Glynn survive tight derby
PRE-MATCH favourites Glynn-Barntown needed extra-time to get the better of home side Ballyhogue in the opening round of the Greenstar Under-21 football Premier championship at a showery Bree on Saturday, with the Killurin side eventually sealing a flattering 2-14 to 0-13 victory.
In truth, the hosts were no way seven points the inferior team, and in fact edged it in terms of chance conversion rate and discipline throughout the regulation 60 minutes.
But a few of the Bree lads went down to the ground with cramp as the game veered towards the conclusion, and ultimately Glynn-Barntown’s greater fitness levels told as they outscored their neighbours by 0-8 to 0-1 in extra-time to advance to the ‘A’ quarter-final.
The game was over-shadowed though by a nasty looking elbow injury to Rowan White early on, which necessitated his departure by means of a spectator’s van and understandably led to a lengthy stoppage.
And Glynn-Barntown seemed affected by that setback as Ballyhogue forged a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the 27th minute, with Mick Condon and Shane Fenlon registering from play.
But the visitors gained a huge fillip before the break as Matthew Joyce’s shot in injury-time deflected to the net to turn the tables and leave them 1-3 to 0-4 clear at the break.
However, Ballyhogue accounted for the first four scores on the resumption, all from play, with Cormac Byrne’s the pick of the bunch following an excellent advance from Nick Doyle.
They maintained that slight edge entering the final hurdle, but were stunned again on 54 minutes when substitute Bill Joyce skipped away from a challenge before off-loading to Fionn Cooney who fired low along the grass for a 2-4 to 0-9 lead.
But parity was restored when Peter Kelly provided the score of the game as he held his nerve from a difficult free close to the sideline on 57 minutes, while his colleague Noel Roche landed two more frees in injury-time to force extra-time (2-6 to 0-12).
And despite Roche (free) supplying the first score of the additional period, Glynn-Barntown eased home thereafter with eight points on the spin, six coming from their substitutes, for the kind of gritty win that builds character.
Glynn-Barntown: Luke Rafter; David Roche, David Clarke (capt.), Ger Dempsey; Stephen Lyne, James Stafford, Kevin Mahoney; Daniel Carroll (0-1), Aaron Breen; Rowan White, Matthew Joyce (1-2, 0-1 free), Fionn Cooney (1-1); Jack Brazzill (0-4, 3 frees), Matt Doyle, Ian Moran. Subs. - Frankie Hynes (0-1) for White, inj. (12), Ben O’Shea (0-2) for M. Doyle (34), Bill Joyce for Moran (42), Aaron Kehoe (0-2) for M. Joyce (51), Matthew Banville (0-1) for B. Joyce (71).
Ballyhogue: Eric Kennedy; Darragh Byrne, Fionn Rochford, Shane Fenlon (0-1); Cormac Byrne (0-1), Nick Doyle, Conor Long; Peter Kelly (0-1 free), Shane Doyle (0-1); Mick Condon (capt., 0-1), Noel Roche (0-7 frees), Enda Minogue; Liam Rossiter, Dean Doyle (0-1), Cian Wickham. Subs. - Dean Power for N. Doyle (46), Cian Rochford for Condon (59), Nick Doyle for Byrne (64).
Referee: Kevin Carty (Sarsfields).