Rebel Óg minor hurling: Stephen Lynam's goals help Glen Rovers defeat Bride

Glen Rovers 2-15 Bride Rovers 0-13

Two first-half goals from Stephen Lynam sent Glen Rovers on their way to victory as they won the Rebel Óg Premier 1 MHC at Páirc Uí Rinn.

The cup is back at the famed northside club for the first time since 2017 as over the hour they were deserving winners.

They had impressive displays all over the pitch with Lynam up there with the best of them. Cork minor Eoin O’Leary was another to shine and their half-back line of Sean Cronin, Fiachra O’Driscoll and Donnacha Wall were outstanding. Behind them Eoghan Varian was rock solid at full-back.

Bride’s chances were dealt a blow before the sliotar was thrown in when Cork minor Cillian Tobin was unable to start due to an ankle injury — a huge loss to his side.

He came on in the second half but by then his side were well behind and facing an uphill battle and sadly for Bride he only lasted nine minutes.

But they are far from a one-man team and Adam Walsh, Adam Hayes, and David Barry were working hard all through.

Adam Hayes opened the scoring in the second minute for Bride, with Charlie Hurley getting the Glen off the mark.

With nine minutes gone the Glen raised the green flag. This time Hurley turned provider as he played in Lynam who found the back of the net, giving Ronan O’Riordan no chance to save.

O’Leary increased their lead, with Lynam raising another white flag as the Glen led 1-3 to 0-1 with 12 minutes gone.

Louie Roche got Bride’s second score, but the Glen were controlling the exchanges with O’Leary hitting three in a row, two from frees to extend their lead as they led 1-6 to 0-2 at the water break.

Bride battled back, as you would expect, with Adam Walsh and Adam Hayes both pointing to reduce the deficit.

Lynam and Walsh exchanged scores before Bride were dealt another blow. A long ball in was picked up by Lynam and he only had one thing on his mind and he duly obliged as he raised his and his side’s second green flag, to put the Glen 2-7 to 0-5 in front

But again Bride responded and finished the half strongly, with Hayes pointing from a free and then two magnificent points from Walsh in injury-time making it 0-8 to 2-7 at half-time and all to play for.

Glen started the better of the two teams in the second half and Lynam raised another white flag to increase their lead. O’Leary added two more to make it 2-9 to 0-8 before Hayes got Bride’s first score of the half from a free.

O’Leary pointed again before Bride created their first real goal chance of the tie.

Walsh caught a long ball in and turned to shoot but Ben Heffernan saved superbly to deny him, another blow to the Rathcormac side.

Barry pulled a point back, with Ciaran Maguire replying at the other end and by the water break it was 2-11 to 0-10 in Glen’s favour.

They continued to dominate with white flags from Hurley, Eoghan O’Sullivan, and O’Leary extending their lead to 2-14 to 0-11.

Cian Walsh pointed late on for the Glen but this game was well and truly over as a contest before then as the Glen ran out deserving winners.

Scorers for Glen Rovers: S Lynam 2-3, E O’Leary 0-7 (0-4 f), C Hurley 0-2, C Maguire, E O’Sullivan, C Walsh 0-1 each.

Bride Rovers: A Hayes 0-4 (0-3 f), A Walsh 0-3, L Roche 0-2, A Hynes, D Barry, J Ahern, R O’Connell 0-1 each.

GLEN ROVERS: B Heffernan; J Kirwan, E Varian, R Moroney; S Cronin, F O’Driscoll, D Wall; R Dunne, Z Lynch; E O’Sullivan, E O’Leary, C Hurley; C Maguire, C Walsh, S Lynam.

Sub: C McCarthy (54).

BRIDE ROVERS: R O’Riordan; C O’Sullivan, L Collins, E O’Connor; K Cotter, D Cashman, A Hynes; D Barry, C Hazelwood; N Kelleher, J Ahern, A Walsh; R O’Connell, L Roche, A Hayes.

Subs: C Tobin for N Kelleher (40), B Knox for C Tobin (49 inj).

Referee: Mark Maher, St Finbarr’s.