Glenmore 2-17; Shamrocks Ballyhale 0-14.
John Power at UPMC Nowlan Park
Glenmore captured the JJ Kavanagh Junior A Hurling Championship title for the fifth time with a powerful second-half performance against Southern neighbours Shamrocks Ballyhale at UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday last.
Having won last year’s Junior B title, Glenmore had returned to the A grade with plenty to prove, and they produced an impressive display when it mattered most. The latest success adds to previous Junior A triumphs in 1959, 1989, 1998 and 2004, giving the club a fifth title at the grade and another memorable chapter in their history. The outstanding performer on the day was 19-year-old Glenmore forward Jason Cody, who delivered a remarkable individual performance. Cody finished with a personal tally of 1-12, including five points from play, and it was his second goal in the 58th minute that finally put the result beyond doubt.
Glenmore made the brighter start, with Cody opening the scoring in the third minute. Shamrocks Ballyhale responded impressively, however, as Eoin Reid and Luke Donnelly, who contributed two points, quickly turned the game in their favour. Glenmore refused to be unsettled and responded with a three-point burst by the 12th minute. Evan Halligan and Cody were both on target as the sides were level once again.
Reid restored the Shamrocks lead, but Cody was beginning to exert a growing influence on the contest. He first pointed from play before adding another from a placed ball. Reid levelled matters once again with a free, but Glenmore then enjoyed another productive spell. Halligan and Cody, with two points, combined for three unanswered scores to leave Glenmore 0-8 to 0-5 ahead by the 25th minute.
Ballyhale continued to battle and two further points from Reid kept them within touching distance. Glenmore goalkeeper Paul Brophy then produced one of the scores of the game when he converted a huge 110-metre free, ensuring Glenmore retained a narrow advantage at the interval. Half-time: Glenmore 0-9, Shamrocks Ballyhale 0-7.
The second half began with Ballyhale reducing the deficit when Donnelly converted a free. Glenmore immediately responded through another Cody free, before Robbie Fitzgerald added a point following clever work by Eoin Aylward. At 0-11 to 0-8, Glenmore appeared to be gaining control, but Shamrocks were not prepared to surrender their challenge. Donnelly struck twice before Reid added another free, and suddenly the sides were level at 0-11 apiece in the 38th minute.
That proved to be a crucial turning point. From there, Glenmore moved through the gears and produced their best spell of the match. They reeled off five unanswered points to open up a 0-16 to 0-11 advantage. Aaron O’Neill got the sequence underway, before Cody took centre stage once again. Three of his scores during the spell came from play, underlining his outstanding contribution. Shamrocks finally stopped the Glenmore scoring run when Larry Cody pointed, but the response was immediate. Evan Halligan found the net to give Glenmore an important goal, while Jason Cody added another free to stretch the lead to 1-17 to 0-12.
Killian Ryan pulled a point back for Ballyhale and, for a brief period, there was still hope of a dramatic comeback. However, those hopes disappeared in the 58th minute when Jason Cody struck his second goal of the afternoon. It was the score that finally broke Shamrocks’ resistance and confirmed Glenmore’s return to the top of the Junior A grade.
The final margin was nine points, but the scoreline does not fully reflect how competitive Ballyhale were for long periods. Shamrocks remained firmly in contention until the second Glenmore goal and deserve considerable credit for their efforts. For Glenmore, however, it was a day to savour. Their strong second-half display, allied to the outstanding contribution of Cody, secured a fifth Junior A championship crown and ensured their return to the A grade was marked in the best possible fashion.
SCORERS
GLENMORE: Jason Cody (1-12, 0-7 frees, 1-0 penalty), Evan Halligan (1-2), Paul Brophy, Robbie Fitzgerald, Aaron O’Neill (0-1 each)
SHAMROCKS: Eoin Reid (0-6, 0-5 frees), Luke Donnelly (0-5), Larry Cody, Killian Ryan, Dylan Aylward (0-1 each).
TEAMS
GLENMORE
Paul Brophy, Padráig Cody, Ciarán Vereker, Shane Duhig, Stephen Cody, Colm Doherty, Philly Roche, Cathal Sheehan, Dean Croke, Evan Halligan, Eoin Aylward Tommy Dunne, Oisin Mullally, Jason Cody Robbie Fitzgerald. Substitutes: Aaron O’Neill for Oisin Mullally, Paul Murphy for Tommy Dunne, Jack Ryan for Cathal Sheehan.
SHAMROCKS
Patrick Hearne, Killian Ryan, Cian Cullen, Brian Butler (Captain), Larry Cody, Michael Kenneally, Gavin Butler, Dylan Aylward, Chris Coady, Luke Donnelly, Conor Walsh, Cathal Coogan, Eoin Reid, John Fitzpatrick, Michael Barron. Substitutes: Finnian Shefflin for John Fitzpatrick, Rian Shefflin for Michael Barron, Jack Holden for Cathal Coogan, Tom Cleere for Dylan Edwards, Sean Shefflin for Michael Kenneally.
Referee: John O’Gorman (Dicksboro).
