Horeswood in excellent form
Winners among favourites
HORESWOOD FAYTHE HARRIERS
WITH THE knockout stages on the horizon, Horeswood have installed themselves among the favourites following this emphatic eleven-point victory over Faythe Harriers in this Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship Group A game in Taghmon on Friday.
With their quarter-final place ensured, this was an ideal opportunity for Horeswood to turn on the style and they managed to achieve this as their free-flowing style of hurling saw them dominating this game from the outset.
And having struck 1-3 inside the opening five minutes, the result was more or less a foregone conclusion such was the manner that they were already on top.
For Faythe Harriers it was a case of two points needed to keep their championship hopes alive, but the defeat leaves them outside the top four and their title aspirations are now just a memory as they exit the race, finishing fifth in the group.
In truth, it never looked as if they were going to take anything from this game such was the total dominance of the eventual winners.
Once Michael O’Hanlon (free) and Seán Nolan had pointed inside the opening three minutes, Horeswood immediately went in search of further score, with Eoin Murphy flicking a high, dropping ball to the edge of the square to the net on four minutes.
One minute later Jamie Myler pounced on the scene to shoot over a point from an acute angle.
Now trailing by 1-3 to nil, Faythe Harriers had their opening score from a long-range Dean Walsh point on six minutes, but the avalanche of Horeswood scores continued.
Playing some quality hurling, they pounced for further goals, first from Michael O’Hanlon at the end of the opening quarter after he cut through the defence, while Myler added a third after 21 minutes.
The eventual winners went on to lead by 3-11 to 2-4 at the interval, with the town side’s two goals coming from Rhys Clarke on 17 and 28 minutes.
There still seemed to be lots of hurling in the Harriers side, but they were unable to deal with the direct play of their opponents, who looked quite an impressive outfit as the game progressed.
After Clarke and Barry Hearn exchanged opening points, Horeswood still looked comfortable as they led by 3-15 to 2-8 at the end of the third quarter.
When Seán Nolan finished splendidly for a goal ten minutes from the end, it sealed a hugely impressive display and quarter-final spot for Horeswood versus Rathnure, as the Harriers showed little penetration against a solid winners’ defence.
Horeswood: Wayne Power; Damien Hearn, Shane O’Hanlon, Gavin Murphy; Danny Byrne, Eamonn O’Sullivan, David Murphy; Seán Stafford, Leigh O’Brien; Barry Hearn (0-1), Michael O’Hanlon (1-5, 0-3 frees), Seán Nolan (1-3); Eoin Murphy (1-1), Jamie Myler (1-5), Eddie Breen (0-2). Subs. - Declan Murphy for E. Murphy, Craig Collier for Breen.
Faythe Harriers: Adam McDaid; Dáire Reville, Cillian Gahan, Paul Gannon; Shane Hall, Alan Lynch, Seán Banville; Dean Walsh (0-2), Jack Murphy (0-2); Conor Halligan (0-1), Shane Howard (0-3, 2 frees), Jack O’Leary; Con O Donnagáin, Rhys Clare (2-2, 0-1 free), Chris Glover (0-1). Subs. - Jake Clancy for Reville, Paddy Glover (0-1) for Glover, Cian O Finneadha for Gannon, John Clancy for Hall.
Referee: Jack Stafford (Clongeen).