Adamstown point way to glory
ADAMSTOWN DOMINATED from beginning to end as they pointed their way past Roscrea in the John West Féile na nGael Division 7 hurling Shield final in the Halo Tiles and Bathrooms Ferns Centre of Excellence on Sunday afternoon.
The St. Abban’s boys would have been quietly confident when they discovered that the Tipperary side whom they beat by five points earlier in the competition would be their opponents once again in this decider
This confidence was evident from the off as Craig Bradley pointed well from play in the second minute. With Adamstown attacking in droves, Dean Kehoe shook off an early wide to extend his side’s lead to two before Bradley added a third, this time from a dead ball in the sixth minute.
Roscrea, clearly struggling with the Wexford side’s high intensity play, found it difficult to make inroads into the opposition half. Yet, their route back into the game materialised with their first real attack, with Diarmuid McLoughlin feeding Oisín Molloy who ran through on goal and blasted expertly past Liam Furlong to the Adamstown net.
Adamstown re-grouped to take the most slender lead into the half-time break, with Bradley pointing impressively from a wide free to put the scoreline at 0-4 to 1-0.
After the re-start, another flurry of Adamstown minors extended their lead. With Kehoe grabbing his second point and Bradley adding his second from play inside the opening minute of the new period, Adamstown’s intent was clear.
Roscrea were still hanging on to contention when Adam O’Gorman’s shot sailed wide after being picked out by Diarmaid Murphy. The lead was extended to four moments later when Aidan Whelan won a free, with Bradley again converting with poise.
Bradley added another in the tenth minute before Murphy earned a point for himself, driving through the Roscrea defence before smartly popping the ball between the posts.
Yet, Roscrea’s clinical side was keeping them in the game. On another rare venture forward, Josh Doran fed Josh Moriarty who flicked intelligently above the onrushing Adamstown netminder to once again make it just a one-score game (0-9 to 2-0).
In situations like this, the next score is always the most important one.
For the first time in the match Adamstown began to look to raise the green flag themselves. Murphy’s shot from distance was saved before Jaden O’Connor denied O’Gorman from close range.
The killer blow finally came in injury time. Again, it was a Bradley pointed free which brought the curtain down on the Division 7 Shield final and granted Adamstown the win they deserved after a dominant final performance.
Adamstown: Liam Furlong; Aiden Whelan, Robert O’Brien, Ben Wall; Colin Stevenson, Connor Whelan, Thomas Jackman; Kevin Dunleavy, Diarmuid Murphy (0-1); Tadhg McDonald, Craig Bradley (capt., 0-7, 5 frees), Matthew O’Neill; Robert Wall, Dean Kehoe (0-2), Conor Gahan. Subs. (rolling) - Laurence Power, Adam O’Gorman, Dara Furlong, James O’Keeffe, Phillip Kearns.
Roscrea: Jaden O’Connor; Dermot McLoughlin, Enda Rowe (capt.), Daniel Russell; Scott Kelly, Josh Moriarty (1-0), John Doran; Lee Doran, Martin Mulrooney, Liam O’Reilly, Tommy Murphy, Josh Doran; Oisín Maloney (1-0), Seán Hoctor, Josh Tynan. Subs. (rolling) - Dean Doheny, Michael Mulvey, Leo Condron.
Referee: Jack Stafford (Clongeen).