BENVILLE’S BOMB!
Liam’s late strike gives Bray sweet victory over Éire Óg
BRAY EMMETS 1-17 ÉIRE ÓG 1-15 SIXTEEN minutes to go, Andrew Walsh has used his height to win the ball and push Éire Óg into a four-point lead. Can the Greystones men complete a major shock in the Senior hurling championship?
Their cause isn’t helped by Shane Nolan’s red card. He is sent off for striking Paul Cunningham with his hurl while in pursuit of the Wicklow Senior footballer bearing down on goal, Nolan swinging and catching Cunningham on the elbow.
Padraig Doyle converts the free and Liam Benville reduces the deficit to two. Éire Óg aren’t in the mood to lie down though and James Cranley replies with a free.
Three between the teams. Doyle hits a couple of frees, Éire Óg lead by one.
Cranley steps up again, knocking over a 65.
Three minutes to go, two between the teams, Bray chasing. Is the pressure getting to them? Marc Lennon has half a goal chance but he bats the ball wide. Darragh Maloney has a glorious chance for a point but pulls it. Doyle drives a free right.
Three wides, time’s up, will it be Éire Óg’s evening?
Two minutes into injury time, a ball is pumped into the square, it breaks to Benville who crashes the ball to the roof of the net and crushes Éire Óg. Diarmuid Masterson adds the finishing touch with a free.
Éire Óg get one last chance but it comes to nothing and Bray hold out.
Bray were severely depleted, nine of their starting team from last year’s county final didn’t start. A couple are gone Stateside for the year, a few more are gone in a similar direction who will be back for the business end of the cham- pionship, a few more are injured.
This gives other players a chance to make an impression, none more so than Padraig Doyle who really stood up as leader of their attack.
He had three points from play off Stephen Kelly by the 20th minute and took over the free taking duties late in the first half after Diarmuid Masterson missed four in a row.
He didn’t score from play in the second half, but his five out of six frees were vitally important in keeping Bray in touch with Éire Óg.
The first half started at a hectic pace, five scores between the sides within three minutes, Bray shading the lead by one.
It slowed down after that, only a couple of scores in the next twelve minutes, but one of those scores was an Éire Óg goal by Hugh O’Neill. A Ger Whyte shot somehow fell into his path and O’Neill buried the ball in the back of the net from 14 metres.
Another hectic bout of scores comes about, Bray take the lead only for Éire Óg to respond and regain the lead again. James Cranley is buzzing around, tormenting the Bray defence and gets in for a shot on goal but it comes back off the crossbar. A let off for Bray, and Padraig Doyle knocks over a couple of frees to send his team in at half time a point ahead, 9 to 1-05.
It was an absorbing half, two teams playing at the same level as each other. The second half is just as good, everything Éire Óg touch turns to gold. It has real magical feel to it, the underdogs swinging over points from everywhere.
Ten points between the teams in 12 minutes, barely a wide in sight. The last point comes from Gavin Parslow, his third which is not a bad return for a wing forward, who puts Éire Óg into a goal lead, 1-12 to 12.
Sixteen minutes to go, Andrew Walsh makes it a four point lead for Éire Óg. Can they hold on?
Scorers – Bray Emmets: Padraig Doyle 0-10 (7f); Liam Benville 1-01; Diarmuid Masterson 0-03 (2f) ; Marc Lennon 0-02; Ben McCormack 0-01.
Eire Og: James Cranley 0-08 (4 65, 1f); Hugh O’Neill 1-01; Gavin Parslow 0-03; Shane Nolan, Anto Byrne, Andrew Walsh 0-01 each.
Bray Emmets: Peter O’Reilly; Jordan Lee, Peter Kiely, Karl Lacey; Dara Maloney, Peter Walsh, Enda Forde; Marc Lennon, Diarmuid Masterson; Eoin McCormack, Padraig Doyle, Ben McCormack; Dan Sweetham, Liam Benville, Tom Cushe. Subs: Jim Doyle for Dan Sweetham (HT); Paul Cunningham for Tom Cushe (38 mins); Conor O’Doherty for Peter Kiely (57 mins, inj.).
Eire Og: Dan O’Neill; Conal Deeney, Daniel O’Connor, Michael Arrigan; Kristin Flynn, Stephen Kelly, Peter Keane; Shane Nolan, Leon Browne; Gavin Parslow, Anto Byrne, Andrew Walsh; James Cranley, Ger Whyte, Hugh O’Neill. Sub: Ben Nolan for Ger Whyte (53 mins). Referee: Ciaran Manley