Carnmore’s second-half blitz sees off St Thomas’ in U20 B final
Twelve unanswered points between the 30th and 50th minutes laid the foundations for Carnmore’s 1-25 to 2-14 victory over St Thomas in the U-20 B hurling championship final at Duggan Park last Wednesday evening.
There was little to separate the sides during an evenly contested opening half, with St Thomas holding a narrow 1-11 to 1-10 advantage at the interval. However, Carnmore took control after the break and produced a dominant spell to secure the silverware.
Carnmore will now hope this U-20 success can provide momentum ahead of their intermediate hurling championship relegation semi-final against Beagh this weekend. Five members of their U-20 team are also part of the club’s intermediate side, including Sean Fahy, Matthew Conroy, Brendan Fox and Cormac Feeney.
Eoin Collins is also involved with the intermediate team, but was only fit enough to make a substitute appearance in this decider in Ballinasloe.
Paul O’Donnell and Sean Kelly, who have both featured for the St Thomas senior side, were in action for their club’s U-20 team. Kelly and O’Donnell be in action in the SHC Preliminary quarter-final against Gort this weekend.
Carnmore made the brighter start, with Cormac Feeney finding the net after three minutes as they raced into a 1-2 to 0-0 lead. St Thomas' gradually settled, with Sean Kelly and Evan Fahy reducing the deficit before a long delivery from Kelly found corner forward Sam Hughes, who tapped the sliotar past Carnmore goalkeeper Mark Walsh.
Cathal McMahon and two further Sean Kelly efforts put the Peterswell and Kilchreest-based club 1-5 to 1-3 ahead after 11 minutes. The men in white responded through Dylan Casserly, Sean Fahy and Ethan Qualter to regain the lead at 1-7 to 1-5 after the opening quarter.
The teams remained closely matched as the half progressed, with the sides level at 1-9 apiece by the 28th minute. Fahy edged Carnmore back in front with a free, but Kelly replied with two frees of his own to leave St Thomas' one point ahead at half-time.
Carnmore, last year’s U-20 A1 champions, then took complete control during the opening 20 minutes of the second-half. Their use of possession and shot selection stood out as St Thomas' struggled to contain their opponents.
Sean Fahy, Cormac Feeney, Matthew Conroy, Ben Morley, Ciaran Collins and Brendan Fox all contributed as Carnmore rattled off 12 unanswered points to move 1-22 to 1-11 ahead with 10 minutes remaining.
St Thomas' did not register their first score of the second-half until the 53rd minute, when Sean Kelly converted his sixth free of the evening. Two minutes later, Tom Skehill gathered the sliotar on the edge of the square from a Kelly delivery and smashed it into the roof of the net.
However, the goal proved little more than consolation as Carnmore maintained control. Conroy and Sean Fahy added further scores for the winners, while St Thomas' could only manage a late point from Aaron Uniacke as Carnmore secured an eight-point victory.
Carnmore: M Walsh; E Flaherty, C Fahy, J Fahey; J McAdam, D O’Connell, B Fox (0-1); D Casserly (0-1), B Morley (0-2); S Fahy (0-10, 0-8f), M Conroy (0-4), T Higgins; C Feeney (1-3), C Fahy (0-1), E Qualter (0-1). Subs: C Collins (0-2) for C Fahy (35mins), E Collins for Qualter (56mins), D Brogan for J Fahey (60mins).
St Thomas': C Larkin; N Mooney, P O’Donnell, O Flynn; D Gillard, A Uniacke (0-2), E McGlynn; T Fahy (0-2), H Mulkerrins; E Fahy (0-1), S Kelly (0-7, 0-6f), T Skehill (1-1, 0-1F); C McMahon (0-1), L Brady, S Hughes (1-0). Subs: C Flynn for Mooney (inj, 58mins), B Prendergast for Hughes (60mins).
Referee: Gerry Hurley.