Bray’s Divine inspiration! Tim fires home vital goals

at Dunbur Park, Wicklow momentum was swinging back to Bray. Pat Lee from a free and Shane Lohan from play had added two points by the 24th minute.

Despite a further eight minutes of strong Bray dominance during which time ARP scarcely entered the Emmets half, there was no further score and Arklow Rocks were happy to lead by two points – 1-3 to 0-4 – at half-time.

Pat Lee got Emmets off the mark with a point from a free after two minutes of the second half. Jason Redmond responded with a similar effort two minutes later.

Shane Lohan took a pass from a line ball and brought the lead back to the minimum again after six minutes. Substitute Danny Curran, who had just entered the fray, restored the Rocks two point lead on the eighth minute.

Conor McNally, the Bray net minder, brought off a great save from a Tiernan Mellon shot on ten minutes deflecting the ball out for a ‘65’ which came to nought. Both sides were battling hard for supremacy and little was been given away lightly.

Paddy Kinsella was performing well between the posts for the Arklow men but he had little chance with a ground shot from Willie Keane after 13 minutes, which put the Bray men ahead by a point. Dara Maloney added a point two minutes later from play but TJ Byrne narrowed the gap back to the minimum with a point from a free in the 17th minute.

The score stood at 1-7 to 1-6 at this stage and it was still anyone’s game. This is where Tim Devine moved centre stage. In the 18th minute he blasted home the Emmets second goal and five minutes later he repeated the dose with goal number three. It was uphill now for the Rocks but they fought back.

TJ Byrne pointed from play to close the gap to two clear goals. Byrne went for a goal from a 25-metre free and the ball was deflected out for a ‘65’. The free was dropped in around the ‘house’ and Danny Curran deflected the ball towards the net only for Conor McNally to get in the way.

Despite further pressure the Arklow men made no progress and Bray Emmets ran out winners on a score line of 3-7 to 1-7. They now progress to meet Kiltegan in the first game of a double bill on county hurling final day on Sunday next, October 16.

Scorers – Bray Emmets: Tim Devine 2-1, Willie Keane 1-1, Pat Lee 0-2, Shane Lohan 0-2, Dara Maloney 0-1.

Arklow Rock Parnells: TJ Byrne 1-2, Conor Doyle 0-2, Jason Redmond 0-1, Colin O’Connor 0-1, Danny Curran 0-1.

Bray Emmets: Conor McNally; Peter Conroy, Enda McHugh, Paul Barry; Jordan Lee, Seanie Maloney, Cathal Reddin; Matt Thompson, Karl Lacey; Paddy Lee, Willie Keane, Dara Maloney; Tim Devine, Liam Kenny, Michael Walsh. Subs: Shane Lohan for Michael Walsh; Ed. Keating for Matt Thompson; Brian Duggan for Pat Lee.

Arklow Rock Parnells: Paddy Kinsella; Martin Gilbert, Eamon Doyle, Craig Kelly; Colin O’Connor, Conor Doyle, Tony Kinsella; Jason Redmond, John Furlong; John Cush, Tiernan Mellon, Kevin O’Reilly; James Dignan, TJ Byrne, Cian Doyle. Subs: Olaigh Redmond for Craig Kelly; Danny Curran for John Cush; John Foxton for James Dignan.

Referee: Ciaran Manley.