Cloughbawn retrieve lost cause
CLOUGHBAWN CERTAINLY did it the hard way with an enthralling second-half display as they eventually overcame a previously dominant St. Anne's to clinch the Co. Under-21 hurling Roinn 1 championship title at Wexford Park on Tuesday of last week.
There is no doubting that Cloughbawn did it the hard way as they looked dead and buried at half-time when they trailed by 2-10 to 1-2, and fell a further point adrift two minutes into the second period.
But in a frenetic closing 20 minutes inspired by wing-back Colm Kehoe, who turned in an enormous second-half display, they gradually hauled in St. Anne's to eventually secure one of the most dramatic victories seen so far this year.
St. Anne's were at their sharpest during the opening 30 minutes, a period of total dominance from the south county side. Such was their superiority that one could not envisage that second half fade-out when they were totally overwhelmed by the opposition, so much so that they only managed four more points.
Credit, however, to Cloughbawn once they brought their game together, and the switching of Paul Foley from centre-forward to full-forward did so much to change this game right around, as he shot home two goals in the space of two minutes which rocked St. Anne's right back on their heels, and in turn sending his side storming to a dramatic comeback victory.
St. Anne's performance in the first-half was exceptional. They raced into a 0-4 to nil lead inside six minutes through points from Diarmuid O'Keeffe and three Mark Furlong frees.
Cloughbawn opened their account with a Paul Foley pointed free after seven minutes, but St. Anne's were playing impressively with Liam Óg McGovern banging home two goals on eight and nine minutes to leave his side leading by 2-4 to 0-1.
With nine points separating the sides at this early stage, Barry Carton fashioned a goal out of nothing having worked his way in along the endline, but it was still St. Anne's who looked comfortable, leading by 2-10 to 1-2 at the interval - a lead that would have been even greater had they taken points instead of concentrating on goals.
After Diarmuid O'Keeffe extended his side's lead within two minutes of the restart, cloughbawn were left with a real mountain to climb. They still trailed by 2-12 to 1-7 with 14 minutes remaining when a long Harry kehoe free broke in the goalmouth for Paul Foley to crash to the net after 48 minutes.
Barry Carton shot a point immediately on the puck-out, while on 50 minutes Foley crashed home his second goal after 'keeper Kevin Whelan had pulled a high ball dropping over the bar back into his path, leaving Cloughbawn amazingly ahead by 4-8 to 2-12.
Colm Kehoe struck over a huge 80-metre point, before St. Anne's responded with points from Diarmuid O'Keeffe and Mark Furlong, but they still trailed by the minimum (4-9 to 2-14) with five minutes remaining.
St. Anne's laid siege to the Cloughbawn goal but they were unable to fashion an equaliser, and the closest they came was when two long Mark Furlong frees agonisingly dropped to the wrong side of the righthand post.
- BRENDAN FURLONG in Wexford Park
