Jun B's cross the line after extra time in Glenmore.

Post date: Aug 19, 2013 7:44:25 AM

It was great to come out on top of this thrilling 1/4 final clash . It was tense and exciting end to end stuff which finished 2.25 to 3.20. Scorers Padraig Whelan 11(8F) Thomas O'Donnell 2.03 Jamie McGragh 3 Dane Mangan 2 Mick Dunne 2 Ger Walsh 2 Adam Kennedy 1 Sean Dowling 1.. Full report to follow.

August162013JunB14FinalVMooncoin

Match Report- Barrie Henriques

Graignamanagh 2-25 Mooncoin 3-20

There was a storm of entertainment in Páirc na Reatha, Glenmore on Friday

evening last, as Graignamanagh and Mooncoin slugged it out for supremacy in

a very entertaining Junior B Championship. It was end-to-end stuff as both

sides, very evenly matched, tested the resolve of their opponents in a game

that needed extra time to decide a victor.

Mooncoin had a brilliant opening ten minutes when they troubled the umpire

to wave the green flag twice, courtesy of the predatorial instincts of AJ

Wall, Joe Kearns and young Kieran Dunphy, however the early loss of Niall O’

Hanlon on their half back line was a blow.

Slowly, but very obviously, the Graig lads scraped their way into the game,

and by the 20th minute they were but a single point adrift. The reasons for

such a surge can be fairly laid at the doorstep of free-taker, Padraig

Whelan, Michael Dunne, Dane Mangan, Adam Kennedy, and Ger Walsh.

Mooncoin were finding life a difficult occupation trying to overwhelm a

Graignamanagh defence in which the likes of Jim O’Donnell, James McCabe,

Nick O’Donnell, and Diarmuid O’Neill stood rock solid in defence of their

manor.

However Dunphy was causing plenty of anxiety for them on the Mooncoin half

forward line. He grabbed a brace of good points in the 21st, and 23rd

minutes. Those coupled with a similar return from corner forward, Robbie

Cody helped to steer the Mooncoin ship through some choppy waters, and

keeping their noses ahead as the game entered the final few minutes of an

exciting first half.

At half time Mooncoin were leaders by 2-7 to Graignamanagh’s 0-11

The game was very competitive, and very tight.

It was about to get a whole deal tighter in a frantic second half.

A goal by AJ. Wall in the 35th minute increased the Mooncoin advantage to

three points. A superb goal by Tom O’Donnell in the 42nd minute left two

points between the sides. There were still a few points between the sides as

the game throbbed into the final eight minutes. The gap was two points at 55

minutes. A Tom O’Donnell point narrowed it down to a single point with three

minutes plus seconds left. Points by John Fitzgerald, and Kieran Dunphy at

the59 and 60 minute markers left Graig three adrift with the Referee looking

at his watch. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and Tom O’Donnell stormed the

Mooncoin battlements with one last effort, clattered it to the net and we

were in extra time.

Phew!

At the conclusion of the first period of extra time, Mooncoin were ahead. A

necklace of three super points by Whelan (free) and man-of-the-match, Tom O’

Donnell flopped Graignamanagh men on the right side of the finishing wire by

the slenderest of margins.

Hard for anyone to lose, but Graignamanagh were thrilled to be the victor on

this occasion.

Scores

Graignamanagh:Tom O’Donnell (2-5); Padraig Whelan (0-10, seven frees); Jamie

McGrath (0-3); Dane Mangan, Ger Walsh, Michael Dunne (0-2 each); Adam

Kennedy (0-1).

Mooncoin: Kieran Dunphy (1-3); AJ Wall, Joe Kearns, (1-1 each); John Phelan

(0-4, one free); Shane Walsh (0-3); John Fitzgerald (0-2, one free); Robbie

Cody, Steven Crowley (0-2 each); Eric Wall, Jack Ryan (0-1 each).

Graignamanagh: Ian Kavanagh, Liam Hearne, Jim O’Donnell, James Mc Cabe, Nick

O’Donnell, Diarmuid O’Neill, Sean Dowling, Tom O’Donnell, Adam Kennedy,

Jordan Brett, Padraig Whelan, Ger Walsh, Jamie McGrath, Michael Dunne, Dane

Mangan.

Subs (used): Patrick Dowling, Alan Foley.

Mooncoin: Liam Walsh, Niall Blanchfield, Tom Henebery, Ian Dunphy, Niall O’

Hanlon, Eamon Henebery, Andy Brennan, Liam “Mossy” Walsh, John Fitzgerald,

Johnny Phelan, Kieran Dunphy, Joe Kearns, AJ Wall, Robbie Cody.

Subs (used): Jack Ryan, Sean Walsh, Christy Walsh, Steven Crowley, Conor

Brophy.

Ref: John Bennett (Tullogher)