Avondale do enough to thwart Carnew comeback
AVONDALE CARNEW EMMETS 0-21 2-11
A very strong breeze blowing down the pitch into the clubhouse goal at the St Patrick’s GAA ground at Dunbur Road in Wicklow Town had a very big bearing on the outcome of this Intermediate Hurling Championship game played on Saturday evening last, August 18.
Avondale had first use of the elements and certainly appeared to justify the ‘favourites’ tag that many people have given them to win this championship. Wing back Danny Owens got them off to a flying start when he pointed straight from the throw in.
Full-forward Ray Nolan scored six points (three frees) in an outstanding display of accuracy. And midfielder Eamon Kearns wasn’t too far behind, scoring four points from play and all from distance. In total Avondale recorded fifteen points in the first half and looked to be in a commanding position at the break.
In contrast Carnew Emmets had struggled in the first half and not just on the field of play. They started with the bare fifteen players and were dependent on late arrivals to fill their subs bench. They were very much on the back foot in the first half and were de- pendent on the accuracy of corner forward Ian Clancy to register three of their first half points. One of those late arriving subs, Dan Nolan, got another point and their fifth point came from Jody Byrne. Avondale turned over ten points in the lead, but it was significant that they had failed to score a goal in the first period.
Carnew were slow enough to get into their stride after half time and Avondale extended their lead still further with two points from Ray Nolan and another from Eanna Owens in the first ten minutes.
Ian Clancy pointed two quick frees but Carnew appeared to have too much to do with ten minutes of the second half already played.
However, when TJ Hennessy bagged a goal following a mistake by Craig Byrne in the Avondale goal, the game began to change. Liam Kennedy, Martin Molloy, Fionn Furlong, Jody Byrne and Gary Doran took a stranglehold in the middle third of the field and when Jody Byrne got the second Carnew goal, Avondale began to get alarmed.
Ray Nolan steadied them somewhat with a great pointed free into the wind from a distance and followed this with an equally fine point from a 65.
However, Carnew kept coming and three points from Ian Clancy, Fionn Furlong and Clancy again left Avondale and their supporters on tenterhooks. With three min- utes left on the clock TJ Hennessy pointed again to reduce the lead to a goal – a dangerous lead.
Try as they might the Emmets could not get through and when Ray Nolan scored his tenth point just as the game was entering the time added on period, Avondale began to breathe a little easier. They ran out winners by four points on a score line of 0-21 to 2-11. Maybe this Intermediate hurling championship is not yet the cut and dried affair it was assumed to be earlier in the year
Scorers – Avondale: Ray Nolan 0-10, Eamon Kearns 0-4, Niall Heffernan 0-2, Danny Owens, Eamon Owens, Jack Manley, Eugene Dunne, Karl Phelan 0-1 each.
Carnew Emmets: Ian Clancy 0-7, TJ Hennessy 1-1, Jody Byrne 1-1, Fionn Furlong 0-1, Dan Nolan 0-1.
Craig Byrne; Anthony O’Toole, Conor Sheehan, Keith Byrne; James Doyle, Eugene Dunne, Danny Owens; Eamon Kearns, Niall Heffernan; Paul Gahan, Karl Phelan, Brian Burke; Eamon Owens, Ray Nolan, Jack Manley. Subs: Eoin Baker, Dean Gahan, Eugene Heffernan, Ross Ward, Dermot Phelan.
Padraig Doyle; Thomas Collins, Diarmuid Doran, James Joyce; Justin Birchall, Liam Kennedy, Martin Molloy; Fionn Furlong, Justin House; Jody Byrne, Gary Doran, Nick Skelton; Paul Murphy, TJ Hennessy, Ian Clancy. Subs: Dan Nolan, Ian Smith, Liam Moules, Stephen Barnes.
Con O’Ceidigh