It was a case of deja vú for our Junior A’s yesterday as Quarter-Final defeat befell them. Urhan 0-06 Glenbower Rovers 0-08. Hard luck to all involved.
This game will disappoint for a long time, mostly because it was well within Urhan’s powers to win.
Urhan enjoyed a fine start, Martin McCarthy setting up Concubhar Harrington for a smart point on the very first attack, and Martin O’ Neill’s doing likewise a couple of minutes later. While a Joe Deane free immediately reduced the arrears, Urhan had settled well. The teams swapped wides before Concubhar Harrington took a short free to Vinnie Lehane, received the return pass and shot for a 0-3 to 0-01 lead.
Glenbower settled into the game themselves thereafter but were struggling to score – Joe Deane pulled a short-range free wide and two more wides from play followed. Vinnie Lehane made no mistake at the other end when set up by James Healy.
With centrefield now well matched, Glenbower got the next opportunity and took it for a Joe Deane point in the twentieth minute. Urhan pressed and evantually scored. A lovely point from out left by Vinnie Lehane in the twenty-seventh minute. It would be the high-water mark. Glenbower pulled one back before the break. Half-time and Urhan led 0-05 to 0-03.
If Urhan could be pleased with their first-half display, there was still precious little to play with, and Glenbower built from the restart. It took them a few shots to find their range but two quick points in the thirty-third and thirty-fourth minute squared the match.
Urhan responded well but could only muster a wide. The first goal chance of the game followed but Concubhar Harrington couldn’t quite manufacture the space and his shot was blocked. Another wide followed as Urhan tried from the half-forward line.
All the while, Urhan’s backs were putting in a massive display. When Glenbower next got a run posssession they were either held, dispossessed or forced to shoot under pressure. More wides.
Still and all, the breakthrough came as it had to, Glenbower drawing level on the three-quarter mark. Concubhar Harrington broke Urhan’s drought and Glenbower’s defensive stranglehold with eight to go and levelled it six apiece. Tight wasn’t the word for it.
It was Glenbower who struck with a decisive point – their only sniff at goal being blazed over. On the very next move, Urhan had their own goal chance, but it was again all to crowded and the impressive David McCarthy was thwarted by the Glenbower cúl barra.
As the game played through the agonising last few minutes, Urhan threw everything into their search for a leveller, only to be thrown off the Glenbower wall every time. Inevitably, Glenbower got a couple of chances too. The first screwed slowly wide. The second didn’t. Urhan had time for only one attack. It faded. The whistle called time. Urhan’s county campaign had faltered again at the first hurdle.
Urhan 0-06 Glenbower 0-08.
Team: Sean Daly; Davy Cronin, Luke Daly, John Dwyer; Enda Lowney, Mikey O’ Shea, Brian Healy; Dan Dwyer, Finbarr Dwyer; Martin O’ Neill, Iain O’ Sullivan, James Healy (capt.); Concubhar Harrington, Martin McCarthy, Vinnie Lehane.
Subs: David McCarthy for Brian Healy, Ciarán O’ Sullivan for James Healy, Sean O’ Sullivan for Iain O’ Sullivan.
