Barna-Furbo make history with provincial junior title win
Date Published: {J}
BARNA-FURBO 1-12ST MARY'S 1-9
JASON BYRNE
BARNA-FURBO were finally crowned Connacht junior hurling champions following a tough battle with Leitrim champions St. Mary's on Sunday.
In a highly entertaining game of hurling, Ciaran O hAnlai and Greg O Sioda starred for the Connemara side ensuring their third trophy in 12 months.
But this was no ordinary contest from the outset – as firstly the match was held outside of Connacht at the headquarters of Cavan GAA; as no other venue was either suitable or available.
Secondly, the game was played on a full-size artificial surface in the shadows of Breffni Park, with both sides very uneasy about this beforehand.
Nonetheless, this tie went ahead after over two months of anticipation and no studded boots. Boasting eight Leitrim county players in their starting 15, Mary's midfielder Clement Cunniffe grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck early on and blasted over a free from his own half, and it would be his name along with those of O hAnlai and O Sioda that would stay on everyone's lips throughout the afternoon.
Two more frees from Cunniffe and a bullet from James Glancy was answered with scores from O hAnlai and O Sioda from a 65 and a free to see the Leitrim men hold a slender 0-4 to 0-3 lead midway through the half.
As both teams defended resolutely not to concede a goal, Roibeard O Cuain had a rare opportunity of hitting the net for Barna-Furbo and fired towards the top right corner only to see Mary's stopper Gary Coone spectacularly deny him.
O hAnlai and O Sioda clocked up another score each to put Tomas O Curraoin's charges ahead for the first time, and it was a lead they would sustain until the final whistle.
A three-minute burst at the end of the half saw O hAnlai hit his third score which was sandwiched by points from Rob O Curraoin and Tomas O Fatharta, leaving Mary's looking a bit flat at the interval and the Galway champions holding a precious three-point cushion at 0-8 to 0-5.
For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.