Mellows make it to final four
Shels seconds swept aside
LIAM MELLOWS 1-19 SHELMALIERS 1-8
LIAM MELLOWS’ fine campaign will run for a further two weeks at least after a solid second-half display saw them win through to the last four of the Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship after a 1-19 to 1-8 victory over the Shelmaliers second string in Saturday’s quarter-final at overcast Camolin.
The north county men had scored at least two goals in four of their five group games, but didn’t necessarily have to embark down a similar avenue this time, as they put a nervy start behind them to gradually take over in most segments of the field.
Conor Cleary was the foundation upon which most of Shelmaliers’ attacking moves floundered. Ross Cody and particularly Rory Heffernan brought energy and a touch of class to midfield, while Richard Farrell was a menacing threat up front when flighting over five points from play.
They survived some early Shelmaliers pressure as Kyle Roche opened the scoring after a minute, and he also cut loose before firing low to the net on twelve minutes to make it 1-4 to 0-3.
But that was as good as it got as far as the Over The Water side were concerned, as they only registered four more points before the end, although it may have been an entirely different story had they came out the right end of the game’s most pivotal moment.
They led by 1-6 to 0-8 on 33 minutes when Roche was bundled over for a penalty, but Michael Feeney dragged his shot wide of the post.
Instead of going four points down, Farrell soon equalised at the other end, and all the momentum was with Liam Mellows. They accounted for six of the next seven points, including two each from Farrell and Eoin Cullen (frees), and when Heffernan played an exquisite pass into Brendan Halpin, he set up Colin Kennedy for a simple goal to swell the advantage to 1-15 to 1-7.
Feeney’s shot at goal was always rising as he settled for a point, but four more points from Liam Mellows saw them advance to the semi-final in impressive fashion.
In truth, the interval came at the wrong time for the eventual victors as they were finding their feet, with Kennedy and a languid effort from Heffernan pulling them within 1-6 to 0-8 by then.
Liam Mellows: Darragh Murphy; Marc Halpin, Frank Roche, Conor Cleary; Stephen Moloney, Danny Gardiner, Aaron Condren; Ross Cody, Ross Heffernan (0-1); Joe Gardiner (0-2), Colin Kennedy (1-5, 0-1 free), Eoin Cullen (0-5, 4 frees); Conor Carty, Richard Farrell (0-5), Brendan Halpin (0-1). Subs. - Gavin Stamp for Carty (52), Stephen Rafferty for Farrell (57), Yusuf Frih for Cullen (60+1).
Shelmaliers: Jack Watters; Graham Staples, Aaron O’Neill, Adam Hearne; Aaron Doyle, Chris Cowman, Johnny Campbell (0-1); Liam Rockett, Dan Campbell; Willie O’Shaughnessy, Denis Kelly, Ryan Hanrahan; Kyle Roche (1-1), Páraic O’Leary, Michael Feeney (0-5, 3 frees). Subs. - Aodhán Foley (0-1) for O’Leary (HT), Stephen Whelan for Feeney (56), Joe Redmond for Hearne (58), Mark Power for Doyle (60+1).
Referee: Joe Kelly (Naomh Eanna).