Glyde in cruise control in one-sided semi-final
Glyde Rangers 2-11 Roche Emmets 1-7 CTI BUSINESS SOLUTIONS JFC SEMI-FINAL IT had the potential to be the tie of the Championship and some were even billing it as the defacto final, but the curtain-raiser at Haggardstown on Sunday evening was a one-sided as a semi-final can get.
In the end the final scoreline possibly even flattered Roche a bit as they went 50 minutes without a score from play and only managed three in total over the hour.
It was reminisicient of Emmets’ final appearance two years ago when they failed to land a blow on a rampant Naomh Fionnbarra side and it will no doubt lead to a period of solemn introspection out at the border.
But that doesn’t detract anything from Glyde Rangers. They took a firm grip on the contest from the first whistle and will almost certainly start the final as warm favourites, regardless of who emerges from the replay between Glen Emmets and Lannliere.
The Tallanstown outfit are worthy Division 3 champions and they now have the double in firmly their crosshairs.
That’s no mean feat given the lows and woes of the last three or four years, and regardless of how things pan out over the next two weeks, Mark Gilsenan has certainly restored a competitive edge to a side that had badly lost its way.
The opening half was all Glyde. Ciaran Sheridan and Dermot Carthy traded early points, but Rangers plundered the next six without reply, albeit over a 20-minute spell.
Roche could barely summon an attack let alone a response as Gavin Duffy, Aaron Devlin and Mark O’Brien and Trevor O’Brien with a brace, opened a 0-6 to 0-1 lead for Glyde.
All of those opening six scores came from play and Dion Conlon added a free to make it 7-1.
Barry O’Hare did manage to pull one back with a late free, but Barry Cullen and Ciaran McKeever had a mammoth task on their hands at the interval.
But there was no response and Glyde had the game all dressed for bed within 10 minutes of the re-start.
A lung-busting run from Niall Sharkey created the opening goal of the game for Gavin Duffy, who turned provider two minutes later, combining with Brian Duffy to tee up Dion Conlon, whose low finish made it 2-7 to 0-2.
If a red card for Mark O’Brien sowed any seeds of doubt, they weren’t evident, as Trevor O’Brien and Ciaran Sheridan cancelled out a couple of Barry O’Hare frees, before the former made it 2-10 to 0-4.
David Quigley ended a 50-minute spell without a score from play for Roche and they cut the deficit further with a sweetly struck penalty from O’Hare after Robert Mackin was fouled, but it was nothing more than window dressing at that stage.
Glyde were comfortable all the way to the finish and have earned themselves a two-week run-in to the final, a luxury their opponents now won’t enjoy. GLYDE RANGERS: David Brennan; Cein Sheridan, Gerard Farrell, Conor McCullagh; Fiachre Sheridan, Mark O Briain 0-1, Aaron Devlin 0-1; Ciaran Sheridan 0-2 (1f), David Devaney; Niall Sharkey, Conor Sheridan, Dion Conlon 1-1 (1f); Trevor O’Brien 0-5 (3f), Brian Duffy, Gavin Duffy 1-1. Subs: Barry Sharkey for D Devaney (55), Peter Duffy for G Duffy (60+).
ROCHE EMMETS: Jamie O’Hare; Ciaran Savage, Harry O’Connell, Joe Bishop; Gerry Murphy, Liam Carthy, Conor Carthy; Dan O’Conell, David Quigley 0-1; Liam Dawe, Barry O’Hare 1-4 (1-0 pen, 4f), Dermot Carthy 0-1; Kevin Callaghan, Evin Quigley, Shane Byrne. Subs: Eugene Murray for E Quigley (43), Enda Muprhy for S Byrne (43), Robert Macken 0-1 for K Callaghan (50), Cathal Byrne for L Dawe (60).
REFEREE: Jonathan Conlon.