Nobody should take Bunclody side lightly
A powerful first half performance from hosts HWH-Bunclody proved too much for Glynn-Barntown to handle in the Greenstar Under-20 Division 2 hurling championship on Wednesday evening.
Rathnure are probably favourites for this title but, the first thirty minutes, in which they shredded their opponents and picked off some superb points, was a clear statement that this Bunclody team should not be taken lightly.
Their biggest problem is probably the size of their squad. With just one or two substitutes to call on in their last couple of matches you are always walking a tightrope, but they have managed their numbers and will be a real handful in the last four.
Four of their starting forwards were on the scoreboard, as well as talismanic Eoin Kelly, in the classy first thirty. Inside men Cathal and Edward Dunbar raised the first couple of white flags only for Dylan Lyne to reply at the other end.
Lee Levingstone crashed home the first major after Tadhg Kelly did fine work to get him in position for a shot. Eoin Kelly almost added another moments later but his rasper was denied by the fast reactions of Michael Kearney.
Living on a diet of points from midfielders James O’Shea and Matthew Banville, the visitors were struggling. That was further emphasised when first Jack Regan - with a pulled stroke - and then Cathal Dunbar found the net to make it 3-8 to 0-5 after 28 minutes.
Glynn-Barntown got a vital lifeline at the end of the first half when O’Shea lashed home a twenty metre free and followed it with a quick point to leave eight between the sides at the interval. However, eight points was as close as the Killurin side ever got.
Bunclody, without hitting the same intensity level as in the first half, controlled things with ease. Kelly kept the frees going over the crossbar, Eddie Black got a couple of nice points and Cathal Dunbar added two more to his tally as they coasted into a last four meeting with Rathnure.
HWH-BUNCLODY: Bobby McKeown; Jamie Kavanagh, Josh Martin, Adam Hogan; Tadhg Kelly, John Dunne, Ciaran Kavanagh; Eoin Kelly (capt., 0-7, 6 frees), Martin O’Connor; Lee Levingstone (1-0), Eddie Black (0-2), Jack Regan (1-0); Cathal Dunbar (1-3), Edward Dunbar (0-3), Cathal Doyle. Subs: Alan Carton for J. Kavanagh (54).
GLYNN-BARNTOWN: Michael Kearney; Ryan Long (0-1), David Roche, Conor Clarke; Shane Doyle, Cormac Rowe, Bill Joyce; James O’Shea (1-7, 1-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65), Matthew Banville (capt., 0-1); Jack Brazzil, Ger Dempsey, Dylan Lyne (0-2); Darragh Nolan, Richie Rowe, Cormac Cooney. Subs: Garbhan McCormack for Nolan (54), Daniel O’Regan for Lyne, inj (58), Adam O’Leary for Doyle (58).
REFEREE: David O’Leary (Rathnure)