Cloughbawn in command
Third final in six years next
CLOUGHBAWN 1-9 VOLUNTEERS 0-6
PATIENCE AND composure were the chief factors in Bellefield on Saturday as Cloughbawn advanced to a third Joyces Expert Intermediate ‘A’ football championship final in six years at the expense of a Volunteers side lacking penetration in the attacking third of the field.
The victors had to bide their time to pick their way through a packed defence, with the Wexford town team under strict orders from the sideline to retreat in numbers any time a move broke down.
And it was a test that Cloughbawn passed with flying colours, with their decisive goal arriving in the 43rd minute when wing-back David Doyle-Murphy side-footed to the net from close range after Páidí Cullen, Colm Kehoe and Bob Whitty featured in the build-up.
Not for the first time, Colm Kehoe was the conductor of the winners’ orchestra, and he probably featured on the ball more often than any other player on the field.
However, of even greater importance to Cloughbawn was the presence of so many willing helpers around him.
The Cullens, Barry Kehoe, and particularly the excellent Gavin Murphy, all used the ball very well, giving their side a chance now to atone for their final defeats in 2013 and 2016 to Kilmore and Duffry Rovers respectively.
As for Volunteers, they couldn’t get their inter-county dangerman, David Shannon, into the game as the full-forward was restricted to just one point from play.
Given Cloughbawn’s dominance in the middle third, it might have been worth a punt to move him to centrefield, if only to get him more involved in the action, but it didn’t happen as the big man from Skibbereen remained close to the opposition goal for the most part where he was marked diligently by Colin Doyle.
Volunteers, with their 125th anniversary celebrations just around the corner, opened brightly with a third-minute point from Aaron McGuire, but they only raised one more white flag in the first-half when Shannon earned and converted a free early in the second quarter. The early loss through injury of experienced midfielder Danny O’Sullivan was a clear blow to their chances.
Wind-aided Cloughbawn took a while to get going, but they never looked back after Bob Whitty equalised from a free in the ninth minute.
Indeed, Gavin Murphy’s mark from the kick-out led to a well-taken score by Páidí Cullen.
They were never headed thereafter, although another one of their sound performers, netminder Paul Foley, helped immensely in that regard when he parried a head-high Mikey Lawlor shot in the twelfth minute.
A Martin Kehoe point drew that response from David Shannon, but Cloughbawn started to edge away in the lead-up to half-time as Colm Kehoe (free), Bob Whitty and Kehoe from play left them with a 0-6 to 0-2 interval lead.
Substitute Shane Bates and David Shannon (free) pointed for the Vols on either side of Whitty’s sole score from play on the restart, but there was to be no way back for the eventual losers after that Cloughbawn goal arrived near the end of the third quarter.
Referee Brendan Holohan consulted with his umpires before they agreed that David Doyle-Murphy wasn’t inside the square prior to getting the final touch on Whitty’s low shot.
That made it 1-7 to 0-4, and Cloughbawn played keep-ball without any dodgy moments for the remainder of a generally disappointing contest.
Bob Whitty converted two more frees, in between Shannon’s sole point from play and a second for Shane Bates, leaving the Clonroche crew in a positive frame of mind as they turn back to hurling and Saturday’s Intermediate semi-final versus HWH-Bunclody.
Cloughbawn: Paul Foley; Stephen Casserly, Colin Doyle, James Dempsey; David Doyle-Murphy (1-0), Johnny Cullen (capt.), Gavin Murphy; Barry Kehoe, Páidí Cullen (0-1); Harry Kehoe, Colm Kehoe (0-2, 1 free), Kyle Murphy; Bob Whitty (0-5, 4 frees), Martin Kehoe (0-1), Páidí Kehoe.
Volunteers: John Coady; Anthony Walsh, Geoff Scally, Brian Sheridan; Jason Kearns (capt.), Mikey Banville, Cian Brennan; Danny O’Sullivan, Stephen Burke; Luke Dowdall, Wayne Mallon, Peter Walsh; Mikey Lawlor, David Shannon (0-3, 2 frees), Aaron McGuire (0-1). Subs. - Jack O’Leary for O’Sullivan, inj. (7), Shane Bates (0-2) for Dowdall (24), Donal O’Connor for Lawlor (HT), Eoin McCarthy for Scally (48).
Referee: Brendan Holohan (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown).