Cloughduv survive late Charleville storm to seize U16 Premier 2 HC crown
Tadhg Murphy breaks forward for Cloughduv in the Fé16 Premier 2 Hurling Championship final against Charleville at the Mardyke. Picture Chani Anderson.
Cloughduv very nearly let it slip. Nine points up with 13 minutes to play, they were hanging on by the finish – but hang on they did, deservedly holding off a late Charleville surge to claim the Premier 2 U16 Hurling Championship title at the Mardyke on Saturday.
With rain falling steadily throughout, this was a slippery, heavy, and physical affair. Cloughduv adapted best to the conditions, building a 2-7 to 1-3 lead by half-time and stretching that margin to nine by the 47th minute. From there, though, Charleville came roaring back.
Luke McAuliffe sparked life into their revival, converting a clever Cormac Bresnan pass. That point launched a run of 1-4 without reply, while three Gary McAuliffe placed balls had the gap down to six as the clock ticked into injury time.
Then came the real scare – Luke McAuliffe’s brilliant crossfield ball finding Shane Lynch, who pulled high to the net to leave it 2-13 to 2-11. Suddenly, the margin was down to two.
Tadhg Murphy steadied Cloughduv with a vital 63rd-minute point, yet Charleville still fashioned one last chance. Gary McAullife and Aaron O’Callaghan combined for the latter’s batted effort that looked bound for goal, until Fearghal O’Leary saved brilliantly to turn it around for a 65.
Gary McAuliffe dropped it in, but Cloughduv emerged with the ball, won a free, and the title.
A hard-fought and fully deserved victory, built on the control they established in the first half.
After the sides were level at 1-3 apiece after 18 minutes, Tadhg Lehane’s delivery teed up Darragh O’Driscoll to put Cloughduv in front, and they never trailed again.
Jacob Barry had a goalbound effort superbly blocked by Aidan Liddy – excellent all game for Charleville – but Cloughduv still found rhythm, points from Barry and Chris Woodland opening a small gap before Murphy and O’Driscoll combined to send Barry rifling to the net just before the break. Murphy then added a beauty from distance to make it 2-7 to 1-3 at the interval.
Charleville relied heavily on Gary McAuliffe’s frees after the restart, though Murphy answered in kind at the other end to push Cloughduv 2-11 to 1-6 ahead by the 43rd minute. Woodland’s point from play extended the cushion further before O’Driscoll and Fehily added what proved crucial scores for when the late Charleville storm hit.
Charleville had begun brightly, a superb team move finished by Lynch giving them an early 1-0 to 0-2 lead after seven minutes, but they managed only one point from play before the break, in the 16th minute. Shortly before, O’Driscoll had flicked Woodland’s dropping shot to the net to make it 1-2 to 1-0, and once Cloughduv pushed clear in the 19 minute, they never looked back.
T Murphy 0-5 (0-3 f), J Barry 1-2, C Woodland 0-4, D O’Driscoll 1-1, E van der Westhuizen, D Fehily 0-1 each.
G McAuliffe 0-9 (0-8 f, 0-1 65), S Lynch 2-0, L McAuliffe 0-2.
F O’Leary; K Delaney, G O’Callaghan, C Healy; S Collins, L Buckley (c), E van der Westhuizen; T Lehane, T Murphy; C Woodland, D Fehily, A Hayes; J Barry, D O’Driscoll, J Bruen.
N O’Callaghan Condon for Bruen (38), R Madden for Hayes (58).
D Forde; R Linehan, A Liddy, D O’Sullivan; S Hanrahan, M Power (c), H O’Donnell; L McAuliffe, C Collins; C Bresnan, S Lynch, G McAuliffe; T Lowe, B Fenton, S Dineen.
D O’Brien for Lowe, A O’Callaghan for Dineen (both 47).
A O’Regan (Kilbrittain)
App?
