J J Kavanagh & Sons Junior Hurling League Round 3: Galmoy Vs Cloneen 12-9-2021
Galmoy 0-19 Cloneen 2-13
A 63rd minute free by Cloneen goalkeeper Gary Delaney gave his side a share of the spoils in this keenly contested Junior hurling clash at Lisdowney on Sunday evening. It was probably a fair result, as these two teams had shared parity on eight different occasions during the game.
Cloneen began, showing a spirit of determination that hasn’t been seen in their side for quite a while. They drove forward at every available opportunity and, with Brian Cahill lining out as a sweeper, they pressurised the Galmoy forwards into hitting five wides in the first ten minutes.Galmoy were dealt a blow early on when they lost their team captain Conor Drennan with a leg injury after just five minutes. He was replaced by Tom Corcoran. At the other end, a foul on troublesome full forward Braonain Buggy, saw team captain Padraic Delaney open the Cloneen account in the seventh minute. Almost immediately, Billy Drennan won a ball in behind the Cloneen defence but his sizzling shot on goal was brilliantly saved by Gary Delaney. Kevin Delaney and Aidan Barry added one each from play, before a foul on Thomas Brennan saw goalkeeper Gary Delaney hit the first of three frees from distance. Delaney showed tremendous accuracy and also brought off at least three classic saves during the game.
It was fully fifteen minutes in, before Galmoy had their first score, when Oisín Phelan grabbed a Frank Phelan cross and split the posts.This score seemed to finally awaken a Galmoy side who had been sluggish early on.They now went on to strike six points in succession. Billy Drennan ran on to a Gearóid Phelan cross and pointed, before setting up Kevin Duggan for a similar score. Fouls on Brandan Phelan and Sean Phelan saw Drennan strike over two frees as well as one from play in the 20th minute following a good pass from Patrick Doyle.
Ciarán Cooney won a 23rd minute free for Cloneen which Padraic Delaney pointed.Patrick Doyle again delivered the final pass for a Galmoy point , struck over by Brandan Phelan. Oisín Phelan won a 28th minute free well inside his own half but Billy Drennan was equal to the task. Phelan and his namesake Brandan Phelan added two more before the break for Galmoy who lead 0-10 to 0-6 at the interval.
Cloneen introduced Harry Roche for the new half and they again drew first blood when Braonain Buggy fielded a long delivery from Thomas Brennan and shot to the Galmoy net for the first goal of the game. This spurred on his side and Aidan
Barry struck a quick equaliser after a brief solo in from the left hand side. Buggy put his side in front as he began to win a lot of ball, but a foul on Ryan Murphy saw Billy Drennan equalise proceedings. A four man passing move across the field by Cloneen, ended with Thomas Brennan striking the lead once more from fully sixty metres on the right. Sean Phelan found Oisín Phelan to level it up again as the teams went to the second waterbreak, Galmoy 0-12 Cloneen 1-9.Cloneen had another goal chance just before this break, but Galmoy snuffed out the danger with Colm Smith clearing to safety.
Upon resumption, Oisín Phelan soloed up the left wing and, when his shot for a point was blocked, the ball fell kindly for him on his run to gather and strike over at the second attempt. Straight off Gary Delaney’s huge puckout, Braonain Buggy struck his second point of the hour and we were level again.
The best score of the game came in the 48th minute when Kevin Duggan went to the skies to collect a Galmoy clearance before turning and sending over a beauty from the right wing. Cloneen had their second goal almost immediately when Aidan Barry got between two Galmoy defenders to flick the sliotar to the net from close range with Gary Delaney opening the gap to three points with another lengthy free. Galmoy replied in fine style with three unanswered points ,two from Billy Drennan and a Kevin Duggan lineball to leave it level, 0-17 to 2-11, with five minutes of normal time remaining. A hard won free by Patrick Doyle saw Drennan put Galmoy in front but it was shortlived, as Michael Doyle struck over from a real tight angle on the left wing for Cloneen. With time almost up, Conor Grace delivered up the right flank of the Galmoy attack where Drennan showed in front ,rounded his man and struck what seemed to be the winner for his side. After two minutes of injury time however, a needless foul on a Cloneen player gave Gary Delaney the chance to equalise and he made no mistake with a sweet strike.
Galmoy:Brian Kelly, Colm Smith ,Brendan Phelan, Jack Delaney,Conor Grace,Ryan Murphy,Frank Phelan,Gearóid Phelan ,Oisín Phelan (0-4),Kevin Duggan(0-3,0-1 lineball,Conor Drennan(Capt.),Billy Drennan(0-10,0-6 frees),Patrick Doyle,Sean Phelan, Brandan Phelan(0-2).
Subs: Tom Corcoran for Conor Drennan injured 5 mins, Matt Delaney for Tom Corcoran 46 mins .
Cloneen:Gary Delaney(0-3frees),Fergal Brennan,Paul Kelly,John Kelly,Philip Roche,Dara Delaney,Brian McDonald,Conor Delaney,Thomas Brennan(0-1),Padraic Delaney(Capt.)(0-3frees),Kevin Delaney(0-1),Ciarán Cooney,Aidan Barry(1-2),Braonain Buggy(1-2),Brian Cahill.
Subs: Harry Roche and Michael Doyle(0-1).
Referee: Stephen Delaney (Graigue Ballycallan)
By Mary Morgan Tue 14th Sep
