HOLDERS MARCH ON IN SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Glynn-Barntown couldn’t capitalise in dire second-half
ST. MARTIN’S 2-8 GLYNN-BARNTOWN 1-7
ST. MARTIN’S did all of their best work in the first-half in Innovate Wexford Park on Sunday when they qualified for a fourth Tom Doyle Supplies Senior football championship semi-final on the bounce with a four-point win over Glynn-Barntown in a sub-standard encounter.
It looked like a handy win was on the cards for the runners-up in 2015 and 2017 when they led by 2-7 to 1-2 at the break, but they only managed to add one point to their tally in a second period of Junior ‘B’ quality.
It was a real eyesore of a contest that plumetted to new depths with every passing minute, and the amazing thing is that St. Martin’s still never looked like losing even though they were so poor after the break.
That in itself was a telling indictment of their rivals who haven’t managed to kick on at all since losing the final to Gusserane’s late burst in 2016.
This was their second quarter-final exit on the trot to the same opponents, having lost by 0-18 to 2-6 in Bellefield last year, and some of their second-half misses were hard to believe.
Michael O’Regan, Aaron Breen (two), Alan Cowman and even goalkeeper Matt Doyle all wasted scoreable frees that really needed to be converted if Glynn-Barntown were to entertain any hope of causing an upset.
It wasn’t to be though, and they now need to turn their attention to Saturday’s hurling relegation final and try to ensure that 2018 doesn’t turn out to be a truly miserable year on both fronts.
St. Martin’s have probably got to the last four playing a lot less football than the other three remaining contenders, but that will have to change fast on the evidence of this display.
The lack of practice was particularly noticeable in their lazy tackling, and they conceded 29 frees overall, including 19 in the second-half, compared to a total of 16 from their rivals.
Glynn-Barntown couldn’t have wished for a better start, as corner-forward Rioghan Crosbie was hauled down and dusted himself off to rattle the net from a penalty in the third minute.
Barry O’Connor and Ciarán Lyng responded with points before Jamie Carty levelled from a free, but it was 1-2 to 0-3 in Glynn-Barntown’s favour by the 19th minute after Craig Doyle and Michael O’Regan (free) raised white flags.
St. Martin’s hadn’t used the wind to their advantage up to that point, but the 2-4 they scored without reply from the 19th minute to half-time put them in the driving seat and gave them a much-needed cushion in light of what followed.
Ciarán Lyng latched on to a favourable bounce over Rowan White’s head and, after rounding Pádraig Donnelly, he hit the post, but Jamie Carty was on hand to slot the rebound home and put them ahead for the first time (1-3 to 1-2).
A brilliant solo effort by Daithí Waters was the pick of the three points that quickly followed before a super pass over the head of the last defender by Carty found Jack O’Connor who coolly rolled the ball past netminder Matt Doyle.
Although they trailed by 2-7 to 1-2 at half-time, Glynn-Barntown showed early promise on the re-start as Rioghan Crosbie and Michael O’Regan (free) picked off points inside two minutes.
It wasn’t a sign of things to come though, and the standard was frankly awful from that stage onwards as the two teams served up the poorest half of football I have seen in any grade all year.
After nearly 14 scoreless minutes, wing-back Peter Barry kicked that sole additional Martin’s point at the start of the last quarter (2-8 to 1-4).
And although they lost substitute Harry O’Connor to a straight red card in the 56th minute – with fellow replacement Dylan Lyne picking up a yellow in the same incident – the victors remained very comfortable in defence where Willie Devereux was a stand-out performer.
Rioghan Crosbie (free) narrowed the gap to 2-8 to 1-5 in the 50th minute, but the outcome was well and truly decided by the time captain John Leacy and substitute Stephen Lyne added late consolation points.
St. Martin’s: Luke White; Mark Maloney, Willie Devereux, Philip Dempsey; Peter Barry (0-1), Aaron Maddock (capt.), Paudie Kelly; Daithí Waters (0-1), Ben Maddock; Patrick O’Connor, Ciarán Lyng (0-2), Jake Firman; Jamie Carty (1-1, 0-1 free), Jack O’Connor (1-0), Barry O’Connor (0-3, 1 free). Subs. - Harry O’Connor for P. O’Connor (47), Darren Codd for Lyng (50), Joe O’Connor for Barry (50), Jack Devereux for Carty (54), Kyle Firman for Dempsey, inj. (54).
Glynn-Barntown: Matt Doyle; David Clarke, Pádraig Donnelly, Jack Fenlon; Rowan White, John Leacy (capt., 0-1), James Stafford; Michael Doyle, Craig Doyle (0-1); Aaron Breen, Barry Doyle, Fionn Cooney; Rioghan Crosbie (1-2, 1-0 pen., 0-1 free), Brendan Doyle, Michael O’Regan (0-2 frees). Subs. - Shane Wilde for Brendan Doyle (HT), Rob Tierney for Fenlon (HT), Alan Cowman for O’Regan, inj. (41), Nigel Usher for C. Doyle, black card (44), Dylan Lyne for Barry Doyle (47), Stephen Lyne (0-1) for Crosbie (51).
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Blackwater).