Longford GAA: Clonguish advance to meet Ballymore in the Junior ‘A’ final
The Rustic Inn Junior ‘A’ Football Championship Semi-Final
Clonguish are back in the Junior ‘A’ Football Championship decider after a powerful second half display saw Brian Brady’s side pull clear of a battling Kenagh outfit in Saturday’s semi-final at Pearse Park.
Beaten after an epic decider against Killoe Emmet Og last season, Clonguish will get another shot at ending a lengthy wait for the junior crown when they face Ballymore in the final.
Their last success came all the way back in 2003, but after turning a slender half-time advantage into an 11-point victory here, they will return to headquarters with plenty of momentum.
Playing against the breeze in the opening half, Clonguish made an ideal start through captain Niall O’Reilly before Josh Sorohan supplied the first major when finding the Kenagh net.
James Flynn punched over a dropping ball and, after Josh Kelly opened Kenagh’s account, veteran David Barden struck twice in quick succession. Barden was at the heart of so much of Clonguish’s best work, linking the play intelligently and providing an experienced head in an otherwise youthful attack.
There is plenty of family history attached to Clonguish’s pursuit of this title. Barden’s brother Enda was one of their leading players when Clonguish won the Junior Championship with their first team in 1992, while James Flynn’s father, also Enda, captained the 2003 winners in the remarkable season when the club completed the Junior and Senior Championship double - something they could recreate this season.
Flynn added another score before Kenagh hit back emphatically, Thomas McGann finding the net to keep them firmly in contention.
O’Reilly replied from a free and Liam Sheridan and Cian Sutton also raised white flags, but Kenagh refused to allow Clonguish to escape. Kelly landed a free and a point from play before Niall Curley struck their second goal.
Another Kelly free left Kenagh just a point adrift at the break (1-8 to 2-4) after their best spell with 1-3 on the trot but remained behind despite having played with the wind.
Lee Ross Gill reduced the gap immediately after the restart, but Clonguish soon took command. Sutton and Flynn pointed before Shane Farrell produced one of Kenagh’s best moments, brilliantly converting a two-point free into the breeze.
Instead of unsettling Clonguish, it sparked their most decisive spell. James Flynn landed a two-pointer, Mark McHugh followed with a point and substitute Ryan McHugh announced his arrival with a two-pointer. Flynn converted a free before McHugh burst through for the goal which effectively broke Kenagh’s resistance.
Captain Niall O’Reilly continued to drive Clonguish forward and added a two-pointer, while Flynn landed another score from distance during an outstanding individual display. Cormac Flynn also got his name on the scoresheet as Clonguish stretched away.
James Flynn finished with 0-8 but his contribution went beyond the numbers, while fellow minor Cathal Lynch delivered an assured performance at centre-half-back. Mikey Glennon worked tirelessly around the middle, Sutton repeatedly surged forward from defence and off the bench, Ryan McHugh’s 1-2 added another cutting edge.
Kenagh kept battling and Shane Farrell was rewarded with a late goal, but the damage had long since been done. For Clonguish, the final whistle confirmed another trip to the Junior Championship final and the opportunity to erase the disappointment of last year.
CLONGUISH: James Quinn; Michael McCann, Neil Devlin, Brendan Devine; Gerard Moore, Cathal Lynch, Cian Sutton (0-2); Packie Molloy, Mark McHugh (0-1); James Flynn (0-8, 2 two-pointers, 1f), Niall O’Reilly (0-4, 1 two-pointer, 1f), Mikey Glennon; David Barden (0-2), Josh Sorohan (1-0), Liam Sheridan (0-1).
Subs used:- Ryan McHugh (1-2, 1 two-pointer), Aidan O’Ceallaigh, Cormac Flynn (0-1), Simon Moorhead, Francis Molloy.
KENAGH: Adam Percival; Sean Carberry, John Gill, Graham Forbes; James Higgins, Lee Ross Gill (0-1), Niall Curley (1-0); Alan Jones, Daniel Galvin; Ronan Farrell, Shane Farrell (1-2, 1 two-point free), Cormac McGann; Thomas McGann (1-0), Josh Kelly (0-4, 2f), Ollie Manser.
Subs used:- Ronan Hughes, Rory Connor, Damien Higgins, Cathal Higgins, Jamie Byrne.
Referee: David Reynolds (Killoe Emmet Óg).