Brody’s goals vital
Enniscorthy boys dethrone Gorey
BOOKENDED BY Brody Murphy goals, St. Mary’s C.B.S. proved too strong for Gorey Community School in the Top Oil South Leinster Post-Primary Schools Juvenile hurling ‘B’ championship final in the Halo Tiles and Bathrooms Ferns Centre of Excellence on Friday.
The Crossabeg-Ballymurn clubman opened the scoring in the first minute with a clinical low finish, and wrapped up the title with a rocket high past Jack Fleming with 56 minutes on the clock to cement a thoroughly-deserved victory.
For St. Mary’s to dethrone the champions it was going to take something a little special. Not only did they get just that from their intimidatingly talented full-forward line, but the twelve behind were absolutely superb too.
Goals are the norm in these types of contest. For instance, in Gorey’s Leinster final win last year, they registered seven of the game’s nine majors to beat Dublin opposition in Coláiste Eoin. However, that was never likely to be repeated with this Enniscorthy defence.
They were absolutely sensational, hooking, blocking, throwing their bodies on the line to stop shots. It was an uber-determined effort not to allow their opponents the goal they so badly needed.
It certainly helped that they had two of their own majors in the first five minutes. Murphy’s opener came after Oisín Pepper had been blocked down, and the ball found its way to the double-goalscorer who rattled the rigging.
Micheál Rowsome responded with his side’s only score from play in the third minute. That was countered soon after when Pepper latched on to Shane Kehoe’s clever pass and batted down into the Gorey goal.
Enniscorthy relished playing with the elements and continued to build their lead, as scores from Pepper, Conal Kervick and Darren Kelly eased them 2-4 to 0-2 ahead with just 18 minutes on the clock.
Gorey had a spell of pressure in the second quarter but just couldn’t break down that miserly C.B.S. defence. Two Rowsome frees looked like scant reward, especially after scores from Kelly (two) and Pepper made it 2-7 to 0-4 at the interval.
Rowsome saw his long-range effort disallowed for square ball in the 34th minute. He did add a dead ball in the 36th minute, and another at the start of the final quarter, to narrow the gap to seven (2-7 to 0-6).
Yet that was as close as Gorey got to the champions. Kelly’s free, awarded after Murphy was tripped, settled the nerves before the Crossabeg-Ballymurn starlet ended the contest late on with a cracking finish to the net after another searching Kehoe pass, sending C.B.S. to the provincial final in style.
St. Mary’s: Conor Murphy; Dara Casey, Sam O’Brien, Matt Kinnaird; David Hennebry, Josh Waldron, Aaron Byrne; Darren Kelly (0-4, 3 frees, 1 ‘65), Shane Kehoe; Fionn Walsh, Patrick Redmond, Stephen San Augustin; Conor Kervick (0-1), Brody Murphy (capt., 2-1), Oisín Pepper (1-2). Subs. - Seán Fitzpatrick for Kervick (49), also Cian McCormack, Ronan Kervick, Aaron Wallace, Pierce Redmond, Cameron Clarke, Aidan Denton, Ger Kennedy, Ryan Quigley, Darragh Kehoe, Mikey McVeigh, Jack Kehoe.
Gorey C.S.: Jack Fleming; Kevin Hyland, Cormac Doyle, Seán O’Hagan; Conor Kinsella, Ryan Connolly, Brian Cushe; Geoffrey Lande, Micheál Rowsome (0-6, 4 frees, 1 ‘65); Joe Curtis, Kyle Moore (capt.), Seán O’Brien-Murphy; J.J. Twamley, Jack Twomey, Shamey O’Hagan. Subs. - Lee Cushe for O’Hagan (25), also Rory Tubritt, Eoin Coleman, Darragh Fitzpatrick, Conor Jones, Farrell Doyle, Thomas Wheatley, James Higgins, Seán Millar, Oisín O’Hagan, Ross Arnold, James Barrett, Seán Egan, Eoin Kelly, Ted Kenny, Pádraig Kinsella, Harry McGuckin, Scott Murphy, Eric Dignam, Michael Dineen, Shane Mahon.
Referee: James Owens (Askamore).