Glenealy pack too much punch for Avondale

GLENEALY 2-18 AVONDALE 0-10 THE 1-10 to 0-04 score at halftime in this SHC clash in Joule Park, Aughrim, last Saturday evening might suggest that this was easy travelling for Glenealy but that would do no justice to the battling qualitied of Avondale.

There’s no hiding the fact that this is going to be a difficult cam- paign for Emmet O’Sullivan’s men but by God they are not going to give in too easily against anyone.

Unfortunately for them, that bravery and refusal to lie down can’t hide the fact that the quality is just not there against the stronger teams and that gulf is going to be reflected on the scoreboard.

The work and effort of Tom Finn, Keith Byrne, Eugene Dunne, Dean Gahan, Niall Heffernan, Eamonn Kearns and Ray Nolan is admirable but there’s no way they can contain a Glenealy side who are looking like serious candidates to give Bray a run for their money in this year’s championship.

Gary Hughes, a man in standout form so far in the opening two games, bagged 1-03 of that first half tally of 1-10; his goal coming after he gathered superbly, turned and used those long legs to power past the Avondale defence and fire home.

Joey Driver, Alan Driver, Leighton Glynn (2), Jamie Byrne (2), and the feverish Emmet Byrne added the remaining seven points in a commanding first half performance where Karl Fallon, Ray Nolan (2), and Eugene Dunne with an almighty bomb from his own 65 made up Avondale’s tally.

The impressive Joey Driver got the show going for Glenealy after the re-start and to be fair there was no stopping the Glenealy men as they marched on to an impressive 2-18 to 0-09 victory to maintain their momentum as the trickier clashes loom on the horizon.

Avondale have two of those tricky games behind them now and, aside from Bray, they can go into those games knowing that they can cause the remaining teams major problems and claim a morale boosting victory or two along the way.

Scorers – Gary Hughes 1-04 (4f), Gavin Weir 1-01, Leighton Glynn 0-04, Joey Driver 0-03, Jamie Byrne 0-03, John Manley 0-01, Alan Driver 0-01, Gary Byrne 0-01.

Avondale: Ray Nolan 0-02, Dean Gahan 0-02 (1f), Eamonn Kearns 0-02 (1f), Eugene Dunne 0-02, Karl Fallon 0-01.

Glenealy: Keith Snell; Ruairi O’Neill, Warren Kavanagh, Thomas Doyle; Gary Byrne, Danny Staunton, Robert Byrne; Emmet Byrne, John Manley; Jamie Byrne, Gavin Byrne, Joey Driver; Leighton Glynn, Alan Driver, Gary Hughes. Subs: Paul O’Brien for W Kavanagh; Enan Glynn for G Hughes; Gavin Weir for A Driver; Matthew Traynor for R Byrne.

Avondale: Tom Finn; Anthony O’Toole; James Doyle, Dylan Kearns; Keith Byrne, Eugene Dunne, Conor Sheehan; Niall Heffernan, Dean Gahan; Eamonn Kearns, Karl Phelan, Ray Nolan; Craig Byrne, Paul Gahan, Eanna Owens. Subs: Eugene Heffernan for C Byrne; Eddie Shaughnessy for D Kearns; Dermot Phelan for E Owens; Johnny Tobin for P Gahan.