Saint Mary’s are through the Western Junior
Hurling Final for the second year in a row after they overcame the challenge of
Abbeyside at a wet Fraher Field this evening.
Eoin Kearns proved to be the hero for Saint
Mary’s hitting 1-9, 1-2 of which came from play and also saved a fifty eight
minute penalty from Eoin Kiely after he stood between the posts in place of
John Patrick Fitzpatrick for the one on one strike from twenty one metres.
Saint Mary’s were on top throughout this game
and were unlucky not to have hit a point from Kevin Sheehan inside the first
minute of the game with an effort that went narrowly wide.
Saint Mary’s however were not long more
waiting to get the scoreboard in operation as Eoin Kearns put over a brace of
frees on two and six minutes.
Eoin Kiely pulled back a point for Abbeyside
from a free on six minutes, but points from Aidan Fitzpatrick and Kevin Sheehan
both on seven minutes had daylight between the sides on the score board.
Abbeyside hit the next two scores of the
game, the first from Eoin Enright on ten minutes and Eoin Kiely put over his second
free of the evening two minutes later.
A brace of Eoin Kearns points, the first from
play, the second from a free gave Saint Mary’s a 0-6 to 0-3 lead with seventeen
minutes gone and it was starting to look good for Saint Mary’s.
Eoin Kiely and Eoin Kearns swapped a brace of
frees each to keep Saint Mary’s three in front with twenty two minutes played,
but Abbeyside made it a two point game (0-8 to 0-6) six minutes from the break
when Eoin Enright split the Saint Mary’s posts.
A minute later, Saint Mary’s opened up a substantial
lead when the ball came in from the bank side of the field towards the country
goal and Eoin Kearns collected and placed a bullet of a shot high into the roof
of Seamus Ryan’s net.
The same player landed a sixty five for Saint
Mary’s two minutes from the break to leave six between the sides, but that lead
was halved in the first minute of added time when Tiernan Murray beat John
Patrick Fitzpatrick from close range.
Leading 1-9 to 1-6 at the break, Saint Mary’s
came out the stronger of the sides at the start of the second half as Eoin
Kearns from a free on thirty two minutes and his brother Mike a minute later
hit a second goal for Saint Mary’s to give the eventual winners a 2-10 to 1-6
lead.
Eoin Kiely landed a brace of placed balls for
Abbeyside by the fortieth minute with Kevin Sheehan landing one for Saint Mary’s
in between to leave the two goals from the Kearns brothers the difference between
the sides.
In the next ten minutes Abbeyside were the
most profitable with the chances they had in front of goal as Eoin Kiely landed
a brace from play and Eoin Enright hit one to leave their side trailing 2-11 to
1-11 with fifty one minutes showing on the clock. During this time Abbeyside
were somewhat unlucky not to have hit a second goal but David Sweeney saw his
effort come crashing off the crossbar on forty four minutes and the ball was
subsequently cleared by the Saint Mary’s defence.
Eoin Kearns and Jason Sheehan opened another
five point lead for Saint Mary’s which was cut by one when David Sweeney put
over the Saint Mary’s crossbar with fifty four minutes played.
Owen Barron restored a five point lead for
Saint Mary’s three minutes from time, but within seconds it looked as if Saint
Mary’s were going to have to fight very hard to get something from the game as
referee Tommy O’Sullivan awarded Abbeyside a penalty.
Eoin Kearns who won a Dr. Harty Cup Medal
playing in goal for Colaiste na Déise some years back made the long track back
the field to stand between the posts for the penalty which had some in the
stand asking was it allowed, which of course it is, and he did brilliant to put
Eoin Kiely’s strike from twenty metres which looked to be going into Eoin’s
left hand corner of the goal out for a sixty-five which the Eoin Kiely made no
mistake with in splitting the uprights.
No further scores were registered in the one
added minute at the end of the half for stoppages and so Saint Mary’s advance
to the Western Final for the second year in a row, where they will take on
Tourin who will surly go into the final as favourites having played
Intermediate last year, and who in the curtain raiser beat a fancied Colligan
side in the first of the semi finals.
Saint
Mary’s:
John Patrick Fitzpatrick; Conor Tobin, Sean Fitzpatrick, Tom Tobin; Dermot
Tobin, Denis Coffey, Owen Barron; Kevin Sheehan, Stephen Coffey; Brendan
McGourty, Eoin Kearns, Jack Skehan; Aidan Fitzpatrick, Mike Kearns, Jason
Sheehan. Subs: Kieran Barron for
Aidan Fitzpatrick (27 minutes), Dean Cliffe for Jack Skehan (Half Time), John
Ahearne for Denis Coffey (49 minutes).
Scorers: Eoin Kearns 1-9 (0-6
frees, 0-1 ’65), Mike Kearns 1-0, Kevin Sheehan 0-2, Aidan Fitzpatrick, Jason
Sheehan, Owen Barron 0-1 each.
Abbeyside: Seamus Ryan; Stephen
O’Connor, Gavin Breen, Mickey Coleman; Conor McCarthy, Patrick Lynch, Diarmuid
Henley; John Elsted, David Sweeney; Richie Ryan, Eoin Enright, David Hickey;
Eoin Kiely, Laurence Hurney, Tiernan Murray. Subs: Kevin Dwane for Laurence Hurney (43 Minutes).
Scorers: Eoin Kiely 0-9 (0-5
frees, 0-2 ‘65s), Eoin Enright 0-3, Tiernan Murray 1-0, David Sweeney 0-1.
Referee: Tommy O’Sullivan
(Cappoquin).
