Intermediate Hurling Championship G1 Round 1

 Avondale 2-13

Bray Emmets 5-10

Balinakill 

Eoin Horkan 

A strong second half performance was enough to see the north Wicklow men win in Balinakill on Sunday morning.

It was the Emmets who opened the scoring when a long ball was driven into full forward Tom Cash. He expertly gathered it and within forty seconds had his team a goal up. Avondale who were down a number of players after injuries in their senior game Friday night started to come back in the tie as Shane Browne in midfield drove a long-range effort over the bar to open his sides account. Within seven minutes the Dales had taken the lead with a goal and two points from wing forward Torna Mulcorny who was causing trouble any time the ball came near him. As the half drew on Browne was powering through the middle striking over two more points in between another effort from Mulcrony. With twenty minutes gone injury struck again as Browne had to be replaced after he pulled his hamstring. This gave Bray a lift and led by full forward Cash they started to make inroads into the lead. After Cash slotted a free to stem the tide the opposition added their final minor scores of the half through Eugene Dunne and Mulcrony again. It was all Bray up until the half time whistle as Cash slotted over three fires and an effort from play to leave only a goal in it at the break.  

As the rain started to fall in Balinakill it was Bray who took advantage of the slippery conditions. Within two minutes of the second half, they had manufactured a lead with goals from Andy Conway and Liam Benville. Bray’s tactical move of moving Conway from midfield to full forward was a masterstroke, as himself and Cash raised white flags each inside the opening minutes of the half. The north Wicklow side were in complete control now and after Jack Fitzgerald’s point it was wing forward Liam Benville who found the back of the net before the dangerous Conway doubled his tally with another goal. Avondale started emptying the bench and this worked immediately as Ross Ward fired over to end the opposition's purple patch. As the game was drawing to a close Avondale were reduced to fourteen men when corner forward Eanna Owens was given a straight red for an off the ball incident. Immediately after the card Cash nailed the free before Conway hit what was his final score of the tie. Being down to fourteen men seemed to wake the Dales up as Mulcony and Jack Manley narrowed the gap. The opposition's final score of the game was a fine long-range effort from center back Sam Kearney. The aforementioned Mulcrony finished the scoring in the tie with a goal and a point just before the ref blew the final whistle. Reducing the margin to six by the end.

Avondale: Mikey O’ Toole; Ben O’ Neill, Eoghan Baker, Anthony O’ Toole; Eanna Owens, Shane Browne (0-3 2fs), Dean Gahan; Shane Byrne, Eugene Dunne (0-1); Cathal Baker, Keith Byrne, Torna Mulcrony (2-7 2fs); Craig Byrne, Karl Phelan, Dan Owens,

Subs Used; Jack Manley (0-1) for Shane Browne, Ross Ward (0-1) for Karl Phelan, Paul Gahan for Keith Byrne.

Bray Emmets: Brian McCann; Shane Anders, Peter Walsh, Cillian Molloy; Gavin Henderson, Sam Kearney (0-1), Dan Kennedy; Andy Conway (2-2), Oscar Harty; Jack Fitzgerald, (1-1) Sean Kenny, Liam Benville (2-0); Cian O’ Byrne, Tom Cash (1-6 4fs), Paul Barry.

Subs Used: James Byrne for Dan Kennedy, Seanie McDonagh for Cian O’ Byrne, Liam Kenny for Tom Cash.

Referee; Ciaran Goff ( Éire Óg)