Patrick Horgan hails impact of Simon Kennefick and Eoin O'Leary as Glen Rovers march on

While Patrick Horgan continues to be the leader of the Glen Rovers attack, the continuing development of two of his apprentices has served to make the northsiders a formidable proposition.

Since losing their opening Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC game to Blackrock, the Glen have beaten Kanturk, Fr O’Neill’s and Charleville to advance to a semi-final clash with Midleton.

In Mallow on Sunday, Simon Kennefick and Eoin O’Leary both popped up with key scores allied to Horgan’s haul of 1-12 in the 2-22 to 1-20 victory and the former county star reserved praise for both.

“I think the lads inside, Simon and Leary, they've been brilliant for us,” he said, “in the three group games and again today.

“They've put a massive amount of work into the position, which is needed now, and we've every trust that, if we get the ball into the two of them, we'll have every chance.

“I think that Charleville were kind of swarming, so if we were able to move the ball through that, the better for us.

We’ve done a massive amount of work with the coaches, Ducky [Donal O’Rourke] and the boys, and I think it paid off there.

“Ball to hand is key, I suppose – when the ball does go to hand, every gameplan works and it looks great.”

First-half goals from Kennefick and Horgan put the Glen into a lead that would not be lost, with eight unanswered points in the periods before and after half-time solidifying their advantage. Their importance was underlined as Charleville came back to three points in injury time before Horgan and Dean Brosnan made sure of the victory.

“We probably made hard work of it in the end, I suppose,” Horgan said, “but I thought we were probably the better team throughout.

“I think it showed, the first 15 minutes of the second half we were well on top – I don’t know how it got that close in the end but we managed to get there.

“It was kind of nervy in the first half, because, you know, there was a bit of a help with a breeze going down that way, so we kind of expected to be up, but you never know is it enough or what.

“I think in the second and third quarters, we were well on top and, yeah, we needed it, to be fair, because right at the end there, they were right there, they had chances.”

SHOWDOWN

Next up is a last-four joust with the Magpies, who eliminated the Glen at the quarter-final stage last year. Horgan expects a tough battle in what will be a repeat of the 2021 final.

“As long as I can remember, four or five times, they've beaten us,” he said, “though there hasn't been a whole lot in it.

We know the team they are, they didn’t go straight to the semi-final for nothing.

“They're very consistent and they're obviously a match for anyone, so we'll have our work cut out but we're there anyway, so we'll give it a go.”