Dour cagey and tight Semi Final ends on parity
August 18, 2019
Killavullen and Clyda Rovers played out a dour, tight and cagey game in Mallow last Friday night in the semi-final of the Avondhu Junior A Hurling championship, in which neither team would have been happy with their performance. The game was level on seven different occasions, was level at the break and level at the end.
Clyda opened the scoring in the 1st minute but we got a score back immediately from Padraig Looney. Paul O Sullivan got our second point in the 4th minute from right out on his wing but Clyda equalised from a free in the 5th minute. Paul was next to score for us again in the 9th minute only for Clyda to equalise in the 12th. Clyda gained the lead in the 13th minute and we got back on parity with a converted free from Liam Cronin, after Mikey O Connor was fouled, after fetching a great ball. Liam put us back in front with a long range converted free but Clyda equalised again in the 26th minute and went a point ahead in the 28th minute. Liam Cronin brought us back level with a point from play, in the 29th minute and that was how the teams went in at half time, 0-06 apiece. The wind was swirling about a good deal, down on the pitch and made for difficult scoring opportunities, it may have accounted for the 8 wides that Clyda massed up, compared to our 6, but space was at a premium, even in the wide expanses of Mallow pitch and both sets of defenders were tigerish in the tackles.
Shortly after the restart, Michael Cronin in our goals had to be very alert to prevent a goal, with a brave save when he advanced off his line. Seamus Ronayne scored an inspirational score from right out of the touchline to give Clyda the lead in the 8th minute of the half only for Jack O Connor to bring us level with a tidy point in the very next minute. Liam got a huge long range free for us, from behind his own 65 metre line to eke us back in front in the 10th minute, and the same impressive player, got us another converted free to open up a two point lead. For once there was a semblance of daylight between the teams, but we failed to push it out any further, and spurned some good chances to do so. Clyda got a soft free in the 17th minute for the back holding the inside forward before the ball was struck into him, but that practise was common in this game by both sides, so it felt harsh when awarded. Clyda got another converted free in the 20th minute to bring both teams to 0-09 apiece.
As manfully as both teams tried, there were no further scores in the 10 minutes and injury time that remained. Each team had chances but were wide of the posts. In the 2nd minute of injury time, Liam Cronin caught an almighty ball from the air, and was hit desperately hard on 3 occasions, but the referee awarded a free to Clyda. It incensed the crowd but the free from Clyda went wide.
So both teams will do battle again, on Thursday night next, the 22nd.
The team and those that scored were;
- Michael Cronin
- Kevin Fox
- Pa Sheahan
- Billy Norris
- Sean O Regan
- Eoghan Buckley
- Fionn Magner
- Liam Cronin (0-05, 0-04F)
- Eddie Cotter
- Paul O Sullivan (0-02)
- Ian O Gorman
- Mikey O Connor
- Jack O Connor (0-01)
- Barry Murphy
- Padraig Looney (0-01)
Substitutes;
- Mike Fresh for Ian O Gorman
- Seamus Fox for Paul O Sullivan
- Liam Fox for Mikey O Connor