Hurlers through to semi-final of Junior A Championship

Edenderry 3-11
Belmont 2-09

Edenderry Hurlers qualified for the semi final of the Junior A Championship following a tough quarter final win over Belmont in Killeigh on Sunday 19th.

Edenderry started the game brightly however it was Belmont who registered the opening score with a point from a free. Killian Farrell put Edenderry in front with two pointed frees including a long range effort from the half way line. A Belmont score from play levelled the scoring after ten minutes.

The Reds then began to dominate the play around the middle and three superb scores from play by Farrell (two) and Martin Keogh saw Edenderry open a three point lead. Belmont then reduced the lead with an excellent score from play by their left half forward.

Edenderry responded with a further four points from play by Farrell, Keogh, Shane Kelly and Derek Egan. This left Edenderry in front by 0-09 to 0-03 with 10 minutes left in the first half.

The Edenderry players seemed to ease off at this point and a number of chances to increase the lead were missed before Belmont began to dominate the closing minutes of the half. Two pointed frees reduced the arrears before a long ball was played into the Reds defence, initially this was dealt with by goalkeeper Brendan McCabe however his short clearance went straight to a Belmont forward who simply lobbed it back over McCabe’s head to the net.

Half Time Score

Edenderry 0-09
Belmont 1-05

Edenderry certainly paid attention to whatever manager Declan Cummins said in the dressing-room at halftime as they stormed forward on the resumption and were rewarded with a Shane Kelly goal to restore a four point lead. However again Edenderry were wasteful in front of goal and guilty of shooting from impossible angles when a simple pass seemed on.

Two well taken scores from play by Belmont again reduced Edenderrys lead to two point before Shane Kelly pointed excellently from play to leave the Reds in front by a goal 1-10 to 1-07. Edenderry then made a couple of substitutions with Shane Connell replacing David Hanlon and Dave Ryan coming in for Derek Egan.

Belmont to their credit kept themselves in the game and two more pointed frees left the minimum between the sides. Edenderry then introduced Tom Fay for Jason Carey. A free to Belmont inside their own half seemed to offer them little opportunity however the free was dropped into the square and when the Reds defence failed to deal with it a Belmont forward lashed it to the back of the net to put them back in the lead for only the second time in the game with six minutes remaining.

Belmont then suffered a severe blow as in the very next Edenderry attack as their full back tangled with Tom Fay near the side line. He fell awkwardly and after a long stoppage he was carried from the field by stretcher after picking up what looked like a broken collar bone.

This lengthy delay seemed to unsettle Belmont as they missed two chances to extend their lead. Edenderry struck to put themselves back in front. A long ball to the Belmont defence was won by Eoin Kelly and his fierce shot hit the crossbar and dropped out to the unmarked Ger Hanlon who pulled on it first time to the back of the net. A point from play by Killian Farrell left Edenderry 2-11 to 2-08 in front with only injury time to be played.

Belmont reduced the lead to a dangerous two points however it was Edenderry who got the last score of the game with probably the move of the game. A McCabe puckout was won by Martin Keogh who passed to Killian Farrell. Farrell spotted the run through the centre and a brilliant weighted pass was caught in the air by Shane Kelly. Kelly evaded his marker and bore down on goal. He finished to the corner of the net however he received a late dangerous blow from a Belmont player who was yellow carded following the referee’s consultation with his umpire.

Edenderry then held out for the remainder of the injury time to progress to the semi final on a scoreline of 3-11 to 2-09. The team and management will need to work hard in the coming weeks to eradicate the many errors from their game before the semi final.

Team & Scorers: Brendan McCabe, Enda Bagnall, Conleth Carey, Liam Grennan, Stephen Murphy, David Hanlon, Jonathan Geraghty, Paul Glennon, Eoin Kelly, Martin Keogh 0-02, Killian Farrell 0-06 (3 frees), Ger Hanlon 1-00, Shane Kelly 2-02, Jason Carey, Derek Egan 0-01. Subs used: Shane Connell, Dave Ryan, Tom Fay.

Referee: Noel Cooney