Glynn-Barntown get back to final
O’Shea goal the key score
A 39th-MINUTE Ben O’Shea goal propelled Glynn-Barntown to what was ultimately a comfortable victory in the Greenstar Under-21 hurling Premier championship semi-final in Killurin on Tuesday.
Fionn Cooney gathered possession on the right and floated over an inch-perfect crossfield delivery, and O’Shea did the rest by confidently finishing to the net.
It was the first score of the second-half, after the sides had switched ends deadlocked at nine points apiece, and the hosts never looked back thereafter, with Cooney sealing the deal with the second goal in injury time.
However, Glynn-Barntown will have to brush up on their shooting when they face St. Martin’s in the final tonight (Tuesday) as ten second-half wides to their rivals’ one is testament to their profligacy in front of the posts.
It was score for score for the opening 18 minutes, with Conor Halligan getting Faythe Harriers off the mark and Jack Murphy and Jack O’Leary contributing two points apiece.
Neither team could get more than a point ahead and Matthew Joyce, Rowan White, Jack Fenlon, Ben O’Shea and Fionn Cooney replied for the hosts.
Jack Murphy did manage to build up a small buffer for the Harriers though when he got the next three points on the board, two from placed balls and one from play.
Matthew Joyce and Cormac Byrne then exchanged points, which left the town team with a 0-9 to 0-6 advantage on 28 minutes, but Glynn-Barntown finished the half strongly and drew level with Matt Doyle arrowing over two long-range frees and Ben O’Shea adding another score.
After eight scoreless minutes at the start of the second-half, O’Shea then brought the game back to life when he hit the net after good work from Fionn Cooney.
Glynn-Barntown upped the tempo after the interval with the impressive Jack Fenlon driving them forward from his centre-back berth, and they stretched their lead to 1-14 to 0-11 by the 56th minute.
Points from Matthew Joyce, Jack Fenlon, Rowan White, Matt Doyle and Ben O’Shea kept the scoreboard ticking over, while substitute Cathal Kirwan and Jack Murphy replied for the visitors.
The Harriers then had a sniff of a goal chance, but Conor Halligan’s shot went over, rather than under the crossbar, and moments later Glynn-Barntown completely killed off the contest.
Rowan White played the ball into Fionn Cooney, and although goalkeeper Adam McDaid got a stick to his shot he couldn’t prevent the ball from trickling over the line.
Daniel Lynch replied for Faythe Harriers and Rowan White converted a free deep into injury time for Glynn-Barntown, who will now hope to go one better than last year when they lost out to Crossabeg-Ballymurn in the final.
The game against St. Martin’s is in Wexford Park tonight (Tuesday).
Glynn-Barntown: Adam Kennedy; David Clarke, Callum O’Shea, Shane Codd; James Stafford, Jack Fenlon (0-2), Matt Doyle (0-3 frees); Conor Fenlon, Pádraic Weafer; Rowan White (0-3, 1 free), Kevin Mahoney, Fionn Cooney (1-1); Aaron Kehoe, Matthew Joyce (0-3), Ben O’Shea (1-3). Subs. - Ciarán Joyce for Kehoe, Frankie Hynes for C. Fenlon.
Faythe Harriers: Adam McDaid; Stephen Cummins, Nicky Lawlor, Danny Walsh; Jack Murphy (0-6, 4 frees), Shane Wilde, Fiach O Crualaoich; Cormac Byrne (0-1), Stephen Kearney; Jack O’Leary (0-2), Eoin Roche, Daniel Lynch (0-1); Seán Banville, Conor Halligan (0-2), John Gannon. Subs. - Cathal Kirwan (0-1) for Gannon, Pádraig Clancy for Banville.
Referee: Niall McDonald (Crossabeg-Ballymurn).