Cloughbawn claim win
Victors lay down impressive early-year marker
CLOUGHBAWN HELD off a strong late surge from District rivals Rapparees to lay down an impressive early-season marker with a 2-20 to 1-21 Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship victory in Innovate Wexford Park on May 24, 2015.
The men in green seemed to be on their way to both points with four minutes left when they held a 2-19 to 0-19 lead, but they had to work very hard for them after a Tomás Mahon goal hauled the town team firmly back into contention.
The sides were deadlocked on 0-6 each early in the second quarter when the experienced M.J. Furlong beat his namesake, Eamonn, with a tidy finish, and Cloughbawn went on to take a 1-10 to 0-11 advantage into the second period.
And their start to the new half was highly impressive, as Alan and Barry Carton picked off points before the former finished a Paul Foley pass to the net, widening the gap to seven points in the process (2-12 to 0-11).
The excellence of Liam Ryan at full-back inspired a Rapps revival, and they eventually reduced the margin to two points after that Mahon goal was followed by points from a Ricky Fox free, and Darragh Pepper.
However, Cloughbawn held on to claim the points they deserved, with the outstanding Colm Kehoe defending with authority along with Tomás Furlong in the tense closing stages.
Elsewhere in the same group, the victory was more comfortable than the six-point gap suggested when St. Anne’s saw off Glynn-Barntown by 2-14 to 3-5 in Innovate Wexford Park.
Mark Furlong accounted for half of the winning tally from placed balls, and Redmond Barry chipped in with their second goal, while Mark Fanning (free), Daire Barron and Kevin Crean netted for the losers.
St. Martin’s made it three wins from three outings in Bellefield when they accounted for Rathnure by 2-17 to 1-13, with team captain Ciarán Lyng in superb form at midfield as he registered an impressive 1-4 from play.
And the game also marked the emergence of Rory O’Connor, as he burst to life after both sides were reduced to 14 men in the second-half.
The talented teenager scored two superb points and provided the pass of the day for Lyng’s game-clinching goal.
Moving to the other group, Oulart-The Ballagh became the first side to reach the quarter-finals with a comfortable 1-21 to 1-9 victory over struggling Shamrocks in Bellefield.
Michael and Rory Jacob (0-3) won this particular battle against first cousins Jim, Bob (0-6 frees) and George, with David Redmond grabbing the winners’ goal early in the second-half.
Goals from Ciarán O’Shaughnesy and Brian Malone were the difference in Bellefield when Shelmaliers moved within one victory of a place in the knockout stages by outscoring Ferns St. Aidan’s by 2-14 to 0-15.
And a Rhys Clarke-inspired Faythe Harriers bounced back from defeat to Oulart-The Ballagh in the second round to see off Buffers Alley by 4-17 to 1-18 at the Enniscorthy venue.
The powerful inside forward racked up 2-9, including 2-5 from play, and was a constant nuisance for the Gorey District side as they struggled to deal with a two-man attack.