Shels storm through
Powerful second-half performance
SHELMALIERS ADVANCED to the Greenstar Under-20 football Division 1 championship semi-finals with a powerful second-half performance against Glynn-Barntown in Hollymount on Saturday.
The hosts were warm favourites going into the game, given previous results, but they didn’t have it all their own way in the first-half as Glynn-Barntown gave it a good rattle.
Indeed, with just three minutes of the first-half remaining, the Killurin-based club held a three-point lead after a clinically-taken Cormac Cooney goal.
However, they needed to maintain that advantage and have something to protect in the second-half. It didn’t quite work out like they would have hoped.
Playing with the wind, Glynn-Barntown opened the scoring through Conor Mahoney but soon fell behind.
Kyle Roche knocked over a couple of scores for Shelmaliers and Liam Rockett netted in the 13th minute as his side took a 1-2 to 0-1 lead.
Despite a Chris Cowman score, the game swung back to Glynn-Barntown at the start of the second quarter.
Jack Brazill, Dylan Lyne and Liam Berry all kicked booming scores before Cooney netted as their side moved three clear (1-6 to 1-3).
The concession of the goal kicked the Shels into life. Kyle Roche hit the net in the 28th minute as Conor Hearne picked up his second assist of the half, and Seán Keane-Carroll’s point ensured Shelmaliers led by 2-4 to 1-6 at the change of ends.
With the momentum building early in the second-half, Shelmaliers took control.
In particular, Craig Parker hammered a half-dozen nails into the coffin as he scored six of the hosts’ next seven points to push them well ahead, despite a Daniel O’Regan reply at the other end (2-11 to 1-7).
Any doubt about the result slipped away when Evan Carr netted with his first touch and quickly followed it with a point.
When Luke Codd found a way past Adam Howlin in the 56th minute, Glynn-Barntown had something to smile about, albeit momentarily.
Shelmaliers weren’t finished padding their winning margin, as Conor Hearne and Liam Rockett added late majors to complete a 15-point success and send their side into the last four away to HWH-Bunclody in tip-top shape.
Shelmaliers: Adam Howlin; Hugh Peter Manley, Dan Campbell, Adam Hearne; Aaron Doyle, Craig Parker (0-6, 4 frees), Thomas O’Connor; Seán Keane-Carroll (0-1), Chris Cowman (01); Conor Hearne (1-1), Aaron O’Neill, Ross Banville; Liam Rockett (capt., 2-1), Ryan Hanrahan, Kyle Roche (1-3). Subs. - Evan Carr (1-1) for Hanrahan (47), Adam Kelly for O’Connor (55), James Doyle for A. Hearne (55), Nathan Ferguson for O’Neill (57), Darragh Howlin for Roche (57).
Glynn-Barntown: Adam O’Leary; Daniel O’Regan (0-1), David Roche, Bill Joyce; Matthew Banville, Ger Dempsey, Jamie O’Shea; Aaron Breen (capt.), Dylan Lyne (0-1); Cormac Cooney (1-0), Richie Ryan, Liam Berry (0-1); Conor Mahoney (0-1), Jack Brazill (0-4, 2 frees), Luke Codd (1-0). Sub. - Colm Kiely for Breen (31).
Referee: Kevin Carty (Sarsfields).