Bunclody dismiss 13 men
Wednesday August 25 2010
A DRAMATIC encounter at Killurin on Sunday last saw HWH-Bunclody advance to the Jack O'Leary Intermediate football championship semi-final at the expense of 13-man Kilmore.
The Wexford District side will be bitterly disappointed by the result as they really could have put the championship favourites out of sight in the opening half.
Playing against the wind, the only real sight of the post that HWH-Bunclody got was when an Ollie Connors shot came careering back off the crossbar. Otherwise the first 20 minutes belonged to Kilmore.
Patrick Byrne was denied in the opening minute by an alert Patrick Kavanagh before scores by Aaron Goff and Tommy Cousins edged Kilmore ahead. Paul Murphy was the next to be thwarted by Kavanagh, but the stopper could do nothing to keep out a blistering Stephen Cousins effort in the 14th minute (1-3 to nil).
Further saves by Kavanagh from Stephen Cousins and Murphy kept a porous HWH-Bunclody defence from embarrassment before a pair of minors pushed Kilmore eight points clear.
A Darren Kehoe-inspired comeback dragged a rejuvenated HWH-Bunclody within four at the break (1-6 to 0-5), and there was a sense that they had weathered the worst of the storm.
Kehoe and Peter Atkinson cut the deficit to two as the contest became tetchy. Colm Farrell latched onto a loose ball ten metres from goal to blast HWH-Bunclody in front for the first time, and Kilmore were soon down to 14 when Denis Kenny was sent-off for a second yellow for a late tackle on Kehoe.
HWH-Bunclody continued to lead by 1-8 to 1-7 as they struggled to make the most of their oneman advantage. Graham Mernagh was the next to see red for an off-the-ball incident with Peter Atkinson, but it still took a further seven minutes for the north county side to add the settling point.
When it came the floodgates opened and HWH-Bunclody registered six times in the final five minutes to ease into the semis by a flattering six-point margin of victory.
