Hunger was key to magnifcent victory
Glenealy: Jonathon O’Neill Snr 0-7 (6f), Matthew Traynor 1-0, Danny Staunton 0-1, Alan Driver 0-1.
Conor McNally; Peter Walsh, Karl Lacey, Sean Maloney; Cian Lohan, John Henderson, Daire Henderson; Luke Maloney, Diarmuid Masterson; Padraig Doyle, Marc Lennon, Ronan McMahon; Christy Moorehouse, Ben McCormack, Michael Boland. Subs: Eoin McCormack for R McMahon (40), David Maloney for B McCormack (48), Cathal Ó Dualachain for D Henderson (59), Daire Lohan for C Lohan (63), Peter Kiely for L Maloney (63).
BRAY EMMETS:
Cian Staunton; Ronan Manley, Danny Staunton, Joey Driver KJnr; Gary Byrne, Warren Kavanagh, Paul O’Brien; Leighton Glynn, Jonathon O’Neill Snr; Gavin Weir, Matthew Traynor, Thomas Doyle; Gary Hughes, Alan Driver, Jonathon O’Neill Jnr. Subs: Sam O’Dowd for T Doyle (H/T), Wayne O’Gorman for M Traynor (52), Robert Byrne for G Weir (54).
GLEENALY: REFEREE:
Ciaran Fleming (Baltinglass) BRAY Emmets attacker Padraig Doyle said that the hunger from having not won the championship in two years made himself and his bBray players eager for battle this season.
‘It was unreal, two years without the championship, the lads were just so eager this year. We were so eager to get to the final last year that I think we just froze in the semi-final. Maybe we froze a bit this year in the semi-final but we pulled through, we weren’t able to do that last year.
‘When we got here the atmosphere was completely different, we were so relaxed and ready to go out on the field. We were just so relaxed, ready to go out there and win it back,’ he said.
Glenealy emerged from half time and grabbed a quick 1-2. Were Bray expecting that backlash?
‘I don’t know if we were expecting it. To be going in at half-time that much up on a team like Glenealy rarely happens. In the past we’ve probably been known to be slow starters, but I think just today we weren’t leaving it behind us. There was only one thing going to happen. It was kind of like the second year we played Carnew in the replay of the final, we just weren’t leaving it behind us. We’re just delighted to get over the line.
‘There was so much pressure on the semi-final as well. We lost last year’s (semi-final) as well, but once we got over the line. I was less nervous myself running inot this final, because we knew what we had to do and we managed to keep the heads dowwn and work really hard.
What does this mean to Bray Emmets?
‘It means we have a Leinster championship to look forward to. Paul (Carley) says we’re training on Tuesday night but I’m not too sure about that to be honest,’ he joked.