Glynn-Barntown revive championship dreams
GLYNN-BARNTOWN CASTLETOWN
LAST year’s beaten finalists Glynn-Barntown revived their championship prospects with a hard earned single point victory over Castletown in this exciting Tom Doyle Supplies Round 5 Group A sSnior football championship game at St. Patrick’s Park, Enniscorthy, on Friday evening last.
While both teams ended up in the quarter-finals they could take little for granted given that so much was at stake, but it was Glynn-Barntown who continued their fine run in their concluding group games to salvage a quarter-final spot, while for Castletown they have also managed to get into the knock-out stages, but both sides will realise that much improvement is needed if they are to give the title race a real shake from here on in.
Many had doubted the standard of football going into this final round of group games, but this game certainly lived up to expectations, as both sides went in search of victory, leading to some fine attacking football, but one also had to admire the defensive qualities of the respective teams, which always ensured that the result would go right down to the wire.
The Glynn-Barntown resurgence continued. While they were lucky to be still in with a real shout given their disappointing start to the campaign, on this occasion they played with the heart, passion and skill, which brought them so close to ultimate glory last year. For Castletown they battled right to the finish but it was their lack of scoring power that came back to haunt them, even failing to convert some kickable frees, with Ben Brosnan being totally off form, leaving Conor Carty to take on the free-taking responsibility in the closing stages, but they were left to regret those earlier misses particularly as the minimum just separated the sides on the final whistle.
While Castletown led by a 1-0 to 0-0 after just three minutes, Conor Carty applying the finish to a James Holmes cross, they were unable to capitalise on this start, with their opponents responding to the challenge with a Gary Delaney fourth minute points, while four minutes later they split open the Castletown defence with a sweeping move leaving Delaney to apply a splendid finish to the net from an acute angle giving his side a 1-1 to 1-0 lead.
After Mark Fanning’s point had extended his sides lead, both sides were denied goal chances through some desperate smothering defending, leaving one to wait until the 17th minute for the games next score a Colin Kennedy point, his rising shot just going over the bar.
Almost immediately a second Kennedy point had the sides level, while Brosnan was wide with two frees while also sending a 45 the wrong side of the posts.
Instead it was the eventual winners who responded, Delaney seeing a free attempt rebound back into play off the right post, but he went on to add two pointed frees to go alongside a Craig Doyle effort, giving them a 1-5 to 1-2 interval lead.
One minute into the second half defender Peter Devine advanced to punch a point, with with Mark Fanning kicking over two fine points, it was Glynn-Barntown who led led 1-7 to 1-4 at the end of the third quarter, with James Holmes pointing for the opposition in between.
Glynn-Barntown had one real goal chance ten minutes before the end but Anthony Masterson denied Fanning with a fine save at the expense of a fruitless 45.
Both sides pressed for crucial scores in the closing stages, with Delaney pointing a 45, while Conor Carty responded with a pointed free.
Then Delaney missed out on two frees, one rebounding off an upright with the other swinging wide, while at the opposite end Carthy underhit a scoreable free.
In additional time, Carty pointed a free from an acute angle but it was Glynn-Barntown who held out for a deserved victory.
Glynn-Barntown: Richie Ryan; Stephen Lynne, Rob Tierney, Padraig Donelly; Nigel Usher, John Lacey, Jack Fenlon; Michael Doyle, Brendan Doyle; Gary Dealey (1-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1, 45), Michael O’Regan, Rioghan Crosbie; Mark Faning (0-3), Craig Doyle (0-1), Barry Doyle. Subs: Alan Cowman for Barry Doyle; Cian Neville for Donnelly; Rowan White for Crosbie.
Castletown: Anthony Masterson; Frank Roche, Danny Gardiner, Conor Cleary; Peter Devine (0-1), Colm Morris, Joe Gardiner; Colin Kennedy (02), Richard Farrell; Conor Carty (1-3, 0-2 frees), James Holmes (0-1), Jody O’Shaughnessy; Donnacha Holmes, Andy Meerrigan, Ben Brosnan. Subs: Stephen Maloney for Merrigan;Pierce Maxwell for Farrell (inj.).