Glenealy hold on for victory

Brave effort from Bray lads

GLENEALY BRAY EMMETS 3-8 3-4

GLENEALY withstood a mighty second half Bray fight back to advance to the county under-15 ‘A’ championship final in Ballinakill last Wednesday night.

When Michael Óg O’Neill goaled for the Reds on 25 minutes there seemed no way back for the Bray men as they trailed by 13 points but driven on by Fiachra O’Duanai and Luan Roddy this game was in the melting pot until the very end.

Glenealy started at a tremendous pace and midfielder Killian Clarke got the first goal when he jinked in from the left touchline before unleashing a rasping shot past Nathan Prunty in the Bray goal.

John O’Brien and Billy Jo O’Connor added points. Bray had as much possession and territory as Glenealy in the early stages however Charlie Cruise at full-back and Fionn Ludy at centre-back were mopping up everything that came their way.

From a Ludy clearance O’Connor collected about 30 yards out and he unleashed an unstoppable effort past the helpless Prunty. When O’Neill’s long-range free alluded the defence and landed in the Bray goal it looked like game over.

Further points followed from O’Connor and full forward James Ffrench as the lead stretched to 13. In fairness to Bray they kept the heads up and hurled away. Eventually their efforts were rewarded when lively full-forward Gavin Rochford pointed from out on the right wing after collecting a short free from Cathal Doran.

Luan Roddy then goaled when his 70-yard free was misjudged by the Glenealy defence to close the gap to single figures. However, O’Connor pointed the last two scores of the half, the second after he collected a mammoth clearance from full-back Cruise, to take a comfortable lead in at half-time.

Bray came out a different team in the second half, battling and fighting for every ball. Oscar Harty who was their best player in the first half pointed a beauty before Rochford’s rocket of a shot deflected past Daniel Browne in the Glenealy goal.

Cruise settled Glenealy with a free from 75 yards, however, Bray kept coming, Harty after a galloping run unleashed a thunderbolt of a shot that Browne somehow flicked onto the bar, Doran was fasted to react to the loose ball and prod home. Moments later Bray centre-forward Jamie Ryan’s snapshot cannoned off a post and O’Neill cleared to safety.

The north Wicklow men were throwing everything at Glenealy. Rochford pointed a free to close the gap to three. Alas, Glenealy just had the gas to get over the line; Ffrench collecting a ball off Cruise to clip over an insurance score in injury time.

Bray battled hard with Roddy, Harty and Rochford all hurling well. An injury crisis that deprived them of a couple of key men was unfortunate too.

For the victors Charlie Cruise, Ludy, and John O’Brien were tremendous, however, Billy Jo O’Connor, especially in the first half, was outstanding.

The hooking, flicks and skills of both sides was a joy to behold.

Scorers - Glenealy: Billy Jo O’Connor 1-4, James Ffrench 0-3, Killian Clarke 1-0, Michael Og O’Neill 1-0, Charlie Cruz 0-1

Bray: Gavin Rochford 1-3, Cathal Doran 1-0, Luan Roddy 1-0, Oscar Harry 0-1

Daniel Browne; Jake Nally, Charlie Cruz, Ben Meade; Thomas O’Neill, Fionn Ludy, Andrew Lynch; John O’Brien, Killian Clarke; Cormac Byrne, Billy Jo Connors, Michael Óg O’Neill; John McElhinny, James French, Kian Doyle. Subs: Sam Smyth, Aaron Devlin, John O’Brien.

Nathan Prunty; Cathal Doran, Fiachra O’Duanai, Conor Maher; Luan Roddy, Eoin Kelly, James Byrne; Tim Harrington, Evan Barry; Oscar Harty, Jamid Ryan, Michael Healy; Cathal MacMaolain, Gavin Rochford, Finn Treacy. Subs: Shane Baguley, Louie Fitzgerald, Cillian Murphy, Art Whittle, Jack Kearney.

John Keenan (Aughrim)