Double delight for Duffry team
Victory sealed on home soil
SIX DAYS after claiming the hurling equivalent, Duffry Rovers completed an impressive Enniscorthy Farm Systems Enniscorthy District Junior ‘B’ championship double when their footballers defeated HWH-Bunclody by 2-11 to 1-6 in Thursday’s final played in Coolree.
While the familiarity of their home soil was also going to be an advantage, it didn’t quite materialise that way initially as the Half Way men enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession without much to show for it.
They were awarded nine frees compared to just one for the hosts in the opening ten minutes, but could only count on a brace from John Connors (one free) as they developed an early 0-2 to 0-1 foothold.
HWH-Bunclody’s first decent goal chance arrived on 13 minutes when Ger Cowman ghosted goalside of the defence, but he was quickly bottled up by a dogged Rovers back line before he even had time to release a shot.
And the momentum shifted two minutes later when Thomas Browne and Kyle Kavanagh linked up to assist Alan O’Neill, who goaled through a hole in the net to establish a lead the Duffry wouldn’t surrender.
Colm Redmond knocked down a kick-out for Conor Coleman to loft over a point before Bunclody’s clearest chance of the entire match saw Jamie Kavanagh initiate a give-and-go with Cowman.
And while he nudged the ball goalwards, Seamus Breen bravely got back to divert it around the post.
Again, they were left cursing their luck as the Duffry sprung for a second goal in the last play of the half, as Michael Doyle scruffily poked to the net after his original attempt was well saved at pointblank range by Bobby McKeown.
That meant that the half-time gap was 2-4 to 0-2, and it would require something special for Bunclody to drag it out of the fire.
The green flag that gave them a glimmer of hope arrived three minutes after the break when John Connors deceived everyone by going for goal from a close-in free, and the ball deflected off the leg of a despairing defender.
If anything though, the victors’ most impressive spell came in the final quarter, as they struck four points from play, with Jamie Roban, Doyle, O’Neill and Coleman contributing to complete a very profitable week for their second string.
Duffry Rovers: Ben Nugent; Seamus Breen, James Nolan (capt.), Conor English; James Howlin, Joe Coleman, Jamie Roban (0-1); Colm Redmond, Kyle Kavanagh (0-1); Michael Doyle (1-1), Michael Coleman, Thomas Browne (0-1); Micheál Doyle (0-4, 3 frees), Alan O’Neill (1-1), Conor Coleman (0-2). Subs. - Barry O’Neill for Michael Doyle (51), Eddie Wilson for Breen (56), Graham Breen for English (56), Daryl Johnson for C. Coleman (57).
HWH-Bunclody: Bobby McKeown; Fergal Kelly, Páraic Sinnott, James Doyle; Aidan Mahon, Tadhg Kelly, William Dunne; Brandon Kavanagh, Jamie Kavanagh (capt.); John Connors (1-4 frees), Michael Connors (0-1 free), Ryan McDonald (0-1); Jack Regan, Ger Cowman, James Doyle. Subs. - Adam Sadler for B. Kavanagh (HT), Adam Rowley for Doyle (41), Mick Fitzpatrick for Regan (41).
Referee: Colm O’Flaherty (St. Michael’s, Cork).