Templenoe hold firm

IT got a bit nervous for them towards the finish but Templenoe eventually pulled through on home turf to book their place in a second successive Intermediate semi-final as the team that succeeded them as All-Ireland Junior Club Champions in Glenbeigh / Glencar were made to pay for a poor display on the scoring front.

All bar three of the Mid Kerry side’s scores would come from frees as Tadhg Morley negated Darran O’Sullivan’s influence on the game and Danny Cahalane put in a great shift in the Templenoe half-back line.

The contest never quite lived up to the quality expected in advance, but it was still in the balance coming towards the finish as the visitors hauled an eight point deficit at the break back to a single score.

That was more to do with the host’s wastefulness however as opposed to any brilliance on Glenbeigh / Glencar’s part. Gavan O’Grady scored the first of eight points for himself (seven from frees) in the third minute, but it was the only time the visitors led as Brian Crowley fed Killian Spillane for an instant response.

The game’s only goal came a minute later and it came from an area Templenoe punished their fellow All-Ireland champions all evening in terms of their kick-outs as Stephen O’Sullivan found Crowley for a 1-1 to 0-1 lead.

In all the Kenmare District outfit hit 1-5 without reply, the pick of them coming from a good interception by Cahalane in the 12th minute that led to a point for Pat Spillane at the other end as Gavin Crowley also managed to put his name on the scoreboard for Templenoe.

Their lead was 1-8 to 0-3 at halftime, another free from O’Grady and a Tommy Cahill point the Glenbeigh / Glencar scores as goalkeeper Shane Cremin and Morley were alert to different moments of potential danger before the half-time whistle.

The second-half saw four consecutive wides (three from the hosts, one for the visitors) before two frees from O’Grady left six points between the sides.

Templenoe were guilty of over-elaboration at times in getting the ball into their forward line. Despite Fergal Griffin reducing the gap to five points, the hosts should have scored a second goal on the three-quarter mark.

A ‘45 saw the ball hit the underside of the bar and Spillane had time with the ensuing scramble to claim the rebound but his shot billowed off the crossbar to Glenbeigh / Glencar’s relief as Pat Spillane put over what proved to be their final point in the 48th minute for a 1-10 to 0-7 lead.

The visitors seemed to feel they could salvage something after coming through that moment of worry as they started to edge nearer on the scoreboard. A bit of frustration on the part of the hosts helped them on that front though as substitute John Rice received a black card in the 51st minute only four minutes after coming into proceedings while Teddy Doyle also received the same card two minutes later.

Driven on by the impressive Jack Brosnan, the visitors came within two points on the stroke of 60 minutes but some wayward shooting came against them in the end with a half-chance for substitute Jason McKenna the only opportunity for a game winning goal.

There will be no immediate return to Croke Park for the reigning All-Ireland Junior champions, but they will feel a challenge at the intermediate might be something in their future with some more conviction down the line.

This is Templenoe’s fifth time in six years reaching a club championship semi-final across the different grades but they need to use the gap to the semi-finals wisely if they wish to return to another final.

TEMPLENOE: Shane Cremin, Kieran O’Neill, Gavin Crowley (0-1), Mike Hallissey, Danny Cahalane, Tadhg Morley, Cian Hallissey, Sean Sheehan, Adrian Spillane (0-1), Josh Crowley-Holland, Brian Crowley (1-2), Pat Spillane Jnr (0-2), Stephen O’Sullivan, Teddy Doyle, Killian Spillane (0-4, 2f) Subs: John Rice for Adrian Spillane, Kieran McCarthy for Rice (Black Card) and Joseph Sheehan for Doyle (Black Card) GLENBEIGH/GLENCAR: Rory O’Connor, Sean Roche, Ciaran Doyle, Stephen O’Sullivan, Jack Brosnan, Pa Kilkenny, Shane Riordan, Colin McGuillycuddy, Fergal Griffin (0-1), Caoilm Teahan, Darran O’Sullivan, Tommy Cahill (0-2, 1f), Kieran Courtney (0-8, 7f), Daniel Griffin Subs: Jason McKenna for Griffin. REFEREE: Donal Casey (Scartaglin)