Cloughbawn complete first leg of super double
CLOUGHBAWN GLYNN-BARNTOWN 1-11 0-11 WHILE A powerful second-half display was what drove Cloughbawn over the line and into the Junior ‘A’ hurling championship final at the expense of Glynn-Barntown in Bellefield on Saturday, it was their first-half goal, when not playing very well, that proved to be the critical score.
In the first 23 minutes the Killurin-based club picked off seven points.
Their opponents didn’t raise a white flag until the 28th minute, yet, what they did do was find the net to keep themselves right in contention.
The goal came in the 13th minute with Cloughbawn trailing by 0-3 to nil. It also came three minutes after Michael Muldoon made a fine save to deny Kevin Mahoney a major at the other end.
Gareth Murphy drove the sliothar long, and Michael Kavanagh collected and shot, bringing a fine save out of Cathal Leacy. A mini-scramble ensued with the ball eventually breaking perfectly for Michael Redmond to sweep to the net.
Still, it didn’t seem to deter Glynn-Barntown. Three Aaron Kehoe points in a row sent them from level to three up, and Ciarán Joyce added another to make it 0-7 to 1-0.
Cloughbawn, with no point in the opening 27 minutes, scored three late in the half through Joey Lawlor (two) and Kavanagh to be right in the contest at the changearound.
Glynn-Barntown got a couple of frees early in the second-half to move 0-9 to 1-3 ahead but didn’t score again in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Cloughbawn got on a bit of a roll with three Lawlor points bringing them level after 42 minutes.
Another big moment went Cloughbawn’s way two minutes later.
Cleverly Aaron Kehoe took a quick free to the unmarked Kevin Mahoney, and with only Muldoon to beat the Glynn-Barntown forward struck it hard but too central and the ‘keeper pulled off a fine save.
Lawlor gave Cloughbawn their first lead (1-7 to 0-9), only for Matt Doyle to respond with a brace of placed balls. Michael Redmond levelled before two stunning strikes, one each from tight to opposite touchlines by Conor Harrington, put the eventual victors two clear.
While Kavanagh’s injury-time shot was deflected wide, Redmond converted the resulting ‘65 to wrap up victory for Cloughbawn, book a place opposite Monageer-Boolavogue in the title decider, and complete the first leg of a weekend double over Glynn-Barntown.
Cloughbawn: Michael Muldoon; Cathal Spratt, Tony Keating, David Doyle-Murphy; Shane Flood, Colin Doyle, Gareth Murphy; Robert Kinsella, Joey Lawlor (capt., 0-6, 4 frees); Conor Harrington (0-2), Niall Doran, Thomas Foley; John Paul Furlong, Michael Kavanagh (0-1), Michael Redmond (1-2, 0-1 ‘65). Subs. - Liam Kehoe for Doran, inj. (37), Michael Connors for Furlong (57).
Glynn-Barntown: Cathal Leacy; Gavin Walsh, P.J. Carley, Gary Sutton; Dylan Roche, Matt Doyle (capt., 0-5 frees), John O’Flynn; Conor Fenlon, Frankie Hynes; Jimmer Doyle, Aaron Kehoe (0-4, 2 frees), Ciarán Joyce (01); Cian Neville, Kevin Mahoney (0-1), Ben O’Shea. Subs. - Seán Fortune for J. Doyle (49), Shane Carley for Neville (59).
Referee: Pádraig Byrne (Ballyfad).