Report Jimmy Walsh. Pictures by Matthew O’Shea
This third round, JJ Kavanagh and Sons Premier Junior Hurling League game between Windgap and the Fenians was played on excellent sward conditions at St. Johns Park, on Sunday afternoon, had historic and nostalgic significance, as well as a search for both sides to break a losing run and to secure two league points.
Fifty-four years earlier, in August 1972, the two new clubs and the young kids on the block, lined out in a Senior Hurling Quarterfinal, just three hundred yards away in Nowlan Park. Now back, at the very start, in the junior grade together, the younger generations had their chance to make their own memories.
Playing with a slight breeze into the country goal, the Fenians, Conor Tobin put them ahead as Billy Power equalised. A poor, Windgap line ball, saw Rory Garrett finish a good move, to restore the Fenians’ lead, before James Power, got on the end of the puckout to goal for Windgap and put them 1-1 to 0-2 ahead after four minutes.
With Windgap getting four of the next five points, through Conor Doyle, James Power, and a Billy Power brace, to an Adam Duggan reply, the southern side led by 1-5 to 3 points at the quarter-way stage. Two Fenians replies, from Willie Brennan, after Mark Hughes was fouled, and Conor Tobin after a smart line ball, brought the lead back to 1-5 to 0-5.
Three additional points apiece, saw a Billy Power free after Killian Enright was fouled, and Conor Doyle put Windgap five points ahead, as Willie Brennan and James Power traded scores and Kieran Grehan benefited from loose play to reduce the lead back to 1-8 to 0-8 after twenty-five minutes. During this period, the Fenians increased their wides tally to double their opponents’ ones.
Despite this, the Fenians finished the half in style, as sub Darragh McCormack started the comeback from a free-flowing move that commenced with a rare short puckout. Willie Brennan then added a point from play, and another from a free after a foul was brought up. It tied the scores 1–8 for Windgap to the Fenians 0-11 at half time, and it was still all to play for.
Whatever plans were laid by both sides at the break, Windgap bolted into the second half, with 1-3 without reply to lead 2-11 to 0-11 after thirty-seven minutes. The scores came from two Billy Power frees, and a well-worked goal from a Sean Purcell lineball to Conor Doyle for Adam O’Shea to score in the bottom right-hand corner as Jack Doyle added a fine point.
In the free-flowing, fairly played competitive tie, a tackle on Billy Power held up the game and saw the Fenians’ Willie Brennan get a red card. In play, the Fenians accumulated two more wides as Jack Doyle had two long-range shots for goal cleared. After Rory Garret got a Fenians point from a free from behind his own sixty-five, to leave the scores 2-11 to 0-12 approaching the end of the third quarter, both sides were down a man as James Power got a red card that left staunch supporters from both sides mystified and the game appeared to suffer.
The next ten minutes, saw the Fenians rue the loss of their main scorer as they accumulated three more wides as Jack Doyle extended Windgaps’ lead to 2-12 to 0-12.
After Regan Downey got the next score from a free for the Fenians, 2-12 to 0-13, after Eoin O’Shea overcarried, Billy Power pointed two late frees to give Bearna an Gaoithe a 2-14 to 0-13 victory when an réiteoir Séan McMahon called time.
The result saw Windgap take the two league points as the sides approach their fourth-round games with John Lockes and Graiguenamangh, respectively, as a place in this year’s league final has probably passed both sides by.
For the record, the County Senior quarter Final in 1972, was won by the Fenians by 2-19 to 3-11, as they went on to take their second county title. After today’s play, there is still a strong hurling pride, ethic and skill base in both clubs who aspire to get back up the ladder later on in the year. For Fr. Fergus Farrell, a former Fenians player of the time, and now the Windgap Dunnamaggin P.P. there will be another day in the forthcoming knockout championship fare for his loyalties to be tested.
TEAMS
Bearna na Gaoithe; Eoin O’Shea, Peter Landy, Willie Phelan, Sean Foley, Pat Power, Séan Purcell, Darragh O’Shea, Killian Enright, Billy Power 0-8, 0-6 frees, James Power 1-2, Jack Doyle 0-2, Padraic Foley, Conor Doyle 0-2, Adam O’Shea 1-0, Subs; James Purcell, Pat Grace, Sean Barron.
The Fenians: Darragh Tobin, Eoghan Summer, Seán Brennan, Padraig O’Grady, Jerry Henderson, Rory Garrett 0-2, 0-1 free, Paddy McCormack, Adam Duggan 0-1, Willie Brennan 0-5 0-3 frees, Mark Hughes, Kieran Grehan 0-1, Regan Downey, Séan Tobin, Conor Tobin 0-3. Cathal Phelan. Subs Darragh McCormack, Shane Curran, John Henderson, Paddy Cullen, Thomas Sharkey Réiteoir Séan McMahon
An scór deireanach from St. Johns Park Bearna na Gaoithe 1-14 Na Fíníní 13 points
