Glynn-Barntown 3-11, St. James’ 1-8
TWO-GOAL Michael O’Regan was to the fore in bagging a first county SFC semi-final spot for Glynn-Barntown since 2016 at the expense of St. James’ at a pleasant Innovate Wexford Park on Saturday.
St. James’ seemed to be mounting a serious fight-back when fighting-back from a 2-8 to 1-3 deficit after 39 minutes to close to within 2-9 to 1-8 after 50 minutes. But Glynn-Barntown were ultimately comfortable and deserving victors.
In fact, it might have been an easier passage for Toirleach Leacy’s men but for their alarming wastefulness, as Glynn-Barntown squandered several gilt-edged scoring chances during a disjointed opening by both sides.
But the winners pointed through Barry Doyle and Michael O’Regan, before St. James’ turned the tables by 1-0 to 0-2 on 16 minutes, when Robbie Barron outwitted the ‘keeper in a one-on-one after being slotted through by Graeme Molloy.
Glynn, however, wasted little time in wrestling back control by 1-2 to 1-1, when Michael O’Regan finished neatly to the town-end net after 20 minutes, before midfielder Aaron Breen (2) and free-taker Aaron Kehoe stretched the gap to 1-5 to 1-1.
St. James’ never lacked enterprise, and tidy points from Kevin O’Grady and Graeme Molloy had them within 1-5 to 1-3.
But the opposition struck a serious blow when Aaron Breen fed Michael O’Regan to blast his second personal goal and secure a 2-5 to 1-3 interval advantage.
Ex-Sarsfield man Shane Wilde was twice unlucky with goaling chances for Glynn on the re-start when he instead had to settle for points which boosted the winners’ position by 2-7 to 1-3 after 36 minutes.
Three Kevin O’Grady points (two frees) encouraged St. James’ as they got back to within 2-9 to 1-8 in the 50th-minute.
But Glynn-Barntown always had a bit more in their armoury, and Shane Wilde put the result to bed on 58 minutes when Kevin Mahoney found him at the far post for Wilde to net a 3-10 to 1-8 as the 2016 county final runners-up advance in 2019 despite having been without the suspended John Leacy.
Glynn-Barntown – Matt Doyle; Jack Fenlon, Rob Tierney, David Clarke; Matt Banville, Rowan White, Kevin Mahoney (0-1); Aaron Breen (0-2), Cormac Rowe; Fionn Cooney, Barry Doyle (0-1), Rioghan Crosbie; Shane Wilde (1-2), Aaron Kehoe (0-2 frees), Michael O’Regan (2-3, 0-2 ’45).
Subs: Alan Cowman for Jack Fenlon (8); Conor Mahoney for Barry Doyle (44); Shane Doyle for Alan Cowman (60+1); Pádraig Donnelly for Aaron Kehoe (60+2).
St. James’ – John Ryan; Brian Kennedy, Jason Barron, David Doyle; Daniel Keating, Paul Barron (capt.), Brian Molloy (0-1); Liam Murphy, Brendan Doyle; Donal Barron, Robbie Barron (1-0), Mark Molloy; Kevin O’Grady (0-5, 2 frees), Emmett Dunning, Graeme Molloy (0-1).
Subs: Tommy Walsh for Emmett Dunning (HT); Greg Doyle for Liam Murphy (HT); Adam Parle (0-1) for Brendan Doyle (43); Eoin Whitty for Daniel Keating (50);
Referee – Francis O’Reilly (Kilmore).
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