of the field, cleaning up defensively and setting countless scoring attacks in motion.
Not that it was all his own work. In Shane Bradley the champions had pace in their inside forward line that was difficult to manage, and in John Connors they had a powerful figure that proved tough to curtail.
Two points down, Taghmon-Camross jumped ahead when T.J. Codd’s long distance strike found the net. However, Mosey Delaney replied in similar fashion at the other end to level the game at 1-2 each after the opening quarter.
Slightly closer, just the 60 metres out, Connors put Adamstown a goal ahead. That major, coupled with three points, ensured that his side took a 2-5 to 1-2 advantage into the change of ends.
It looked a long way back for Taghmon-Camross when they fell 2-8 to 1-3 down after 35 minutes. However, after Richie Comerford pointed, he was soon dragged down when breaking towards goal to win a penalty.
As penalty saves go, it’s unlikely many in Cushinstown for this match have seen one better than Paul Cooper’s full-length dive to his top right corner to deny Codd.
It was a huge blow for Taghmon-Camross, although they did manage to get within five heading into the final quarter.
They had used a lot of their energy reserves getting to that point and in the end Adamstown, despite finishing with 14 after Shane Wickham was dismissed late on, pushed home their advantage.
They outscored their opponents by 0-5 to 0-1 in the last 15 minutes, with Connors and Bradley both on target twice, to take the District title in style.
Adamstown: Paul Cooper; James Furlong, Colm Boland (capt.), J.P. Furlong; Mick Doran, Michael Curtis, Mosey Delaney (1-0); James Delaney (0-3), Paudge Wickham; Tomás Harrington, Vinnie Doheny, Shane Wickham; Paudge Kavanagh (0-1), John Connors (1-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘65), Shane Bradley (0-4). Subs. - Andrew French for Kavanagh (54), Liam McDonald for Bradley (57), also Eoin Furlong, Mick Foley, Rory Foran, Stephen English, Donal Cosgrave.
Taghmon-Camross: Stephen O’Keeffe; James Carroll, Robbie Nolan, Darragh Winters; Matt Doyle, Denis Banville, Tom Banville; T.J. Codd (capt., 1-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘65), Conor O’Keeffe; Richard Stafford, Derek O’Hanlon (0-1), Mark Waters; Garvan Kelly (0-1), Páuric O’Gorman, Micheál O’Gorman. Subs. - Anto Roche for Waters (31), Richie Comerford (0-1) for M. O’Gorman (31), Declan Carroll for J. Carroll (53).
Referee: Anthony Tobin (Geraldine O’Hanrahans).