Cloughbawn finish with flourish to beat Harriers
PETTITT’S SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP B
FOUR UNANSWERED points in the last eight minutes saw Cloughbawn overcome the stubborn challenge of Faythe Harriers in a hard-fought Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship Group B clash in O’Kennedy Park on Sunday.
When substitute Shane Wilde split the posts in the 50th minute it edged the Harriers into a 1-9 to 0-11 advantage, but Cloughbawn finished strongly to make sure of their place in the last eight.
The men in green and white now have a quarter-final with Rapparees to look forward to, while Faythe Harriers have the daunting prospect of a relegation final with St. Anne’s looming on the horizon.
The Wexford town side may have had nothing but pride to play for on Sunday, but they will have garnered some confidence from their performance, as even without star man Lee Chin they pushed Cloughbawn all the way.
Cloughbawn, on the other hand, seemed to be going through the motions for much of the contest and it wasn’t until the final quarter that they really upped the ante and played like a team that had their destiny in their own hands.
Faythe Harriers were marginally the better side during a pretty pedestrian first-half and held a 1-6 to 0-7 advantage as the sides switched ends.
Kevin Gore got the ball rolling for the Wexford town side, opening the scoring in the third minute, and Rhys Clarke stroked over a free to double their advantage.
Bob Whitty opened the Cloughbawn account in the ninth minute when he fizzed a shot narrowly over the crossbar, and two frees each from Rhys Clarke and Harry Kehoe plus a Martin Kehoe point saw the sides deadlocked at 0-4 apiece on the quarter-hour mark.
Another Clarke free edged the Harriers back in front in the 22nd minute, and seconds later they had the green flag waving.
Jim Berry’s effort at a point was batted down by goalkeeper Noel Carton, and Stephen Kearney was quickest to the loose ball and forced the sliothar over the line to make it 1-5 to 0-4.
Cloughbawn reacted well though and got the next three points on the board through Harry Kehoe (free), Bob Whitty and Colm Kehoe.
Rhys Clarke floated over a free in the 29th minute to give Faythe Harriers a two-point cushion at the break, although Cloughbawn came close to bagging a goal just before half-time when Ian Scallan did well to save a Martin Kehoe shot and Paul Foley sent the follow-up effort wide of the left upright.
Martin Kehoe again threatened to find the back of the net shortly after the re-start, but again Scallan was equal to the shot and Alan Carton was also thwarted in the aftermath.
Points from Paul Foley and Bob Whitty drew the Enniscorthy District side level but a Jim Berry score in the 37th minute nosed Faythe Harriers back in front.
Paul Foley levelled matters again two minutes later, and a fine Harry Kehoe point on 46 minutes put Cloughbawn ahead for the first time with the finishing line in sight.
The Harriers weren’t finished yet though and points from Daniel Lynch and Shane Wilde edged them back in front with ten minutes to play.
However, Cloughbawn dug in when it mattered most and reeled off the last four points, three from Paul Foley and one from Colm Kehoe, and they can now look forward to a last eight tussle with Rapparees.
The late sending-off of Jim Berry left a sour taste in the mouths of the Faythe Harriers faithful, and they will now have to dust themselves down for a real relegation dogfight against St. Anne’s.
Cloughbawn: Noel Carton; M.J. Furlong, Tomás Furlong, Gavin Murphy; Johnny Cullen, Páidí Cullen, Barry Kehoe; Colm Kehoe (0-2), Davin Murphy; Harry Kehoe (0-4, 3 frees), Alan Carton, Barry Carton; Bob Whitty (0-3), Paul Foley (0-5, 3 frees), Martin Kehoe (0-1). Sub. - Connal Flood for D. Murphy.
Faythe Harriers: Ian Scallan; Brendan Mulligan, Richie Kehoe, Ross Lynch; David Mooney, Emmet Keeling, Colm Heffernan; Alex Lynch, Alan Lynch; Daniel Lynch (0-1), Jim Berry (0-1), Rhys Clarke (0-5 frees); Pádraigh Farrell, Kevin Gore (0-1), Stephen Kearney (1-0). Subs. - Shane Wilde (0-1) for Gore, Nicky Lawlor for Farrell.
Referee: Anthony Tobin (Geraldine O’Hanrahans).