Champions Whitechurch get their AOS Security Junior A HC campaign off to a winning start
Referee Cathal McAllister with James Mulcahy (Glen Rovers) and Mark Callanan (Whitechurch)
Defending champions Whitechurch got their AOS Security Seandún Junior A Hurling Championship campaign off to a winning start, as they narrowly defeated Glen Rovers, before a sizeable attendance at Ballinlough.
This hard-fought game was closely contested, as the sides went in level at the break. The Blackpool side stayed within two points of Whitechurch at the finish, despite being reduced to 13 men, as two of their players received red cards in the 41st and 54th minutes.
Glen Rovers made the better start as they opened the scoring with a pointed free in the fourth minute by Nathan Goulding.
This was cancelled out as Ruaraí Dennehy opened Whitechurch’s account with the game’s first point from play.
The Blackpool side seized the initiative, as Andrew Evans slotted over two points from play. Nathan Goulding also chipped in with his second pointed free, to give Glen Rovers a lead of 0-4 to 0-1.
Whitechurch responded with unanswered points from Cillian Egan, Jamie Hegarty and Darragh O’Connell, to tie the scores at four points apiece.
Glen Rovers’ Jack Kennefick swapped points with Hegarty, before Hegarty gave Whitechurch the lead for the first time with his third point from play.
Sean Keane extended Whitechurch’s lead with a point from play, but the Blackpool side responded with a long-range pointed free by net-minder Josh Goulding.
Glen Rovers regained the lead in the 27th minute as Adam Lordan embarked on a solo run through the Whitechurch defence, to set up Kennefick for the game’s opening goal.
Hegarty replied with two pointed frees for Whitechurch, to tie the scores at 1-6 to 0-9 at the interval.
Whitechurch upped the ante after the break as Keane set up Egan for Whitechurch’s goal in the 32nd minute. This was followed by a pointed free from Hegarty.
Glen Rovers’ Fiachra O’Driscoll exchanged points from play with Hegarty, before persistent fouling was proving to be costly for both sides, midway through the second half.
Nathan Goulding slotted over two pointed frees for the Blackpool side, while Hegarty converted one for Whitechurch. This left Whitechurch leading by 1-12 to 1-10.
Entering the final quarter, both sides scored four points each.
Hegarty got two further points from play for Whitechurch. Aidan Kelleher and Darragh O’Connell also slotted over a point each.
The Blackpool side replied with points from play by O’Driscoll and Kieran Kelleher.
Nathan Goulding and Kieran Kelleher also pointed a free each.
J Hegarty 0-10 (0-4f); C Egan 1-1; D O’Connell 0-2; R Dennehy, S Keane, A Kelleher 0-1 each.
N Goulding 0-5f; J Kennefick 1-1; A Evans, K Kelleher, F O’Driscoll 0-2 each; J Goulding 0-1f; R Long 0-1.
C Mulcahy; A Murphy, K Ryan, J Dennehy; J Kelleher, M Callanan, R O’Connell; C Egan, R Murphy; J McGrath, J Hegarty, S Keane; D O’Connell, R Dennehy, C O’Brien.
C Hennessy for J Kelleher (39), S O’Reilly for Murphy (40), R Buckley for R O’Connell (43), A Kelleher for McGrath (49), D O’Sullivan for R Dennehy (54).
J Goulding; D Dunlea, J Mulcahy, O O’Connell; K Kelleher, E O’Sullivan, J Murphy; F O’Driscoll, M Gayfer; E O’Neill, A Lordan, R Long; K Kennefick, A Evans, N Goulding.
C Maguire for Long (26).
Cathal McAllister (Aghada).
App?
