Farrell salvages Alley draw

OYLEGATE-GLENBRIEN 0-12, BUFFERS ALLEY 2-6: JOHN FARRELL kicked over the crucial point one minute from the end to hand Buffers Alley a battling draw with an up-to-then dominant Oylegate-Glenbrien in this Enniscorthy Farm Systems Junior football championship Group B game in Monageer on Sunday, writes Brendan Furlong.

Oylegate-Glenbrien looked to be cruising when leading by four points with four minutes remaining.

However, with just two minutes of normal time left, former inter-county hurler Ciarán Kenny, introduced as a substitute, got through for a goal somewhat against the run of play.

And it was Farrell who brought the sides level with just one minute remaining to force a share of the spoils.

Oylegate-Glenbrien should have been out of sight, but wayward finishing cost them as they kicked numerous attempts wide. After Seamus Casey and John Farrell exchanged points inside the opening five minutes, the sides were still deadlocked (0-2 each) at the end of the opening quarter.

Then Seamus Casey (free), and a further effort tipped over for a point by the ‘keeper, helped Oylegate-Glenbrien into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead, but in between those scores they had the influential Jamie Reck black-carded for a rather innocuous foul.

Following this Buffers Alley applied a lot of attacks, resulting in points from a Paul O’Leary free and substitute Cormac Foley, which left them trailing by 0-5 to 0-4 at the interval.

Early second-half points from Ciarán Hourihane and Mark Kavanagh extended their side’s lead to 0-7 to 0-4. The Alley, now showing some improvement, enjoyed their best spell, resulting in points from Paul O’Leary and John Farrell, while Seán Og Whelan found the net from close in to leave the sides level (0-8 to 1-5) after 43 minutes.

With both Mark Kavanagh and Marty Kelly kicking over a string of points, Oylegate-Glenbrien looked comfortably ahead, leading by 0-12 to 1-5, but then came that dramatic late Alley scoring flourish.

Oylegate-Glenbrien: Barry Dunne; Robert O’Connor, Michael Heffernan, Lee Kehoe; Bryan McCormack, Fergus Heffernan, Shane Reck; Tom White (0-1), Mark Kavanagh (0-2); Conor Heffernan (0-1), Jamie Reck, Ciarán Hourihane (0-1); Conor Doyle, Seamus Casey (0-4, 2 frees), Marty Kelly (0-3 frees). Subs. - Pa Cullen for J. Reck (black card), Peter Nolan for C. Heffernan.

Buffers Alley: Darren O’Brien; Alan Doyle, Ross Donohoe, Conor Kenny; Kevin Roche, Shane Grannell, Robert O’Leary; Domhnall McArdle, Paudie Reidy; Seán Murphy, John Farrell (0-2), Paul O’Leary (0-3 frees); Pat Kenny, Seán Og Whelan (1-0), Ciarán Murphy. Subs. - Cormac Foley (0-1) for Roche, inj., Ciarán Kenny (1-0) for Whelan.

Referee: Mick Lanigan (Shelmaliers).