Enniscorthy end year on high
ENNISCORTHY C.B.S. finished off their season in style by waltzing to victory against Castlecomer in the Top Oil Power Cup Leinster Juvenile ‘A’ hurling final in Fenagh.
This was no ordinary way of claiming a title, as this was a performance filled with dominant quality from back to front. Every one of the 25 lads on the panel played their part in this victory, and that’s a rare and special way to win a title.
Poor Castlecomer simply didn’t have the weapons to compete. They battled their hearts out, like you’d expect from any Kilkenny outfit, but the speed of thought, of foot and of recovery of Enniscorthy was far in advance of what they could offer.
When Ciarán Meagher ran down the right and floated a shot to the net in the fourth minute, Enniscorthy were off to a disappointing start.
However, they didn’t let it get under their skin and a brace from Stefan San Augustin and an Oisín Pepper point got them level.
Harry Roche put Castlecomer 1-1 to 0-3 ahead, but that was the last time they led. C.B.S. grabbed their first goal when Rúairí Leacy picked out hat-trick hero Corey Dunbar and he rattled the net with a powerful finish.
At this stage it was wave after wave of Enniscorthy attack, a situation their hosts were repelling for the most part.
Liam Lynch put his side 1-5 to 1-1 in front after 17 minutes but then the floodgates opened for four fantastic minutes.
Fionn Walsh scored two quick goals, the second of which was the result of a belting catch and tidy finish on the edge of the square.
Then Dunbar repeated the double major feat and the impressive Enniscorthy fielding ability was on show again for the second of those.
At 5-5 to 1-1 up, there was a sense that points would do now. All six starting forwards had scored when Jack Byrne registered in the 22nd minute.
Pepper and Walsh added further points to give Enniscorthy a 5-9 to 1-1 interval advantage.
Mentor and Wexford hurler Kevin Foley rang the changes for C.B.S. after the break and two of them combined within seconds to net.
Eoin Gahan picked out Tobias Redmond at the back stick and he goaled, but referee Pat Moran was able to see a square ball infringement from his position on the ‘65.
A Matt Kinnaird long-range point, a trio of Walsh strikes, and scores from Gahan, Ronan Kervick and Andrew Fitzhenry, put Enniscorthy 5-16 to 1-2 up at the start of the second quarter and they began to ease off the gas.
Brian Cronin was probably the unluckiest player on the C.B.S. team, as he saw Ross Dowling make a stunning save from his shot and then had what looked like a good point waved wide.
James de Lacey made it eleven different Enniscothy scorers late on as his side retained the Power Cup in style.
Enniscorthy C.B.S.: Josh Buckley; Bill Peare, James Doyle, Ronan Kervick (0-1); Matt Kinnaird (0-1), Cameron Clarke, Darragh Kehoe (capt.); Kian Murphy, Rúairí Leacy; Jack Byrne (0-1), Oisín Pepper (0-3, 2 frees), Stefan San Augustin (0-2); Corey Dunbar (3-0), Fionn Walsh (25), Liam Lynch (0-1). Subs. - Tobias Redmond for Pepper (31), Eoin Gahan (0-1) for San Augustin (31), Brian Cronin for Byrne (31), James Donnelly for Clarke (31), James de Lacey (0-1) for Murphy (35), Eoin Dolan for Dunbar (38), Andrew Fitzhenry (0-1) for Leacy (39), Billy Redmond for Kinnaird (40), Tommy McVeigh for Lynch (41), Johnny Furlong for Walsh (44).
Castlecomer C.S.: Ross Dowling; Evan Harding, Jack Dempsey, Luca Downey; Conor Duggan, Tommy Coogan (capt., 0-1 free), Jamie Morrissey; Harry Roche (0-1), Alan Smyth; Ciarán Meagher (1-0), Shane Buggy, Jonah Kelly; Billy Mulhall, Cillian Dowling, Malachy Flaherty. Subs. - John Murphy for Harding (46), Joey Rowe for Flaherty (47), Chris Phelan (0-1) for Buggy (50), Danny Brennan for Meagher (54).
Referee: Pat Moran (Laois).