Cloughbawn overcome in semi
GLYNN-BARNTOWN 1-21 CLOUGHBAWN 1-14
GLYNN-BARNTOWN proved too strong for hosts Cloughbawn in the EEW All-County Hurling League Division 1 semi-final on Monday of last week.
The impressive showing allowed the Killurin-based side to maintain their bid for a big ball/ small ball top tier double, with their hurlers moving into the decider opposite Oulart-The Ballagh.
Cloughbawn are fancied by many to make a quick return to the Senior ranks so a positive league campaign, in which they only lost to Oulart-The Ballagh on their way to the last four, has done them no harm at all.
That said, they did suffer from some familiar failings.
They scored just 1-7 from play against a Glynn-Barntown defence with only one of the six starters in their championship opener against Oulart-The Ballagh in their ranks.
In fairness, Cloughbawn themselves were missing a few key players, plus John Leacy is hardly a downgrade, but the way the Glynn-Barntown rearguard smothered the life out of the hosts’ attack has to be a concern ahead of the imminent return of the championship.
The visitors should really have won by more as they wasted numerous chances, swatting 16 wides. On top of that, Rowan White lost his personal battle with shot-stopper Noel Carton but, other than the missed majors, the county Under-21 was superb.
He was the first Glynn-Barntown man on the scoreboard, cancelling out the only Cloughbawn lead of the evening in the third minute.
With both dominant midfielders chipping in, the Wexford District side led by 0-5 to 0-2 after eleven minutes.
Apart from an earlier Barry Kehoe point, only Bob Whitty, the hosts’ best attacker, got on the scoresheet from play in the opening half, and his first put one between the sides.
However, four minutes later the gap was six, thanks in part to a well-taken Ian Moran major.
Playing downhill, Glynn-Barntown plugged away and when White scored his fourth of the half they still had a six-point cushion at the interval (1-11 to 0-8).
Ben O’Shea and Alan Cowman tacked on a couple of fine points after the resumption but it was Brendan Doyle’s scores that fired Glynn-Barntown clear.
They looked to be coasting, leading by 1-17 to 0-12 after 47 minutes, but Cloughbawn gave themselves some hope when Joey Lawlor found the net after Niall Whitty had made a stunning initial save from his namesake, Bob.
Glynn-Barntown didn’t panic at 1-17 to 1-13 up, and instead they shut up shop, allowing only a last-puck-of-the-game point from Paul Foley.
Otherwise they eased clear again, with scores from Michael Doyle (two), Gary Moore and White seeing them safely into the decider.
Glynn-Barntown: Niall Whitty; Shane Codd, Pádraig Donnelly, Frankie Hynes; Ben O’Shea (0-1), John Leacy (0-3, 2 frees, 1 ‘65), Fionn Cooney; Gary Moore (capt., 0-2), Michael Doyle (0-3); Daire Barron (0-1), Rowan White (0-5), Alan Cowman (0-1); Aaron Kehoe, Brendan Doyle (0-5, 1 free), Ian Moran (1-0). Subs. - Rioghan Crosbie for Moran (50), Shane Doyle for Cowman (60).
Cloughbawn: Noel Carton; Liam Kehoe, Tomás Furlong, Gavin Murphy; Barry Kehoe (0-1), Conor Harrington, Johnny Cullen; Páidí Cullen (capt.), M.J. Furlong; Colin Doyle, Alan Carton, Bob Whitty (0-3); Joey Lawlor (1-2), Paul Foley (0-7 frees), Thomas Foley (0-1). Subs. - David Doyle-Murphy for T. Foley (40), Stephen Casserly for Lawlor (58).
Referee: David O’Leary (Rathnure).