Darragh O'Brien goal fires Harbour Rovers into Junior A hurling semi
Harbour Rovers' Darragh O'Brien celebrates his goal against Newmarket's goalkeeper Shane McAuliffe during the Co-Op Superstores JAHC quarter-final at Glantane. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Harbour Rovers are through to the Co-op Superstores Junior A HC semi-final following their win over Newmarket at Glantane.
A goal from Darragh O’Brien in the first half was the telling score as it put them in front, a lead they kept from here to the finish as they deservedly came out on top.
They had some top-class displays all over the pitch, with Sean Finn outstanding at centre-back. Up front Stephen Condon led the charge for the winners and was their only scorer for the first 22 minutes as he tormented the Newmarket defence. O’Brien also impressed as they now move on to a semi-final clash with Carraig na bhFear next weekend.
Condon opened the scoring in the second minute from a free, with Kevin O’Sullivan replying for Newmarket. Donal Hannon put Newmarket in front, with Hugh O’Connor adding another, as they led 0-3 to 0-1 after eight minutes.
Condon, from another free, pulled a point back for his side and from the restart he got their third to level it. Hannon and Condon exchanged placed balls, before Conor O’Keeffe put Newmarket in front, 0-5 to 0-4, after 15 minutes.
Two frees from Condon had Harbour Rovers back a point up and he was on target again as he made it 0-7 to 0-5 with 22 minutes gone.
A minute later and the only green flag was raised when Finn played a great ball to O’Brien, who gave Shane McAuliffe no chance of saying to put them 1-7 to 0-5 in front.
Three frees from Hannon helped reduce the deficit, but O’Brien got the last score of the half as Harbour Rovers led 1-9 to 0-8 at the break.
Newmarket are a good side and they weren’t going to go away easily and they started the second half well.
Hannon pulled a point back before Harbour Rovers had keeper David O’Sullivan to thank when he saved superbly to deny Hugh O’Connor a goal.
With 40 minutes played, there was only two between them, with Barry O’Connor raising a white flag for Newmarket.
Condon responded but points from Hannon and O’Connor saw only one between the sides with 10 minutes to go, 1-10 to 0-12.
Condon split the posts with another free to put two between the sides, with O’Brien and David Pyne also scoring to put Harbour Rovers three points in front.
Again credit to Newmarket they responded with points from Hannon and Rory Lynn making it 1-13 to 0-14 as the game headed into injury-time.
O’Brien put a goal between them again, before another shot on goal from Hugh O’Connor went narrowly wide.
Tom McGrath rounded off the scoring late on as Harbour Rovers deservedly set up that semi-final clash with Carraig na bhFear next weekend.
S Condon 0-9 (0-6 f), D O'Brien 1-3, D Pyne 0-2, T McGrath 0-1.
D Hannon 0-8 f, H O’Connor 0-2, K O’Sullivan, C O’Keeffe, B O’Connor, R Lynn 0-1 each.
D O’Sullivan; B O’Keeffe, E O’Donoghue, J Coughlan; J Walsh, S Finn, J Fogarty; J Fitzgibbon, T Condon; P Hannon, T McGrath, D Pyne; D O’Brien, S Condon, E Sheehan.
J O’Sullivan for E Sheehan, B Gallagher for P Hannon (both 45), P Blackburn for B O’Keeffe (55).
S McAuliffe; P Allen, A Ryan, P Browne; A Browne, J O’Keeffe, M Browne; H O’Connor, J Ryan; C O’Keeffe, C Browne, B O’Connor; D Hannon, R Lynn, K O’Sullivan.
T Ryan for J Ryan (51), G Forde for K O’Sullivan (55), D O’Keeffe for C Browne (58).
Willie Wallis, Aghada.
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