Oylegate zone in on double
Dose of the blues for Kilrush in Minor football shield
OYLEGATE-GLENBRIEN KILRUSH
AS THE hopes of one potential double were sunk, another edged closer to reality as Oylegate-Glenbrien claimed the Wexford People Minor football Roinn 1 shield in St. Patrick’s Park on Saturday.
Kilrush came into the game with the Roinn 2 hurling crown in their back pockets and were looking to add the impressive scalp of the upwardly mobile Enniscorthy District club.
To their credit, for a long time it looked like they might just pull off that surprise. Sometimes teams in shield finals don’t have the same level of intensity of those in championships, but that wasn’t a problem for the Ballyroebuck club as they went all out for victory.
It was close most of the way. Just a point ahead at the break (1-7 to 1-6), Oylegate-Glenbrien slowly massaged their lead in the third quarter. Yet it was only when Joe Dunne smashed home his second goal in the 53rd minute that the contest really felt over.
The eventual victors started with intent. There was just eight minutes on the clock when Fiachra Hourihane and Tom White spliced the Kilrush defence open with a string of crisp handpasses before off-loading to Dunne for the cool finish.
Seconds later White cracked the foot of the post when through as Oylegate-Glenbrien threatened to run riot. Facing away from goal, an outrageous back-heeled point from Darragh Kinsella in the twelfth minute provide the spark that Kilrush needed to get them going.
The Gorey District side were 1-2 to 0-3 down when James Byrne fed Kinsella and he fired past Peter Rowley. Three Kevin Kenny frees sent them a goal ahead but Oylegate-Glenbrien responded with the last four of the half to take a lead in at the break.
And slowly they built on it. Dunne and Paudie Casey both picked off a brace as the lead swelled to five. While Byrne and Seán Kirwan got goals in the last ten minutes for Kilrush, they were only in response to raised green flags by Dunne and Adam Gethings as the winners kept their noses in front to the final whistle.
Oylegate-Glenbrien don’t have much time to contemplate their big ball success.
Their focus most of the season has been on hurling and they have a chance to end it with a Premier shield, which they will claim if they navigate their way past Rapparees and Glynn-Barntown in the coming weeks.
Oylegate-Glenbrien: Peter Rowley; Tomás Cosgrave, Kevin Cosgrave, Joseph Whelan; Conor Nolan (0-1), Tom White (capt., 0-4), Michael Shiggins (0-1); Mike Kelly, Eoghan Herlihy (0-1); Jack Reck, Fiachra Hourihane, Paudie Casey (0-2); Ryan Hill (0-2), Danny Ryan (0-1), Joe Dunne (2-3, 0-2 frees). Subs. - Adam Gethings (1-0) for Ryan (41), Jim Moulton for White (54), also Niall Parker, Gary Conroy, Richard Kelly.
Kilrush: Conor Kehoe (capt.); Pádraig O’Rourke, Garrett O’Connor, Ronan Dillon; Kieran Kenny, Jim Sharry, Peter O’Neill; Seán Bookey (0-1), John Kavanagh; Seán Kirwan (1-1), James Byrne (1-1), Jack Nolan; Kevin Kenny (0-3 frees), Darragh Kinsella (1-2, 0-1 free), Tom Kinsella. Subs. - Páiric Hayden for T. Kinsella (45), Martin Byrne for Kieran Kenny (54), also Seán O’Rourke, Colm Hayes, Ned O’Neill.
Referee: Ian Plunkett (Marshalstown-Castledockrell).