Clongeen earn last eight derby clash with victory
CLONGEEN D’TOWN-C’CUDDY
CLONGEEN EARNED their passage through to the quarter-finals as a result of this hardearned four-point victory over Davidstown-Courtnacuddy in this Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship Group B game in Bree on Monday.
Clongeen may have deserved their victory in the end but they had to withstand a strong Davidstown-Courtnacuddy second-half recovery, with their two first-half goals providing crucial as they went on to set up a quarter-final clash with District rivals, Horeswood.
Little separated the sides during the opening ten minutes, sharing two points apiece as Shane Cahill (free) and Robert Farrell were on target for the eventual winners, while Mark Byrne and Johnny Delaney (’65) responded for the opposition.
Clongeen were beginning to gain an edge in the outfield clashes, and a long Donal Murphy crossfield ball found Paul Curtis who finished with a fine shot across the goal into the opposite corner of the net, giving his side a 1-2 to 0-2 lead after ten minutes.
The Enniscorthy District side responded with a David O’Shea point, but Clongeen maintained their grip.
They added further points through Curtis and Cahill (two, one free), before Paudie Cahill found the net from close in after 23 minutes which gave his side a 2-7 to 0-4 interval lead.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy opened the second-half impressively through points from David Dunne and Johnny Delaney. While the sides continued to trade scores, Clongeen still led by 2-8 to 0-7 at the end of the third quarter.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy had by this stage taken a grip on the outfield possession, mainly through the fine play of David Dunne and Pa Rowsome, but they had to wait until six minutes from the end for their only goal.
Johnny Delaney applied the finish from close in, leaving it 2-10 to 1-8, but that was as good as it got as Clongeen held out comfortably enough in the end.
Their District derby quarter-final is in New Ross on Saturday.
Clongeen: Ricky Rochford; Stephen Curtis, Anton Stafford, Donal Whelan; Richard Rochford, Barry Foxe, Marty Reville; Donal Murphy, Shane Cahill (0-4 frees); Robert Farrell (0-2), Shane Kilkenny, Ger Foxe (0-2); Enda Murphy, Paudie Cahill (1-1), Paul Curtis (1-2). Subs. - James Rochford for Cahill, Tom Donovan for S. Curtis, Jamie Keating (0-1) for G. Foxe.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy: Stephen Dunbar; Ger Martin, Mick Murphy, Kevin Keane; Daryl Freeman, Pa Rowsome, Donal O’Shea (0-1); Paul Sheridan, James Doyle; Stephen Kennedy, David Dunne (0-4), Philip Murphy (0-2); Mark Byrne (0-1), Stephen Sheridan, Johnny Delaney (1-3, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ’65). Subs. - James Kelly for P. Sheridan, Daragh Cooper for S. Sheridan, Mark Murphy for O’Shea, Danny Delaney for Kennedy.
Referee: Pádraig Byrne (Tara Rocks).