Strong backs seal third win
Monageer topping the table
THE BEST-PERFORMING defence in club hurling right now came up with the goods yet again in Farmleigh on Saturday as Monageer-Boolavogue out-pointed next door neighbours Shamrocks to make it an impressive three wins from three in Group B of The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate championship.
The reds had conceded a paltry 1-9 twice in their victories over Adamstown and Crossabeg-Ballymurn respectively, and that excellent average was more or less maintained this time around as the Enniscorthy town team could only muster 0-13, with a mere seven from play.
Chris Daly and team captain Tommy Breen provide the experience and the physique down the spine of that strong back line, with the latter making some crucial second-half fetches in this victory.
However, the real eye-catchers are their four small but speedy performers on the flanks: the O’Reillys on the right, and Liam Gahan and Mick Sweeney on the left.
All tidy, compact hurlers with a strong first touch, they excelled on Saturday as the Intermediate ‘A’ champions of 2015 took their biggest scalp yet. Both sides were unbeaten after two rounds and this was the crunch clash, with local bragging rights at stake along with everything else.
And any Monageer-Boolavogue folk making the short journey into Enniscorthy this week will be doing so with a spring in their step, as they were worthy winners this time around.
The Shamrocks cause wasn’t helped by the loss of centre-back George Jacob with an injury to his left calf after just 14 minutes, especially as they were already without one of their key forwards in John O’Connor.
Having said that, Jacob’s replacement, Maurice Casey, was one of his team’s key performers, coming in at left half-forward and featuring prominently from placed balls and play.
Early Monageer-Boolavogue points from Diarmuid Fenlon and Brian O’Loughlin (free) were cancelled both times by the strong running Brandon O’Connor and Bob Jacob (free).
However, the latter’s radar wasn’t working as normal and it led to a huge let-off for the eventual winners after the outstanding Stephen Murphy and O’Loughlin (free) pushed them 0-4 to 0-2 clear.
Shamrocks were awarded a penalty in the tenth minute when Chris Daly was penalised for holding Ronan Gahan as they contested a George Jacob delivery, but Bob Jacob didn’t get hold of his shot at all and it went to the left and tamely wide after taking a bounce along the way.
Larry Murphy added one of his trademark spectacular points for the leaders, this time from the right sideline, before a Harry Goff goal attempt for Shamrocks was well saved by Seán Murphy, one of the best in the business at this level.
Goff did narrow the gap to 5-3, but Monageer-Boolavogue went on to lead 10-7 at the break after the points flowed in the last nine minutes of the half.
The two stand-out scores both came from Stephen Murphy whose ball-winning ability from his own team’s puck-outs posed all sorts of problems for Shamrocks.
Still, the town side resumed brightly as Brandon O’Connor, now at midfield, and Maurice Casey (free) reduced arrears to one, with Seán Wildes driving a low shot across goal and wide in between.
It took a fourth point from play by Stephen Murphy to steady Monageer-Boolavogue, and the composed hurling of their defence created a platform for further scores from Cathal Walsh, Diarmuid Fenlon and Brian O’Loughlin (free) as the gap widened to 14-9 with twelve minutes left.
A trio of Maurice Casey points, the middle one from play, made for a tight conclusion though, with O’Loughlin (free) and Ronan Gahan swapping scores before Monageer-Boolavogue had another stroke of good fortune.
Seán Wildes sent a long line ball from the right towards the far post where Maurice Casey batted it back across goal and agonisingly wide.
It was Shamrocks’ last throw of the dice, and although the leaders shot three late wides, there was an insurance point thrown into the mix 50 seconds into added time when Tommy Breen made a catch and found Niall O’Reilly whose pinpoint pass was driven high and handsome between the posts from distance on the left by substitute Peter Mernagh.
Monageer-Boolavogue: Seán Murphy; Graham O’Reilly, Chris Daly, Liam Gahan; Niall O’Reilly, Tommy Breen (capt.), Mick Sweeney; Ian Hawkins, Larry Murphy (0-2); Damien Fenlon, Stephen Murphy (0-4), Cathal Walsh (0-1); Diarmuid Fenlon (0-2), Brian O’Loughlin (0-5 frees), Matthew Dunne (0-1). Subs. - Colm O’Loughlin for Damien Fenlon (46), Peter Mernagh (0-1) for Walsh (52).
Shamrocks: Jamie Dagg; Barry Dobbs, Mick Weafer, Podge Doyle; Karl Cullen, George Jacob, Anthony Wallace; Bob Jacob (0-1 free), Philip Freeman (capt.); Harry Goff (0-1), Jack Moorehouse (0-1), Cyril Thorpe; Seán Wildes, Ronan Gahan (0-1), Brandon O’Connor (0-3). Subs. - Maurice Casey (0-6, 4 frees, 1 ’65) for G. Jacob, inj. (14), John Thorpe for C. Thorpe (48).
Referee: Ian Plunkett (Marshalstown-Castledockrell).