Glanmire hold off youthful North Mon
Glanmire won because they had some very good players, but the young Mon side put in a tremendous second half after turning over nine points in arrears.
Glanmire, with the benefit of the strong wind, were on top early, with county minor John Halbert unerring from frees and Daniel Kearney and Robert O’Driscoll giving the Mon defence a torrid time.
It took North Mon 15 minutes to open their account, when Eoin Cronin scored the first of his three first half points, significantly all from frees.
However, for all their superiority, Glanmire had little to show for it on the scoreboard as they hit 11 wides. But their pressure eventually told when Martin Hickey drilled the ball to the net. The east Cork side led 1-9 to 0-3 at half time.
The second half was a keenly contested affair, as the Mon, with the wind to their backs, enjoyed a lot of possession, principally through the excellent play of midfielders Eoin McCarthy and Padraig Gould.
However they were rocked by a second Glanmire goal in the 35th minute when Mon goalkeeper Gordon Aherne failed to clear the danger and Daniel Kearney forced the sliotar over the line to give his side an 11-point lead.
However, the Mon continued to pour forward at every opportunity. The scores were slow in coming but come they did, and after Padraig Gould cut two sideline balls over the bar, 14-year-old Timmy Lynch slipped home a goal.
Suddenly, from a position of comfort, Glanmire found themselves living on their nerves. In a rare attack Michael Murphy eased the pressure with a point, but with full-back Jonathan O’Rourke now operating at midfield, the Mon continued to press forward and they added three points in-a-row before the final whistle brought relief and victory for the east Cork school.
: Glanmire: D. Kearney 1-2; R. O’Driscoll, J. Halbert (0-3 frees) 0-4 each; M. Hickey 1-0; M. Murphy 0-1. North Mon: E. Cronin 0-6 (frees); T. Lynch 1-0; P. Goold 0-2 (side line cuts); P. Cotter, J. O’Rourke, R. O’Brien 0-1 each.
: C. Hickey; C. O’Sullivan, E Whooley, W. Kearney; G. O’Kelly-Lynch, B. McHugh, R. O’Connor; M. Hickey, K. Brosnan; A. Bowen, M. Murphy, J. Halbert; R. O’Driscoll, R. Whittley, D. Kearney.Subs: A. Quinlan for Bowen; M. O’Carroll for D. Kearney.
: G. Aherne; R. Norberg, J. O’Rourke, J. O’Sullivan; S. Higgins, G. Bracken, R. O’Brien; E. McCarthy, P. Gould; R. Forde, E. Cronin, C. Oliver; E. O’Sullivan, S. Kemp, T. Lynch. Sub: P. Cotter for Oliver.
: M. Corcoran (Delanys).
