Under-16 honours
Cloughbawn wrap up Division 3 title
CLOUGHBAWN GLYNN BARNTOWN
CLOUGHBAWN WRAPPED up the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Under-16 Division 3 title with a handy win over a Glynn Barntown side missing several first team regulars on Saturday.
It was the blissful culmination of a season of hard work for the champions, with their only dropped points coming when the same two sides met in Barntown and played out a competitive 1-1 draw earlier in the season.
Otherwise it has been serene sailing for Cloughbawn on their way to the title.
They have played some excellent football along the way, with victory in their previous outing against nearest rivals Enniscorthy Town proving vital to their success.
It took the hosts less than two minutes to get themselves in front. It was pretty much as individual an effort as they come, with Mick McGrath bursting away down the right before firing a clinical low shot past stand-in ‘keeper Patrick Carley.
Aidan Denton fizzed a shot narrowly wide as Cloughbawn looked to exert their will in the early stages.
However, Glynn Barntown were going to enjoy the occasion, with the pressure off, too.
They went close to an equaliser when Nathan Byrne force Eddie Kelly into a sharp save.
As the game went on things started to get more stretched at the back for the visitors, however, nobody told Conor Lyne he was supposed to buckle, and the Barntown defender, who is still Under-15, was absolutely tremendous throughout.
When Cloughbawn couldn’t get around Lyne, they shot from in front and it paid dividends when Shane Kehoe fired home a powerful strike from the edge of the area to make it 2-0.
Back came Glynn Barntown and with just nine minutes on the clock they split the home side open with a lovely passing move down the right side.
Byrne was on the end of the killer ball again and this time just forced his shot past the ’keeper and into the corner of the net.
Cloughbawn brought on Chloe Merrigan to add a bit of quality and game intelligence but they kept attacking with enthusiasm.
They were maybe guilty of not working their openings enough until a mistake in the Glynn Barntown defence sent McGrath away and he made it 3-1.
Apart from a flamboyant run and shot from goalkeeper Eddie Kelly, and a couple of Tom Butler testers, the rest of the half passed by without too much drama.
However, it didn’t take Cloughbawn long to make it four after the break, with McGrath completing his treble from the edge of the area.
Glynn Barntown kept pressing and pulled one back with an own goal late in the game, but there was no denying Cloughbawn back-to-back titles - a third tier Under-16 crown a year after winning the fourth tier in Under-15s for this impressive crew.
Cloughbawn: Eddie Kelly; Ryan Murphy, Mick McGrath, Tom Butler, Cian Jordan, Aidan Denton, Mikey Fleming, Shane Kehoe, Aaron Smyth, Lewis McComiskey, Eoin Devereux. Subs. (rolling) - Daniel Feeney, Nathan McDonald, Darragh Furlong, Chloe Merrigan.
Glynn Barntown: Patrick Carley; Jomah Glowatz, Seán Murphy, Eoin Whitty, Lorcan Butler, Conor Lyne, Tim Gilhooly, Mark Shortall, Michael Laffan, Paul Leonard, Nathan Byrne.
Referee: Willie Murphy.