Seniors Defeated Again
At Pairc Ui Chaoimh last Sunday our Senior hurlers suffered their second defeat in the championship. Three weeks ago after playing poorly and scoring just 1-7 we could and should have defeated St Finbarrs. On Sunday last we played much better hurling scoring 1-15 over the hour but lost by 12 points after extra time. Much has been written about the unsavoury incidents that happened just before half time in this game. Suffice it to say that what happened was completely wrong and out of character for the two teams. The sad thing about it is that for close on eighty minutes the two teams produced top drawer hurling. We will however wonder for a long time how we managed to lose this game. Despite playing against a stiffish breeze, the second half we played great hurling and led by five points at one stage. With just a few minutes remaining, we were still up by four. The Glen equalizing goal came in the last minute but Dean Brosnan should have not got a clear run at goal from over sixty yards out. When the game went to two ten minute periods of extra time, we fell completely flat and scored just 2 points while Glen Rovers added a massive 2-8.
It was all so different early on in the contest when we displayed plenty signs of being really up for the game. Jerome O’Driscoll opened our scoring account early on and for the next 64 minutes we led the game. If the Barrs game was a dour low scoring affair, yesterdays contest was more open with plenty scores. In the fifteenth minute a move involving Daniel Dooley, Michael Collins and Barry Johnson ended with Sean Ryan scoring a goal to put us ahead by 1-3 to 0-3. We led by 4 points on three occasions but the Glen pegged us back each time. We were up by 1-7 to 0-7 at the break having played with the wind. We continued to score some fine points in the second half but could never build up a commanding lead. Still, with two minutes to go we led by 1-15 to 0-15 and had the chance to go four points up. We didn’t and the Glen got through for the levelling goal. Points from Barry Johnson and Davin Burke were our only scores in the extra time while the Glen went on a scoring spree. This was a sickening defeat especially when we had the winning of the game in our own hands. Instead of being safely in the draw for the next round of the Senior Hurling Championship, we are now in a ‘last four’ play off. We have been drawn against Blarney while Blackrock face Cloyne. The winner of these ties will be back in the championship proper while the two losers will meet in the relegation final.
Team & Scorers: Denis Fitzgerald, Shane Kearney, Brendan Walsh, Trevor Moloney, Mike Kearney, Barry Murphy, Aidan Collins, Brian Murphy, Padraig Murphy, Jerome O’Driscoll (0-1), Barry Johnson (0-10), David Burke (0-1), Michael Collins (0-2), Sean Ryan (1-2), Daniel Dooley (0-1).
Subs: Kieran Collins, Stephen Boyce, Jason Pratt, James Murphy, Jason Mannix
The Blarney game will probably be on the weekend of July 17th or 18th – the week after the Munster Hurling Final. What can we do in the meantime? Well it’s obvious that we are simply not ruthless when it comes to scoring and constant scoring. In our two games so far in the championship we’ve sat on 4 point leads and let the opposition come at us. In fairness our scoring rate was better last Sunday than against the Barrs, but Blarney lost to Newtownshandrum by a mere 6 points and in the opinion of most people, Newtown would destroy the Glen.
Junior Hurling Championship
On Saturday night next July 3rd we meet Cloyne in the East Cork Junior ‘A’ Grade Hurling Championship. After last Sunday our junior team is depleted by 20% with three players having come on as subs against Glen Rovers in the senior championship. Our junior team have had a fairly good run in the League – though its in the Second Division we are competing. Cloyne are always very tough championship opponents so we certainly wont go into this game in a confident mood. The game if fixed for Ballynoe at 7pm on Sunday night. Go for it lads.
Junior ‘B’ Championship
On next Wednesday July 7th our third adult hurling team will face Youghal in the first round of the Junior ‘B’ Hurling Championship. We will be very much the underdogs here as our third team will be up against Youghal’s second team. With plenty players available it is great to see a third team being fielded so we wish them all the very best in this tough assignment. The game is fixed for Midleton at 7.30pm
The next Club Executive meeting is on Monday July 5th in the Clubrooms at 9pm.
